Our Cats and All About Them Part 15

CATARRHAL FEVERS.

"Cats are, like some other of the domesticated animals, liable to be attacked by two kinds of Catarrhal Fever, one of which is undoubtedly very infectious--like distemper in dogs--and the other may be looked upon as the result of a simple cold, and therefore not transmissible.

The first is, of course, the most severe and fatal, and often prevails most extensively, affecting cats generally over wide areas, sometimes entire continents being invaded by it. From A.D. 1414 up to 1832 no fewer than nineteen widespread outbreaks of this kind have been recorded. The most notable of these was in 1796, when the cats in England and Holland were generally attacked by the disease, and in the following year when it had spread over Europe and extended to America; in 1803, it again appeared in this country and over a large part of the European continent.

"The symptoms are intense fever, prostration, vomiting, diarrhoea, sneezing, cough, and profuse discharge from the nose and eyes. Sometimes the parotid glands are swollen, as in human mumps. Dr. Darwin, of Derby, uncle to Charles Darwin, thought it was a kind of mumps, and therefore designated it _Parot.i.tis felina_.

"The treatment consists in careful nursing and cleanliness, keeping the animal moderately warm and comfortable. The disease rapidly produces intense debility, and therefore the strength should be maintained from the very commencement by frequent small doses of strong beef-tea, into which one grain of quinine has been introduced twice a day, a small quant.i.ty of port wine (from half to one teaspoonful) according to the size of the cat, and the state of debility. If there is no diarrhoea, but constipation, a small dose of castor oil or syrup of buckthorn should be given. Solid food should not be allowed until convalescence has set in. Isolation, with regard to other cats, and disinfection, should be attended to.

"Simple Catarrh demands similar treatment. Warmth, cleanliness, broth, and beef-tea, are the chief items of treatment, with a dose of castor oil if constipation is present. If the discharge obstructs the nostrils it should be removed with a sponge, and these and the eyes may be bathed with a weak lotion of vinegar and water."

"As regards inoculation for distemper," Dr. Fleming says, "it has been tried, but the remedy is often worse than the disease, at least as bad as the natural disease. _Vaccination_ has also been tried, but it is _valueless_. Probably inoculation with cultivated or modified virus would be found a good and safe preventative."

I was anxious to know about this, as inoculation used to be the practice with packs of hounds.

It will be observed that Dr. Fleming treats the distemper as a kind of influenza, and considers one of the most important things is to keep up the strength of the suffering animal. Other members of the R.C.V.S., whom I have consulted, have all given the same kind of advice, not only prescribing for the sick animal wine, but brandy, as a last resource, to arouse sinking vitality. Mr. George Cheverton, of High Street, Tunbridge Wells, who is very successful with animals and their diseases, thinks it best to treat them h.o.m.oeopathically. The following is what he prescribes as efficacious for some of the most dire complaints with which cats are apt to be afflicted.

WORMS.

For a full-grown cat give 3 grains of santonine every night for a week or 10 days; it might be administered in milk, or given in a small piece of beef or meat of any kind. After the course give an aperient powder.

MANGE.

The best possible remedies for this disease are a.r.s.enic.u.m, 2^{} trituration, and sulphur, 2^{} trituration, given on alternate days, as much as will lie on a threepenny piece, night and morning, administered as above.

A most useful lotion is acid sulphurous, 1 oz. to 5 oz. of water, adding about a teaspoonful of glycerine, and sponging the affected parts twice or thrice daily.

COLDS.

The symptoms are twofold, usually there is constant sneezing and discharge from the nose. Aconite, 1^{} tincture, 1 drop given every 3 hours in alternation with a.r.s.enic.u.m, 3^{} trituration, will speedily remove the disease. Should there be stuffing of the nose, and difficult breathing, give mercurius biniod., 3^{} trituration, a dose every 3 or 4 hours.

COUGHS.

The short, hard, dry cough will always give way to treatment with belladonna, 3^{} trituration, 3 grains every 3 or 4 hours.

For the difficult breathing, with rattling in the chest and bronchial tubes, with distressing cough, antimonium tartaric., 2^{}, grains iij every 2, 3 or 4 hours, according to the severity of the symptoms.

DISTEMPER.

Early symptoms should be noted and receive prompt attention; this will often cut short the duration of the malady. The first indications usually are a disinclination to rest in the usual place, seeking a dark corner beneath a sofa, etc. The eyes flow freely, the nose after becoming hard and dry becomes stopped with fluid, the tongue parched, and total aversion to food follows. The breathing becomes short and laboured, the discharges are offensive, and the animal creeps away into some quiet corner to die--if before this its life has not been mercifully ended.

On discovery of _first_ symptoms, give 2 drops aconite and a.r.s.enic.u.m in alternation every 3 hours. When the nose becomes dry, and the eye restless and glaring, give belladonna.

CANKER OF EAR.

When internal, drop into the affected ear, night and morning, 3 or 5 drops of the following mixture:

Tincture of Hydrastis Canadensis 2 drachms.

Carbolic Acid (pure) "

Glycerine, to make up to 2 oz.

If external, paint with the mixture the affected parts.

APERIENT.

Get a chemist to rub down a medium-size croton bean with about 40 grains of sugar of milk, and divide into four powders. One of these powders given in milk usually suffices. Large cats often require two powders.

The dose might be repeated if necessary.

Dose, when drops are ordered, 2 drops.

" " trituration is ordered, 2 to 3 grains.

REMEDIES AND STRENGTHENING MEDICINES.

Aconite, 1^{} tincture. a.r.s.enic.u.m, 2^{} trituration.

Antimonium tartaric.u.m, 2^{} trituration. Belladonna, 3^{} trituration. Mercurius biniodatus, 3^{} trituration.

Hydrastis canadensis, [Greek: phi] tincture. Sulphur, 2^{} trituration. Santonine.

Mr. Frank Upjohn, of Castelnau, Barnes, has also kindly forwarded me his treatment of some few of the cat ailments. Mindful of the old proverb that "In a mult.i.tude of counsellors there is wisdom," I place all before my friends, and those of the cat, that they may select which remedy they deem best:

DISTEMPER.

Take yellow basilicon, 1 oz.; flowers of sulphur, oz.; oil of juniper, 3 drachms. Mix for ointment. Then give sulphide of mercury, 3 grains, two or three times on alternate nights.

PURGATIVE.

Nothing like castor oil for purgation; half the quant.i.ty of syrup of buckthorn, if necessary, may be added.

WORMS.

Two or three grains of santonine in a teaspoonful of castor oil, for two or three days.

CATARRH.

Cold in the eyes and sneezing may be relieved by sweet spirits of nitre, 1 drachm; minocrerus spirit, 3 drachms; antimony wine, 1 drachm; water to 1 oz. Mix. Give 1 teaspoonful every two or three hours.

FLEAS, AND IRRITATION OF SKIN.