DISTEMPER IN DOGS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 52, 17 March 1937, Page 15

DISTEMPER IN DOGS

Expeiiment With a New Serum 46 ANIMALS TREATED Arising from discussions among dog fauciers and voterinariana at the last Hawke's Bay Spring Show, and later at the Manawatu Show, Mr. A. M. Brodie, of Hastings, recently treated 46 dogs' with a new serum against distumper. The experiment was organi«ed by Mr. Leo Lopdell, 6f Bay View, as representative of the Hawke's Bay Centre of the North Island Sheep-Dog Trial As* sociation, and was in fulfilment of the promise given some months ago to members . of the- asBociation when in Palmerston North. Mr. Brodie agreed to carry out the injections free of cOBt provided the owners of the dogs paid the cost of the substance. The substance used in the injectioU is known as sernm virus, and the opera* tion was carried out m this instanc* by what is known as simultaneous in» jection. Only one treatment is being given the dogs, and a report on the condition of the subjects will be made in six months' timoSeveral yeara ago some small batches of this substance was imported by prl* vate pTactitioners and while some wero successful other lots did not retain their potency 00 the manufaotnring chemists withdrew it from the market rather than spoil their name* It is believed that they have now got some' thing which will retain its potency for a given time by being kept in cool storage and- will give at least a 75 per cent. success. The serum virus must not be c«nfused with the vacine virus experiment, which was carried out at Massey College last year aud which carried with it a 95 per cent. success, but, dogs had to be isolated for five weeks with other risks and more costly, The serum virus is more suited for Kew Zealand purposes in that it is a scattef ed population and dogs can be treated and taken straight home, in fact can be worked tha following day. . .- .. Each dose is made up m thred small packages placed in cardboard and the three packets inserted in a carton, wellpacked in sealed case to. ensure safe transit. The cost per dose in 50 lots works out at 13/6 per dose. In this particular case a,.charge of £i 1/- per dog was made, the balance being used by the Hawke's Bay Centre to proeure a cup ror centre champi.onship and provide funds to carry on the work of the centre. , , Mr. Brodie was abl7 snpported with stewards drawii from the various Clubs in the Hawke's B'ay Centre. The name and address of owner, with name of dog and its age was taken by a eteward, another took the dog's temperatute, while two other stewards removed the hhir from under the two fore legs and another disinfected the parts with Sodine. Mr. Brodie made tho two injections, the serum on one side and the virus on th© pther in the groin of the legs. Mr. Brodie had two steWards as* sisting him in undoing the packing and opening the hermeti.cally-sealed tubes, while he made the two injections which were carried out almost simultaneously and very carefully. A record of all the dogs inoculated is being kept and reports will be received from time to time relating to the symptoms of the dogs. The Hawke's Bay Centre is deeply thankful to Mr. Brodie and showed its appreciation to eome extent by presenting him with a case of pipes and tobacco at the close of the experiment. The officer-in-charge of the Wallaceville Laboratories ordered the serum viruS and kept it in cool storage till xequired, for which the centre is very grateful* Now that this venture has been cftrried out with a great measure of success it is hoped that. other centres or localities will try out the experiment with the assistance of a resident veterinary surgeon. It might be as well at this juncture to state that the vacine virus experi-, ment which was carried out at MasseyCollege last year has been very successful and none of the dogs inoculated have shown symptoms of distemper or \ ill effects.