Special Report on Diseases of the HorseUnited States. Bureau of Animal Industry
Science
Special Report on Diseases of the Horse
United States. Bureau of Animal Industry
Horses -- Diseases
Symptoms of renal calculi are violent, colicky, pains, appearing
suddenly, very often in connection with exhausting work or the drawing
of specially heavy loads, and in certain cases disappearing with equal
suddenness. The nature of the colic becomes more manifest if it is
associated with stiffness of the back and hind limbs, frequent passage
of urine, and, above all, the passage of gravel with the urine,
especially at the time of the access of relief. The passage of blood and
pus in the urine is equally significant. If the irritation of the kidney
goes on to active inflammation, then the symptoms of nephritis are
added.
_Ureteric calculi._--These are so called because they are found in the
passage leading from the kidney to the bladder. They are simply small,
renal calculi which have escaped from the pelvis of the kidney and have
become arrested in the ureter. They give rise to symptoms almost
identical with those of renal calculi, with this difference, that the
colicky pains, caused by the obstruction of the ureter by the impacted
calculus, are more violent, and if the calculus passes on into the
bladder the relief is instantaneous and complete. If the ureter is
completely blocked for a length of time, the retained urine may give
rise to destructive inflammation in the kidney, which may end in the
entire absorption of that organ, leaving only a fibrous capsule
containing an urinous fluid. If both the ureters are similarly blocked,
the animal will die of uremic poisoning.
_Treatment of renal and ureteric calculi._--Treatment is unsatisfactory,
as it is only the small calculi that can pass through the ureters and
escape into the bladder. This may be favored by agents which will relax
the walls of the ureters by counteracting their spasm and even lessening
their tone, and by a liberal use of water and watery fluids to increase
the urine and the pressure upon the calculus from behind. One or two
ounces of laudanum, or 2 drams of extract of belladonna, may be given
and repeated as it may be necessary, the relief of the pain being a fair
criterion of the abating of the spasm. To the same end use warm
fomentations across the loins, and these should be kept up persistently
until relief is obtained. These act not only by soothing and relieving
the spasm and inflammation, but they also favor the freer secretion of a
more watery urine, and thus tend to carry off the smaller calculi. To
accomplish this object further give cool water freely, and let the feed
be only such as contains a large proportion of liquid, gruels, mashes,
turnips, beets, apples, pumpkins, ensilage, succulent grasses, etc. If
the acute stage has passed and the presence of the calculus is
manifested only by the frequent passage of urine with gritty particles,
by stiffness of the loins and hind limbs, and by tenderness to pressure,
the most promising resort is a long run at pasture where the grasses are
fresh and succulent. The long-continued secretion of a watery urine will
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