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
In a few cases the spinal symptoms, manifested by paraplegia, may be the
most prominent symptoms; in others they may be altogether absent and the
main symptoms may be difficulty in mastication and swallowing; rarely it
may affect one limb only. In all cases in which coma remains absent for
six or seven days the animal is likely to recover. When changes toward
recovery take place, the symptoms usually leave in the reverse order to
that in which they developed, but local paralysis may remain for some
time, rarely persistent.
On post-mortem the number of lesions observable to the naked eye is in
marked contrast to the severity of the symptoms noted. The pharynx and
larynx are inflamed in many cases, and sometimes coated with a
yellowish-white glutinous deposit, extending at times over the tongue
and occasionally a little way down the trachea. The lungs are normal,
except from complications following drenching or recumbence for a long
period. The heart is usually normal in appearance, except an occasional
cluster of hemorrhagic points on the outer surface, while the blood is
dark and firmly coagulated. The lining of the stomach indicates a
subacute gastritis, while occasionally an erosion is noted. An edema is
observed in the submucosa of such cases. The first few inches of the
small intestines likewise may show slight inflammation in certain cases,
while in others it is quite severe; otherwise the digestive tract
appears normal, excluding the presence of varying numbers of bots,
_Strongylus vulgatus_, and a few other nematodes. The liver is congested
and swollen in some cases, while it appears normal in others. The spleen
is, as a rule, normal, and at times the kidneys are slightly congested.
The bladder is often distended with dark-colored urine, and occasionally
a marked cystitis has been observed. The adipose tissue throughout the
carcass may show a pronounced icteric appearance in certain cases. On
removing the bones of the skull the brain appears to be normal
macroscopically in a few instances, but in most cases the veins and
capillaries of the meninges of the cerebrum, cerebellum, and
occasionally the medulla is distinctly dilated and engorged, and in a
few cases there are pronounced lesions of a leptomeningitis. An
excessive quantity of cerebrospinal fluid is present in most of the
cases. On the floor of the lateral ventricles of several brains there
was noted a slight softening caused by hemorrhages into the brain
substance. There is always an abundance of fluid in the subarachnoid
spaces, ventricles, and at the base of the brain, usually of the color
of diabetic urine, and containing a limited number of flocculi, but in a
few cases it was slightly blood tinged. The spinal cord was not found
involved in the few cases examined.
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