Text book of veterinary medicine, Volume 2 (of 5)Law, James
Science
Text book of veterinary medicine, Volume 2 (of 5)
Law, James
Veterinary medicine
The respiration is hurried, labored and accompanied with a moan, the
visible mucosæ are congested, the eyes are protruded and glassy from
dilatation of the pupils, the feet are propped outward, and the head
extended on the neck. There may be signs of dull colicy pains, movements
of the tail and shifting of the hind feet, in some cases the patient may
even lie down but never remains long recumbent. There may be occasional
passages of semi-liquid manure, though usually the bowels are torpid and
neither passages nor rumbling sounds on the right side can be detected.
When moved the animal usually grunts or moans at each step, and
especially when going down hill, owing to the concussion of the stomach
on the diaphragm. In cases due to green food the irritation may extend
to the fourth stomach and intestines and a crapulous diarrhœa may ensue.
The temperature remains normal as a rule. The disease is more protracted
than tympany, yet after several hours of suffering and continual
aggravation the dullness may merge into stupor, the mucosæ become
cyanotic and death ensues from shock, asphyxia, or apoplexy.
_Course. Termination._ Many cases recover in connection with a
restoration of the contractions of the rumen, the eructation of gas, in
some rare cases vomiting or spasmodic rejection of quantities of the
ingesta, and the passage of gas by the bowels. This may be associated
with a watery diarrhœa, and loud rumbling of the right side, which may
continue for twenty-four hours or longer. With the subsidence of the
diarrhœa there comes a return of health, or there may remain slight
fever, inappetence, suspended or impaired rumination, dullness,
listlessness, and a mucous film on the fæces. This indicates some
remaining gastro-enteritis.
In some instances there is rupture of the diaphragm with marked increase
in the abdominal pain and the difficulty of breathing. In others there
is a laceration of the inner and middle coats of the rumen so that the
gas diffuses under the peritoneum and may even be betrayed by an
emphysematous extravasation under the skin.
_Diagnosis._ From tympany this is easily distinguished by the general
dullness on percussion, the persistence of the indentation caused by
pressure, the outward and downward rather than the upward extension of
the swelling, and the slower development of the affection.
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