Causes: Irritants; ferments; noose on jaw; specific poisons. Symptoms:
Careful feeding; thirst; frothy lips; champ jaws; redness; swelling;
fœtor. Treatment: Cooling, astringent, antiseptic lotions; mushy food;
derivative; tonics.
_Causes._ Swine suffer from simple stomatitis when exposed to thermal,
mechanical or chemical irritants. Food that is too hot, or that which is
hard and fibrous, or that which contains spikes and awns, capable of
entering and irritating gland ducts or sores, or food which is fermented
or putrid, food or medicine of an irritant character. The habit of
catching and holding swine with a running noose over the upper jaw, and
the forcing of the jaws apart with a piece of wood in search of the
cysticercus cellulosa are further causes. In several specific infectious
diseases inflammation of the mucous membrane with eruption or erosion is
not uncommon. Thus aphthous fever is marked by vesicular eruption,
muguet by epithelial proliferation and desquamation, hog cholera and
swine plague by circumscribed spots of necrosis and erosion. Patches of
false membrane are not unknown, and local anthrax, tubercle and
actinomycosis are to be met with. Inflammation may start from decaying
teeth.
_Symptoms_ are like as in other animals, refusal of food, or a
disposition to eat sparingly, to select soft or liquid aliments, to
swallow hard materials half chewed or to drop them, to champ the jaws,
and to seek cold water. Accumulation of froth around the lips is often
seen, and the mouth is red, angry, dry, and hot, and exhales a bad odor.
_Treatment_ does not differ materially from that adopted in other
animals. Cooling, astringent, antiseptic lotions, honey and vinegar, and
in case of spongy or eroded mucosa, tincture of myrrh daily or oftener.
Soft feeding, gruels, pulped roots, or well kept ensilage may be used,
and clean, cool water should be constantly within reach. In case of
overloaded stomach or indigestion a laxative followed by bitter tonics
will be in order.