Causes: in horse, ox, dog; rough, fibrous food, blistering ointments,
bacteria. Symptoms: general stomatitis, and special; papules with
grayish centres and red areolæ, vesiculation, ulceration. Treatment:
Astringent, antiseptic, derivative, tonic, stimulant.
This is a rare affection in ruminants where the thickness of the
epithelial covering appears to be a barrier to infection or injury,
while it is common in the more delicate and sensitive buccal mucosa of
the horse and dog. In the horse the ingestion of irritant plants with
the food and the penetration of vegetable barbs into the mucous
follicles may be charged with causing the disease, while in both horse
and dog the licking of blistering ointments and the local action of
fungi and bacteria are factors in different cases.
_Symptoms._ With the ordinary symptoms of stomatitis, there appear
minute firm, whitish, circular elevations representing the openings of
the inflamed mucous or salivary follicles, having a reddish areola, and
grayish white vesicular centre. They may amount to a line or more in
diameter, and on bursting leave red cores or ulcers. The whole mouth may
be affected or the disease may be confined to the lips, gums or tongue.
_Treatment._ Beside the general astringent washes, this affection is
greatly benefited by the local use of antiseptics, as sulphite or
hyposulphite of soda, 2 drachms in a quart of water. Borax, permanganate
of potash, carbolic acid or other antiseptic in suitable solution may be
substituted. Saline laxatives are often useful to remove sources of
irritation in stomach and intestines, and iron salts (chloride or
nitrate) in full and frequently repeated doses may be given internally.
Ulcers may be cauterized and soft food and pure water given from an
elevated manger.