Causes: Symptoms: Dullness, recumbency, inappetence, colic, acid
eructations, abdominal tension, costiveness, diarrhœa, emaciation.
Lesions: Sour coagula in stomach, puffy or congested mucosa,
undigested casein in bowels and fæces. Prevention as in infector
gastro-enteritis. Treatment: Elimination, antacid, antiseptic,
carminative, stimulant, rennet.
While the fourth stomach in the mature animal is protected against
danger by the preparatory work of the first three, and by their action
in retarding the food in its progress, and allowing it to pass into the
fourth only when thoroughly comminuted and then only in small quantity
at a time; in the suckling on the other hand the milk passes at once
into the abomasum, which is thus rendered as susceptible as in the
monogastric animal.
_Causes._ The causes are almost identical with those set forth under
_infective gastro-enteritis_ of the suckling, acting however with less
force, or on a less susceptible system. Overloading and the resulting
paresis; unsuitable milk from another genus, or from unhealthy,
overworked, or over-fed specimens of the same genus; the ingestion of
hard, insoluble, indigestible or toxic aliments, and exposure to cold
and wet are among the most common direct causes. As secondary causes are
overfeeding of the cows, and bringing up the calves on the pail with all
kinds of substitutes for the milk of the mother.
_Symptoms._ Dullness, lack of sportiveness and of appetite. The patient
lies down a good deal, but is nervous or restless, and when up shows
colicy pains by movements of the tail and hind limbs. He may moan gently
or bellow frequently. The muzzle is dry, the mouth clammy, hot and sour,
the abdominal muscles rigid and the belly often somewhat swollen, and
resonant on percussion. Acid eructations are common. At first there is
costiveness, but in a few hours diarrhœa sets in and usually proves
critical, clearing away the offensive and irritant materials and paving
the way for recovery. The tension of the belly lessens, by degrees, the
appetite returns, the bowels resume their normal tone and in twenty-four
or forty-eight hours health may be fully restored.
There is, however, always danger of the supervention of gastro-enteritis
of which in many instances the above-named symptoms indicate the first
stage. In all cases it interferes with the growth and fattening of the
subject.
_Lesions._ We observe the presence in the stomach of masses of
coagulated milk, undigested, mixed with an excess of mucus, and exhaling
a sour or even a septic odor. The mucosa is more or less red and
congested with swelling and opacity of the epithelium. The bowels also
contain the undigested flocculi of casein, more or less fermented and
which have escaped the action of the peptic liquids.
_Prevention._ This consists in the avoidance of the causes, and as these
are in the main the accessory causes of infective gastro-enteritis in
the suckling, it will save repetition to refer to the article on that
subject.
_Treatment._ In an attack which is caused and maintained by undigested
and irritant materials in the stomach, the first consideration must be
the elimination of these offensive matters. An ounce of castor oil with
a teaspoonful of laudanum for calf or foal will usually effect this
purpose. Or ½ oz. calcined magnesia or carbonate of magnesia, or of
manna 2½ drs. or cream of tartar may be substituted for the oil. The
addition of a carminative or stimulant (1 dr. syrup of anise, or
tincture of cinnamon, 1 oz. whisky or brandy, or ½ oz. oil of turpentine
for calf or foal) will often check the diarrhœa and fermentation.
In weak subjects the stimulant may be used with a drachm of chalk or of
bicarbonate of soda, and 5 grains powdered nux vomica.
In all cases alike the use of rennet is very advantageous. One-eighth of
a calf’s rennet being steeped in a bottle of sherry wine and the liquid
given to the amount of a tablespoonful (½ oz.) with each drink. This
secures proteid digestion and checks fermentation thereby hindering the
formation of the offensive products which maintain the irritation and
disorder.