Complication of other diseases like distemper. Symptoms: fever,
retching, vomiting, tense, tender, tympanitic abdomen, irregular
bowels, false membranes. Lesions: stomach empty, congested, croupous
exudate, extravasations. Treatment: sodium sulphate, boric acid,
sodium salicylate, salol, bismuth, by mouth or enema, strychnia,
vermifuges.
In dogs the formation of false membranes on the intestinal mucosa seems
to have less of an individual character, and is found associated with
other affections, like canine distemper and parasitism. In the absence,
however, of accurate knowledge of the specific cause of croupous
enteritis in other animals it seems permissible for the present, to
arrange the whole in one class characterized by the presence of false
membranes.
_Symptoms._ Along with the general symptoms of fever and the special
ones of the existing specific disease there is more or less disturbance
of the digestive organs, anorexia, vomiting, tense, tender, perhaps
tympanitic abdomen, irregularity of the bowels and the passage of the
false membranes. A morose disposition and tendency to snap has been
noticed by Röll.
_Lesions._ The stomach is empty with red or dark mottled mucosa, the
intestinal mucosa is congested covered with a layer of mucopurulent
exudate, and at intervals patches of false membranes which are also
found in shreds floating in the glairy contents. The exudates are of a
yellowish gray color, more or less streaked with blood, and the mucosa
infiltrated, swollen, highly congested and with spots of extravasation
of blood.
_Treatment._ Small doses (1 to 2 drachms) of sulphate of soda may be
given by the mouth, or boric acid (1 scruple), salicylate of soda (10
grains), salol (5 grains), or bismuth nitrate (½ drachm). Injections of
boric acid, borax, sodium hyposulphite, or even Glauber salts prove
useful, and powdered nux vomica (1 grain twice daily) may be added.
In case of intestinal parasites vermifuges must be resorted to.