Causes: atony, debility, starvation, overfeeding, innutritious food,
close, foul buildings, ill health, over-exertion, hot weather, sudden
changes, chills, privation of water, irritants, spoiled and newly
harvested grain, foul water, parasitism, chest diseases, thrombosis.
Lesions; in small intestine mainly, tympany, congestion, thickened
mucosa, epithelial degeneration, desquamation, enlarged villi,
follicles and glands, erosions, ulcers, perforations. Symptoms: solid
masses in rumen, impaired rumination and appetite, rumbling,
tenderness, costiveness, fever, arched back, tender, tucked up
abdomen, colics, in severe cases, agalactia, tremors, rigors, drooping
head, ears, eyelids, tender abdomen, straining, expulsion of mucus,
foul eructations, later diarrhœa, critical or exhausting. Death from
tympany, bleeding, infection, inanition. Diagnosis: by concurrence of
symptoms, hyperthermia, tender abdomen, no blood nor coccidia in
stools, no frothy bloody mucus with tenesmus. Treatment: dietetic,
friction, synapism, atropia, chloral hydrate by rectum, salines,
demulcents, nux, tartar emetic, eserine, pilocarpin, sulphites, salol,
sodium salicylate, naphthol, etc., bitter tonics, carminatives,
stimulants, sodium chloride, ipecacuan, hygiene during convalescence.
_Causes._ As in solipeds the various conditions which lower the general
tone, and those which especially debilitate the bowels predispose to
catarrhal inflammation. Underfeeding and overfeeding, fibrous,
innutritious, indigestible food, an indoor life in close, foul stables,
chronic and debilitating diseases, overwork, overdriving, long continued
hot weather, sudden changes of weather, chills, long railway journeys
without water, exposure in hot stockyards in midsummer, all lessen the
resisting power of the system and of the bowels.
As more direct irritants, may be named irritant plants, weedings and
culls from gardens, musty and spoiled fodders of all kinds, newly
harvested grain, and putrid drinking water. Also intestinal parasitism,
diseases of the heart and lungs, and thrombosis of the mesenteric
arteries.
_Lesions._ These predominate in the small intestine in catarrhal
enteritis as they do in the large intestine in dysentery. The small
intestine and cæcum may be distended by gas, and reddened more or less
deeply on their outer surface. The mucosa is the seat of congestion,
punctiform and ramified redness, thickening, infiltration and softening
so that the epithelium breaks down into a pulp under the pressure of the
finger. Desquamation may be extensive leaving a raw angry surface. The
villi are infiltrated, erect, and ulcerated showing dark bloody points,
and ecchymoses, and circumscribed sloughs and eschars are present. The
solitary glands are congested, hypertrophied and projecting. The
submucosa is infiltrated with a gelatinoid material and the same may be
found around the swollen and congested mesenteric glands. Perforations
have been met with in some cases, and coexistent inflammatory lesions in
the stomachs are common.
_Symptoms._ In the _mildest forms_ there is inactivity of the rumen,
aggregation of the contents into hard masses, easily felt through the
surrounding gases, appetite and rumination are greatly impaired, and
there is much rumbling and considerable tenderness of the right side of
the abdomen, and more or less costiveness, with hard, glazed
mucus-covered fæces. There is some rise of temperature, ardent thirst,
injected mucous membranes, dry, hot muzzle, weeping eyes, a small, hard,
weak pulse, arched back, tender to pinching, and tucked up abdomen.
There may be slight colicy pains, uneasy movements of the hind feet and
tail, and sometimes lying down and rising at short intervals.
In _more severe cases_ the impaction and tympany of the rumen are more
marked, the hyperthermia runs high, appetite and rumination cease, the
milk dries up, rigors and tremors appear, the head and ears droop, the
eyes are sunken, the mouth is clammy and fœtid, the colicy pains are
severe or extreme, the right side of the abdomen is very tender,
defecation may be altogether suspended and rumbling in the right side of
the abdomen ceases or becomes rare. Straining may continue but seldom is
anything but mucus passed. Eructations from the rumen are distinctly
fœtid.
After the third day the violence of the pains may abate, and sometimes
diarrhœa sets in and may be regarded as critical, and portending
recovery. If rumbling in the right side is resumed, if the fever
subsides, the spirits revive, and some appetite and rumination return
they will herald improvement.
If on the other hand the pulse becomes smaller, the temperature higher,
the eyes sunken and fixed, the urine scanty, red and acid, the animal
constantly recumbent on its left side, if when raised it omits the
healthy stretching of its hind limbs, and walks sluggishly and painfully
with frequent moaning, if when down it rests its head on the ground, the
prospects are very unfavorable.
Death may occur early from tympany and asphyxia; it may follow profuse
intestinal hæmorrhage; or it may be the result of general infection and
inanition.
_Diagnosis_ must depend on the combination and succession of the
above-named symptoms. From acute intestinal congestion it is
distinguished by the more moderate type of the colic, and the more
gradual advance of the disease. From acute indigestion and tympany of
the rumen by the early and marked tenderness of the right side of the
abdomen, and the decided hyperthermia. From hemorrhagic enteritis by the
absence of the black sanguineous discharges from the bowels at an early
stage of the malady, and of coccidia from the droppings. From dysentery
it is distinguished by the absence of the mucous and bloody discharges,
which are passed with much straining in that affection from the
beginning.
_Treatment._ The first consideration is dietetic and hygienic. If the
animal will still eat, he ought to have boiled flax seed or other well
boiled gruel, rendered palatable by salt. Even if he refuses food, this
may be diluted largely and will be taken on account of the thirst. If he
refuses all, a bottle may be given at intervals to refresh him. Or
better—milk may be given from a bottle in the same way. Active friction
to the abdomen with straw, or the application of oil of turpentine or
mustard may abstract blood to the skin and favor the restoration of the
intestinal functions. To calm the pains and control spasms, sulphate of
atropia (½ gr.) may be given subcutem and repeated if there is no action
on the pupil in fifteen minutes. Or extract of belladonna (2 drs.), or
chloral hydrate (½ oz.) may be given by rectal injection.
To overcome the intestinal torpor 1 lb. each Glauber and common salt may
be given in four to six quarts of warm water and followed by frequent
mucilaginous drinks, as much as the animal will take, but only two or
three quarts at a time. The addition of ½ dr. nux vomica will serve to
rouse peristaltic action. Harm advises 1½ dr. tartar emetic by rectal
injection for the same end. Next to Glauber salts, Castor oil (1 qt.) is
to be recommended. Along with these or independently of them sulphate of
eserin (1½ gr.) or pilocarpin (2 gr.) may be employed subcutem.
Frequent rectal injections of soap or mucilaginous liquids, with or
without laxatives will be useful.
As antiferments beside the salt may be used bisulphite of soda in ½ oz.
doses, salol 3½ drs., salicylate of soda 3 drs., betol 3½ drs., or
naphthol 3½ drs., by the mouth and rectum.
When free movement of the bowels has been secured, attempts should be
made to restore appetite and rumination by tonics and stimulants:
gentian ½ oz., nux vomica ¼ dr., ipecacuan 2 drs., common salt 1 oz.,
may be given three times a day.
The diet should at first be restricted to flax seed gruel or that of
other farinas, with a mere handful of fresh grass or bran mash and the
restoration of the previous diet should be slow and gradual, care being
taken meanwhile that no costiveness of the bowels supervenes.