Causes in horse: pyæmia, omphalitis, thrombosis, infection, biliary
calculi, concretions or parasites, foreign bodies, hot, damp climates,
strangles, brustseuche, glanders, endocarditis. Lesions in horse: from
parasites and mechanical irritants, pea-like or hazelnut; embolic
abscess, pin head to hen’s egg; infection from strangles, foreign
bodies, etc., may be of large size, and burst into adjacent organs,
the peritoneum or externally. Symptoms in horse: of pre-existent
malady, remitting fever, successive chills, intermittent icterus,
hypochondriac tenderness. Spontaneous recovery, aspiration, opening,
antiseptics locally and generally. Lesions in ruminants; secondary
multiple abscesses, bean-like or (with foreign body) very large, may
extend into adjacent parts. Symptoms in cattle: fever, chills,
jaundice, tympany, diarrhœa, dysentery, wasting, tender right
hypochondrium. Treatment: as in horse. Causes in dog: foreign bodies,
tumors, infections, blows, traumas. Lesions: traumatic abscesses,
single, large, infectious abscesses multiple, small. Former fœtid.
Symptoms in dog: hepatic congestion or colic, then chills,
prostration, irritability, tenderness of right hypochondrium, nausea,
vomiting. Treatment in dog: antiseptic aspiration, laparotomy.
_Causes in the Horse._ Hepatic abscess arises from a great many primary
morbid conditions. As a secondary abscess it is seen in the different
forms of pyæmia and especially in suppurative omphalitis in young
animals. It may start in thrombosis determined by clots or septic
matters carried from a distance through the portal vein or hepatic
artery, in biliary calculi or concretions, in parasites introduced from
the duodenum, in barbs or husks of the cereals that have penetrated
through the biliary ducts, or in bacteria or their toxins which have
been carried from the bowels, spleen or pancreas. The government
veterinarians have found it a comparatively common lesion in the hot
damp climate of Hindoostan, and a similar frequency has been noticed in
west Africa. Among general affections it is liable to occur in
strangles, contagious pneumonia, glanders, endocarditis of the left
heart and phlebitis with the formation of thrombi in the lungs. In the
two last named disorders, the affection takes place by the simple
transference of detached clots to the liver to block its arteries or
capillaries. Or it may be that micro-organisms are transferred in the
same way. With modern views of suppuration the presence of the pyogenic
organisms must be conceded.
_Lesions in the horse._ Cadeac distinguishes the different types of
hepatic abscess as: _1st biliary abscess_ in which suppuration commences
in the interior of the biliary ducts and usually from parasites or
mechanical irritants introduced or from calculi or concretions formed
within them: these rare abscesses contain biliary salts, pigments, and
epithelium and acquire the size of a pea or hazelnut: _2d Metastatic
abscesses_ which start in the arterial, portal, or capillary vessels, by
the arrest of infecting clots, which determine a further clotting, the
obstruction of the vessel, the accumulation of leucocytes and the
formation of abscess of the size of a pin head or larger up to a hen’s
egg, surrounded by a hæmorrhagic infarct softening in the centre: these
are numerously disseminated through the liver: _3d Mechanical Abscess_
due to the penetration of foreign bodies or parasites: 4th Infection as
in strangles. These may attain a large size, cause adhesion to adjacent
organs, and rupture into the chest, the colon, stomach or peritoneum.
The pus may even escape externally through the right hypochondrium.
_Symptoms in the horse._ These are always obscure and vary much with the
source of the malady. If there has been a pre-existing hepatic malady
the symptoms of that will be in evidence; if an omphalitis its existence
may still be recognizable; if pulmonary or cardiac disease, that may be
detected; if parasites, evidence of their existence may perchance be
found; if gall stone, a previous violent hepatic colic with icterus may
have occurred; and if intestinal septic disorder, there may be the
testimony of intestinal troubles. The more diagnostic symptoms are a
fever of a remittent type, one or several violent shivering fits, a
marked jaundice which like the fever shows exacerbations, and a similar
irregularity of the condition of the urine which may be successively of
a dark brown, a deep yellow, and a transparent amber color. Tenderness
and grunting on percussion of the right hypochondrium would be an
additional aid in diagnosis.
_Treatment._ Death has been hitherto considered as the inevitable
result, yet recoveries may ensue after rupture into the colon or through
the abdominal walls. If the seat of the abscess can be ascertained its
evacuation through an aspirator and the subsequent injection of an
antiseptic would be appropriate. The concurrent use of antisuppurants
like hyposulphite of soda, or sulphide of calcium would also be in
order.
_Causes in Cattle._ Hepatic abscess is much more frequent in cattle, and
is commonly a result of perforation by sharp pointed bodies (needles,
pins, nails, wires, etc.) from the reticulum and rumen, or of parasites,
or biliary calculi. Other cases are occasioned by the presence of
tubercles, actinomycosis, or omphalitis.
_Lesions in Cattle and Sheep._ Secondary abscesses are usually multiple
and disseminated through the organ, though Cadeac says they are more
common in the left half. They vary in size from a bean to a pigeon’s
egg, project often from the surface, and contain a viscid, creamy,
yellowish or greenish pus. Abscesses dependent on foreign bodies often
attain a great size, so as to contain a pint or quart of pus (Landel).
They may make their way through the diaphragm, rumen, or abdominal wall
leaving a thick cicatrix in the liver, or they may become slowly
absorbed and dry up into a putty-like or cretaceous mass. Brusaferro
found hepatic abscesses in lambs twenty to thirty days old—probably of
omphalic origin.
_Symptoms in Cattle_ are usually very obscure. Fever, shivering fits,
jaundice, indigestion, diarrhœa or dysentery, emaciation, colics, tender
right hypochondrium, and peritonitis may all be in evidence but the
diagnosis is little better than a guess.
_Treatment_ when possible at all would be on the same lines as for the
horse.
_Causes in the dog._ According to Cadeac these are mostly foreign bodies
(needles, pins, etc.) which have been swallowed, tumors of the liver or
adjacent organs, phlebitis and thrombosis of the portal vein, pyæmia,
septicæmia, and external injuries (kicks, blows, contusions, falls,
etc.)
_Lesions in the dog._ As in the other animals _traumatic_ abscess is
usually solitary and large, _secondary_ abscess multiple and small. The
pus developed around a foreign body is reddish, greenish and fœtid, that
of the metastatic abscess is usually whitish or yellowish and with a
sweet odor.
_Symptoms in the dog_ are those of hepatic congestion, or violent gall
stone colic, followed by severe rigor, great depression, or
irritability, and tenderness over the right hypochondrium. Nausea and
vomiting is a marked symptom though not a diagnostic one.
_Treatment._ If the flaccid abdominal walls will allow of the locating
of the abscess it should be treated by aspiration and antiseptic
injections. It would even be admissible to perform laparotomy, stitch
the wall of the abscess to the external wound, and empty it under due
antiseptic precautions.