These follow in the main those of consumptive cattle. As the infection
generally enters with food, the early symptoms often point to disease of
the throat and alimentary tract, while the later ones involve those of
the respiratory organs as well. Impaired and capricious appetite,
debility, early exhaustion under exertion, emaciation, sunken pallid
eyes, apathetic expression of the face, lack of life and gaiety, a
knotted feeling of the abdomen if the region is flaccid, and a tense
fluctuating sensation if ascitic, with usually enlargement of the
superficial lymph glands are noticeable.
When the chest becomes affected there is the hurried breathing, quickly
encreased by exertion, panting, paroxysmal cough, wheezing, and the
various morbid râles in the chest, crepitant, friction, creaking,
blowing, cavernous, mucous, etc. On percussion, flatness is detected in
limited areas in a number of centres. Expectoration is usually promptly
swallowed and can only be secured with difficulty for examination.
When tuberculous sores and fistulæ occur in the region of the throat or
elsewhere, the evidence is patent and the bacilli can easily be found in
the discharges.
In _cats_ the course and symptoms do not materially differ. In both
animals the history usually shows the connection of house life and the
habit of eating after tuberculous persons.