88 DISEASES OF THE HORSE. 



of the bladder; or, if the organ is ah-eady unduly distended, these 

 will be affected with temporary paralysis. It is most frequent in the 

 horse, but by no means unknown in the mare. 



Causes. — The causes are usually hard and continuous driving with- 

 out opportunity for passing urine, cold rainstorms, drafts of cold air 

 when perspiring and fatigued, the administration of Spanish fly or 

 the application of extensive blisters of the same, abuse of diuretics, 

 the presence of acrid diuretic plants in the fodder, and the i^resence 

 of stone in the bladder. As most mares refuse to urinate while in 

 harness, they should be unhitched at suitable times for urination. 

 Spasms of the bowels are always attended by sj)asm of the bladder, 

 hence the free passage of water is usually a symptom of relief. 



Symptoms. — The symptoms are frequent stretching and straining 

 to urinate, AA'ith no result or a slight dribbling only. These vain 

 efforts are attended by pain and groaning. On resuming his natural 

 position the animal is not freed from the pain, but moves uneasily, 

 paws, shakes the tail, kicks at the abdomen with his hind feet, looks 

 back to the flank, lies down and rises, arches the back, and attemjjts 

 to urinate as before. If the oiled hand is introduced into the rectum 

 the greatly distended bladder may be felt beneath, and the patient 

 will often shrink when it is handled. 



It is important to notice that irritation of the urinary organs is 

 often j)resent in impaction of the colon with solid matters, because 

 the impacted intestine under the straining of the patient is forced 

 backward into the pelvis and presses upon and irritates the bladder. 

 In such cases the horse stands with his fore limbs advanced and the 

 hind ones stretched back beyond the natural posture, and makes fre- 

 quent efforts to urinate, with varying success. Unpracticed observers 

 naturally conclude that the secondar}^ urinary trouble is the main and 

 only one, and the intestinal impaction and obstruction is too often 

 neglected until it is irremediable. In cases w^here the irritation has 

 caused spasm of the neck of the bladder and overdistention of that 

 organ, the mistake is still more easily made; hence it is important in 

 all cases to examine for the impacted bowel, forming a l^end, or loop, 

 at the entrance of the pelvis and usually toward the left side. The 

 impacted intestine feels soft and doughy, and is easily indented with 

 the knuckles, forming a marked contrast with the tense, elastic, resil- 

 ient, overdistended bladder. 



It remains to be noted that similar symptoms may be determined 

 by a stone or sebaceous mass, or stricture obstructing the urethra, or 

 in the newborn by thickened mucus in that duct and by the pressure 

 of hardened, impacted feces in the rectum. In obstruction, the hard, 

 impacted body can usually be felt by tracing the urethra along the 

 lower and posterior surface of the penis and forward to the median 

 line of the floor of the pelvis to the neck of the bladder. That part 



