122 SHEEP DISEASES. 



c. Raising and lowering the animal gives forth 

 a "swishing" sound, as the fluids roll back and 

 forward. 



d. Holding the animal up by the hind legs 

 accelerates breathing as the fluids roll forward 

 and press on the diaphragm. Also, tipping the 

 sheep to one side causes a distension on that side. 



e. Normal temperature. 



f. Rumination becomes lessened; the appetite 

 is greatly diminished, and later, the animal be- 

 comes dull, and mopes around: The visible mucous 

 membranes become pale; the body emaciated, and 

 the general verdict around the sheep camp is that 

 the animal has the ' ' rot. ' ' 



The important thing to remember is to differen- 

 tiate this practically incurable, non-contagious dis- 

 ease from : 



a. Pregnancy. No disturbance of the health. 



b. Peritonitis. In this condition there is pain, 

 fever, with all its attendant disturbances of the 

 general health. 



c. Obesity. This occurs usually in old, closely 

 confined animals. Range sheep are seldom trou- 

 bled with this malady. 



d. Paralysis of the bladder, or even rupture 

 of that organ, due to urethral calculi of bucks and 

 wethers. In this trouble there are found colicky 

 pains, high temperature, odor of urine on the 

 breath, followed by collapse and death. In this 

 condition, at the first symptoms, great care must 

 be taken to differentiate the troubles. 



e. Other rare but possible ailments, such as 

 pyometra, abdominal cysts, hydrometra, abnor- 



