VOLVULUS IN DOGS. 



Rare. Short mesrentery hinders. Occurs with hernia. Symptoms : ob- 

 struction, prostration, colic, tense, painful abdomen, retching, anorexia, 

 exhaustion. Treatment : laparotomy, 



The carnivora .seem to be protected again.st volvulus by the 

 shortness of their mesentery, the comparative lightness of the in- 

 testinal contents, and the restricted area of the abdominal cavity. 

 Cadiot, Miiller, and Friedberger and Frohner agree in ignoring 

 the subject as a canine disease, while Cadeac mentions only such 

 cases as are complicated by mesenteric hernia, the protruding 

 loop becoming twisted in the wound through which it has 

 protruded. 



" The symptoms are those of invagination or intestinal obstruc- 

 tion ; .sometimes the animal is dull, anxious, resting almost con- 

 stantly down on his belly, and this prostration dominates the 

 table of symptoms ; sometimes, on the contrary, the subject 

 manifests signs of excitement and intestinal pain ; it trembles, 

 lies down, glances at its flanks ; .sometimes it even lets it.self fall 

 abruptly, straightens out stiffly its limbs and head, clenches its 

 jaws and rolls its eyes." 



" In all cases the belly is hard, drawn up, painful to pressure 

 or palpation ; but these means of exploration are insufficient to 

 feel the inte.stinal knot." 



" Con.stipation is persistent, obstinate, and efforts at vomiting 

 continuous ; anorexia is incomplete, or the animal rejects the 

 solid and liquid aliments immediately after their ingestion. 

 Vomited matters, when they exist, become glair}^ bilious toward 

 the end of the attack ; but sometimes the animal becomes ex- 

 hausted in his fruitless efforts ; one is rendered uncertain and 

 he.sitates to confirm his diagnosis by laparotoni}'." 



The only treatment advised is by laparotonn-. 



355 



