DISTEMPER OF DOGS 569 



(panophthalmitis). Opacity of the cornea in a number of 

 cases remains for weeks and even months. 



3. Symptoms Shoicn by the Digestive Tract. Vomiting is 

 an early symptom in a large number of cases. The vomitus 

 often consists of particles of food, frothy mucus stained 

 with bile in cases where the vomiting is persistent. The 

 mucous membrane of the mouth is hot,, dry and congested. 

 The animal drinks freely indicating the involvement of 

 the mucosa of the stomach and bowels. Constipation is 

 invariably the rule during the early stages of the disease, 

 followed by diarrhea in the course of a day or so. The 

 f eces in the latter case are very fetid, often shiny, frothy 

 and even bloody indicating hemorrhagic intestinal catarrh. 

 The intensity of the gastro-intestinal symptoms varies from 

 mild catarrh to a severe hemorrhagic gastro-enteritis. 

 Symptoms of icterus are present in some cases due to the 

 catarrhal duodenitis (catarrhal icterus). 



4. Symptoms in the Respiratory Tract. During the early 

 stages of the disease the nose becomes dry and hot. There 

 is nasal discharge which is at first serous but later thicker 

 and mucopurulent in character. During the early stages 

 there is much sneezing and sniffling due to the attending 

 rhinitis. The dog shows much distress and makes frequent 

 attempts to clear the nasal passages by sudden expiratory 

 efforts, rubbing the nose against objects and clawing at the 

 nasal openings with the forepaw r s. The discharge accu- 

 mulates around the nasal openings in the form of crusts; 

 when these are removed the skin and mucosa often show 

 excoriations. In severe cases the discharge is often so 

 copious that the nostrils will be found partially or completely 

 occluded. 



Catarrh of the larynx is nearly always associated with 

 this condition and is manifested by a cough, which usually 

 occurs in paroxysms; it is at first dry and harsh, and later 

 becomes moist and considerable mucus is coughed up, which 

 is immediately swallowed by the animal. These paroxysms 

 of coughing frequently end in gagging and vomiting. The 

 catarrhal inflammation spreads quite rapidly to the trachea 

 and bronchi. The resulting bronchitis causes a cough, which 



