PIROPLASMOSIS OF THE DOG 635 



deuces of an acute anemia, the mucous membranes becoming 

 pale, colorless, or bluish. The most common change -in the 

 mucous membranes, however, is icteric discoloration. A 

 characteristic symptom is the blood coloring matter in the 

 urine, which turns it pale red or reddish-brown. The hemo- 

 globin found in the urine is rather high (5 per cent.). The 

 temperature in the early stages is elevated (103-105 F.). 

 It remains elevated usually for twenty-four to forty-eight 

 hours, when it drops suddenly and becomes subnormal. In 

 young dogs the temperature drops very rapidly, as low as 

 95-96 F. The pulse is increased, weak and wiry; the 

 respirations 36 to 60 and often labored. 



The blood is thin and paler than normal. The number of 

 the red corpuscles is greatly reduced (from 5-7 million to 

 2 million per c.), the white corpuscles greatly increased 

 (from 6-7000 to 40,000 per c.). 



In the chronic form the symptoms are less pronounced. 

 There are evidences of anemia, the animals become weak 

 and indifferent to their surroundings. The mucous mem- 

 branes are usually pale or yellowish, and sometimes of a 

 bluish color. The urine contains blood-coloring matter, 

 which seems to be a constant symptom. The blood when 

 examined will be found to have a great reduction in the 

 number of red corpuscles, but less than in the acute form, 

 and the white corpuscles are about in the same ratio as in 

 the acute form. Most of the white corpuscles are found to 

 be polynuclear, and are often almost completely filled with 

 the parasites. The course in this form may be long, lasting 

 for days or weeks, the animals gradually recovering or dying 

 of marasmus. 



Diagnosis. The diagnosis is made ^by carefully observing 

 the symptoms, the fact that the disease occurs in several 

 animals at the same time, and the microscopic examination 

 of the blood to determine the ratio between the red and white 

 corpuscles, and the presence of the specific parasite. Some- 

 times it is difficult to find the parasite from a clinical case 

 under the microscope. In such cases it is of advantage to 

 confirm the diagnosis by inoculating a young puppy with 

 some of the blood of the affected animal. The virulent 



