102 DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGANS. 



Renal Calculi. 



Stone in the kidney, to -which the above name is given, is occasionally 

 found in canine practice. This affection is exceedingly difficult to diagnose 

 unless the symptoms assume an unusual prominence. 



The indications are to a certain extent those of inflammation of the 

 kidneys ; the manner of movement, the straddling gait, the arched hack, 

 and the tenderness over the loins are present as in that disease. 



Pain is a prominent symptom, the urine is scanty, the efforts to void it 

 are constant, and only a few drops result from each attempt. Hoematuria 

 is commonly associated. At times the suffering is intense. Fever may he 

 present, the appetite becomes lessened, and emaciation follows. 



The affection is necessarily fatal -when the stone is too large to pass into 

 the bladder through the passage called the ureter. At times -when an ani- 

 mal has a stone in the kidney even of large size, he may suffer severely 

 for days from the irritation it causes, then seemingly recover and be well 

 for along time. But other attacks occur; the stone continues to increase 

 in size filling up the kidney, causing that organ to waste away, or an 

 abscess to result. 



The treatment is symptomatic; during an attack of pain opiates are de- 

 manded as in colic; warm baths and occasionally hot injections aid in 

 lessening the suffering. The food should be milk as recommended in 

 hematuria. 



Retention of Urine. 



The term retention in this connection signifies a want of power to pass 

 the urine from the bladder. It is to be understood there is urine to pass, 

 and the condition must not be confounded with suppression in which none 

 is passed because none is secreted. 



Causation. —Retention of the urine may arise from causes functional 

 or organic. Among the former are included paralysis or want of power 

 in the muscular coat of the bladder, and spasmodic stricture of the urethra 

 or canal from the bladder by which the urine passes off. 



The organic causes include obstruction to the canal by contraction 

 termed permanent stricture ; stoppage of the tube, the same being blocked 

 up with small calculi coming out from the bladder; obstruction of the tube 

 by organic diseases as in enlarged prostate ; inflammation and swelling 

 of the mucous membranes of urethra. Possibly blood-clots may form in 

 hsematuria and thereby obstruct the passage. Cases have been reported 

 where worms have lodged in tbe canal and closed it. 



