746 



Pai-alvsis of the renioral Nerve. 



Etiology. Injury to the femoral nerve is generally due to 

 over-extension wliicli may be due to slipping or falling with 

 the hind legs spread apart. In exceptional cases the disease 

 may be due directly to a splinter of bone being broken off, or to 

 extrava sated blood. Violent kicking may also cause Suretching 

 of the nerve. Paralysis following parturient paresis may be 

 due in exceptional cases to stretching of the femoral nerve. 

 Neuritis is sometimes the cause of the paralysis observed in 

 cases of donrine. Other causes are abscesses, hemorrhages or 

 tumors in the psoas muscles. 



¥ig. ion. I'ai-alysis of tl 



civc will 

 tVnioris. 



irkcd atropliy of tlio quadriceps 



Symptoms. Owing to paralysis of the quadriceps femoris 

 the animal is unable to hx the stifle joint when weight is put 

 upon the affected leg and the leg gives way in the other joints at 

 every such attempt (fig. 109). At the same time the stifle joint 

 is not extended sufficiently and consequently the leg is not ad- 

 vanced as far as normally. The patellar reflex is either absent 

 or exaggerated. There is a tendency to loss of sensation of 

 the skin on the inner surface of the thigh, and if the paralysis 

 persists there is atrophy of the quadriceps muscles. 



Prognosis. If the paralysis is due solely to stretching of 

 the nerve and there is no atrophy of the muscles, recovery may 



