INGUINAL HERNIA IN DOCS. 555 



treatment is not necessary, nor, on account of the excitement of the 

 animals, is it to be recommended. 



Stockfleth saw a case of " peritoneal-scrotal " hernia in a boar ; 

 on operating, the bowel was found outside the tunica vaginalis. He 

 therefore enlarged the skin wound, replaced the hernial contents, 

 and ligatured the inner coats of the hernia (which consisted of firm 

 connective tissue) at the same time as the tunica vaginalis. The 

 animal made a good recovery. The case shows that, in opening the 

 hernial sac, care should be taken to avoid injuring the bowel, lest 

 a rupture of this sort should exist. Storch describes a hernia, 

 involving the uterus, one of the Fallopian tubes and one of the ovaries 

 in a sow ; the hernia (inguinal) formed a long, oval swelling as large 

 as a child's head. 



(5.) INGUINAL HERNIA IN DOGS. 



This hernia, although rare in dogs, is common in bitches, in which 

 the inguinal canal gives passage to the mammary vessels and round 

 uterine ligament, which are covered by connective tissue. The 

 hernial contents generally consist of uterus sometimes containing 

 embryos. In one case Stockfleth found four fully-grown foetuses. 

 Sometimes, however, portions of intestine and omentum, and even 

 of the urinary bladder and spleen, are found in the sac, which is 

 formed by connective tissue, or peritoneum and skin. 



Inguinal hernia is only seen in bitches, that have already borne 

 young, the increase in length of the round uterine ligament, and 

 the widening of the abdominal ring, necessary to hernia formation, 

 being effected by muscular action during delivery. 



Symptoms and progress. The hernial swelling is least charac- 

 teristic in bitches, being covered by the udder. It is harder, but 

 less sharply defined than in males, is often as large as a man's fist, 

 lies towards the back of the udder, and appears, both when single 

 and double-sided, as a regular diffuse swelling. In thin animals, 

 and where the udder is only slightly developed, the uterus may some- 

 times be felt in the depths ; in fat animals, having well-developed 

 mammae, diagnosis is often rather difficult. The possibility of 

 reduction, and the disappearance or decrease of the swelling in the 

 dorsal position, are the most important symptoms. 



It is only possible on superficial examination to mistake this con- 

 dition for tumour of the udder, and it should be remembered that 

 tumours scarcely ever lie so deep as does the hernial swelling. It is 

 more difficult to distinguish it from thickened round uterine ligament 



