36 DISEASES OF CATTLE. 



violent exertions in coming from drinking, or that they have been 

 chased by dogs or by animals of their own species while at pasture. 

 The accident is most likely to occur among cattle on very hilly pas- 

 tures. The danger of jumping or running is greatest when the rumen 

 is distended with food. 



iSymptoms. — This form of enteritis or obstruction is manifested by 

 severe colicky pains; the ox scrapes and strikes the ground with his 

 front and hind feet alternately; keeps lying down and getting up 

 again; he keeps his tail constantly raised and turns his nose fre- 

 quently to his right flank; he is frequently bloated, or tympanitic, 

 on that side. He refuses feed and does not ruminate, and for some 

 hours suffers severe pains. At first he frequently passes thin dung, 

 and also urinates frequently, but passes only a little urine at a time. 

 On the second day the pains have become less acute; the animal 

 remains lying doAvn; moans occasionally; his pulse is small and 

 quick; he still refuses feed and does not ruminate. At this stage he 

 does not pass any dung, though sometimes a small quantity of bloody 

 mucus may be passed. The animal passes very little urine. This 

 condition may continue for a considerable time, as cattle so affected 

 may live for 15 or even 20 days. 



Post-mortem appearance. — At death the bowels are found to be 

 misplaced or obstructed, as mentioned above, and inflamed, the in- 

 flammation always originating at the point where the intestine has 

 been invaginated, twisted, or knotted. Sometimes the part is gan- 

 grenous, the compression of the blood vessels preventing circulation, 

 and thus causing the death of the tissues. 



Treatment. — Purgatives, anodynes, and other remedies are of no 

 service in such cases, and bleeding also fails to produce any benefit. 

 Indeed, it is usually true that in such cases treatment is useless. 

 Some cases are recorded in which an incision has been made in the 

 flank, so as to enable the operator to restore the intestine to its normal 

 position or to remove the kink. 



CONSTIPATION. 



Constipation is to be regarded rather as a symptom of disease or of 

 faults in feeding than as a disease in itself. It occurs in almost all 

 general fevers unless the bowels are involved in local disease, in 

 obstructions of all kinds, from feeding on dry, bulky feed, etc. In 

 order to remove the constipation the treatment must be applied to 

 remove the causes which give rise to it. Calves sometimes suffer 

 from constipation immediately after birth when the meconium that 

 accumulates in the bowels before birth is not passed. In such cases, 

 give a rectal injection of warm water and an ounce of castor oil 

 shaken up with an ounce of new milk. The mother's milk is the best 



