88 BUKEAU OF ANIMAL INDUSTRY. 



Causes. — The causes are usually hard and continuous driving with- 

 out opportunit}' for passing urine, cold rainstorms, drafts of cold air 

 when perspiring and fatigued, the administration of Spanisli fly or the 

 application of extensive blisters of the same, alnise of diuretics, the 

 presence of acrid diuretic plants in the fodder, and the presence of 

 stone in the bladder.^ As most mares refuse to urinate while in har- 

 ness, they should be unhitched at suitable times for urination. 

 Spasms of the bowels are always attended by spasm of the bladder, 

 hence the free passage of water is usually a symptom of relief. 



Si/OTvptoms. — The symptoms are frequent stretching and straining 

 to urinate, with no result or a slight dribbling only. These vain 

 efforts are attended by pain and groaning. On resuming his natural 

 position the animal is not freed from the pain, but moves uneasily, 

 paws, shakes the tail, kicks at the abdomen with his hind feet, looks 

 back to the flank, lies down and rises, arches the back, and attempts to 

 urinate as before. If the oiled hand is introduced into the rectum the 

 greatly distended bladder may be felt beneath, and the patient Avill 

 often shrink when it is handled. 



It is important to notice that irritation of the urinary organs is 

 often present in impaction of the colon with solid matters, because the 

 impacted intestine under the straining of the patient is forced back- 

 ward into the pelvis and presses upon and irritates the bladder. In 

 such cases the horse stands with his fore limbs advanced and the hind 

 ones stretched back beyond the natural posture, and makes frequent 

 efforts to urinate, with var^dng success. JJnpracticed observers 

 naturally conclude that the secondary urinary trouble is the main and 

 only one, and the intestinal impaction and obstruction is too often 

 neglected until it is irremediable. In cases where the irritation has 

 caused spasm of the neck of the bladder and overdistention of that 

 organ, the mistake is still more easily made; hence it is important in 

 all cases to examine for the impacted bowel, forming a bend, or loop, 

 at the entrance of the pelvis and usually toward the left side. The 

 impacted intestine feels soft and doughy, and is easily indented with 

 the knuckles, forming a marked contrast with the tense, elastic, resil- 

 ient, overdistended bladder. 



It remains to be noted that similar symptoms may be determined b\^ 

 a stone or sebaceous mass, or stricture obstructing the urethra, or in 

 the newborn by thickened mucus in that duct and by the pressure of 

 hardened, impacted feces in the rectum. In obstruction, the hard, 

 impacted bod}" can usually be felt by tracing the urethra along the lower 

 and posterior surface of the penis and forward to the median line of 

 the floor of the pelvis to the neck of the bladder. That part of the 

 urethra between the seat of obstruction and the bladder is usually 

 distended Avith urine, and feels enlarged, elastic, and fluctuating. 



Treatme7it. — Treatment may be begun by taking the animal out of 



