RETENTION OF URINE 605 



bladder becomes partially filled with urine it presses down upon the 

 openings of these tubes and chokes them off. In this way the flow 

 of urine from the kidney to the bladder is checked and the dammed- 

 back urine dilates and atrophies the kidney. 



Symptoms. — The symptoms of this condition in the living ani- 

 mal are usually unnoticeable. One kidney may be very extensively 

 affected without producing any symptoms whatever. The oppo- 

 site organ simply enlarges and compensates for the function of the 

 destroyed kidney. If both kidneys are affected there will be noted 

 a marked decrease in the amount of urine passed, and, as a result 

 of the failure to eliminate the poisonous material that should pass 

 out with the urine, convulsions and other toxic symptoms may be 

 developed. 



Occasionally the diseased kidney becomes so large as to cause 

 a noticeable swelhng of the belly, and if an exploratory puncture is 

 made into this tumor-Uke mass a urinous fluid is obtained. In 

 hogs the condition is usually first noted on postmortem inspection. 



Treatment. — There is no treatment that can be of any benefit 

 in this condition in the hog. As a rule, no disturbance is noticed 

 during the life of the animal. 



RETENTION OF URINE 



By retention of urine is meant a condition in which it is im- 

 possible for the animal to pass the urine. This may be due to a 

 number of causes. 



Causes. — The cause for retention of urine may be a paralysis 

 of the muscle of the bladder, making it impossible for that organ 

 to contract and force out the urine. Another not infrequent 

 cause is a spasm of the muscle which guards the opening of the 

 bladder. This is known as spasm of the sphincter muscle of the 

 bladder. Another cause is the presence of stones or other obstruc- 

 tions in the ureters or tubes leading from the kidney to the bladder. 

 In like manner, there may be obstruction to the escape of urine from 

 the bladder, as by lodgment of a calculus or stone in the urethra. 

 Swellings of the sheath may also so close the opening of the penis 

 as to make the escape of urine impossible. Abscesses or tumors in 

 the region of the sheath may also cause retention of urine. Reten- 

 tion of urine not infrequently is noted following farrowing. In- 



