66 DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS 



When a portion of the intestine becomes obstructed, the following 

 changes take place: In front of the obstruction, an enlargement forms, 

 due to the accumulation of gas and excrement matter, while the portion 

 of the intestine beyond the obstruction is empty and constricted. The 

 accumulation of gas and matter causes an intense inflammation of the 

 mucous membranes, which extends to the muscular coat of the intestines 

 and soon to the serous coat, and quickly the entire intestinal tract is 

 involved in the inflammation, the constricted portion becomes mortified, 

 and perforation follows, allowing the contents of the intestines to escape 

 in the abdominal cavity, causing purulent peritonitis. 



Clinical Symptoms of Constipation. — The symptoms and course of 

 constipation are due to so many different causes that they will be de- 

 scribed separately. 



In mild cases of constipation the symptoms are not especially charac- 

 teristic and resemble chronic catarrh of the stomach. At fii'st the animal 

 is noticed to defecate irregularly, the stools are smaller and passed appar- 

 ently with more or less difficulty, which is especially noticeable, consider- 

 ing the stools are very much smaller than natural. 



When from having little exercise and living on highly spiced foods, 

 (veal or game,) or eating quantities of bone that they are unable to digest, 

 great accumulation of faecal matter gathers in the colon and rectum. The 

 most marked symptom is the repeated attempts of the animal to defecate 

 without any results or after great efforts only succeeding in passing a 

 small cjuantity of faeces. These are coated with mucus or blood and are 

 passed with more or less pain. The stools are small and are generally 

 yellowish-brown in color, and in powder-like masses that break up easily, 

 showing no moisture in them. The position of the tail is characteristic. 

 It is carried so as to form a curve at the rectum, the curve being from 

 the base to one-half of the tail. On pressing the fingers into the sides of 

 the abdomen, at the entrance of the pelvis up toward the spinal cord, 

 we find an elongated sausage-like body which is extremely sensitive to 

 the touch. This hard mass is found to extend downward and forward 

 toward the umbilicus. The intestines are greatly swollen on account of 

 the accumulation of gas and vomiting is sometimes present (Fig. 28). 

 On making an examination of the intestines by the hand, we may be 

 able to detect the distention. The colon is found to be dilated, through 

 its entire length, forming an enormous sac, filled with a putty-like mass; 

 and during palpation the animal as a rule evinces pain and resists it. This 

 examination should be carefully made, as it may lead to the discovery of 

 the original cause of the constipation. Slight diarrhoea may sometimes 

 be present in severe constipation; this is due to the mass lying in a sac 

 or pouch in the intestine, the firmer material gradually accumulating and 

 the fluid faeces passing over the collected mass. Long continued consti- 



