ACUTE IXFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEYS 183 



exudates. In the interstitial tissue and in MuUer's capsule we find small 

 circumscribed hemorrhages. There are a number of circular-shaped 

 inflammatory centres surrounded by liquid exudates. 



The inflamed kidney may present a variety of different appearances. 

 It ma}" be enlarged or normal in size, soft or hard, reddened or very pale 

 or yellowish-white, and on the surface of the kidney there may be found 

 a number of hemorrhage spots that are slightly elevated from the sur- 

 face of the gland. The capsule can easily be stripped from the body of 

 the kidney. There are certain forms of acute nephritis and glomerulo- 

 nephritis that present so little visible changes that they may escape the 

 eye of the non-experienced practitioner. Concerning more accurate de- 

 tails refer to the variovis text-books on pathological anatomy, particu- 

 larly Kitt, who has made a special study of the pathological anatomy 

 of domestic animals. 



Clinical Symptoms and Course. — Slight inflammatory conditions 

 of the kidneys are rarely recognized in the dog, as the only diagnostic 

 points are to be found on examination of the urine. This contains a 

 small amount of albumin, some hyaline cylinders, and a few epithelial 

 cells and leukocytes. 



In acute inflammatory conditions the animal has a peculiar stiff 

 gait in w^alking, and in some cases staggering, with the hind legs carried 

 straight, and tenderness on pressure in the regions of the loins; there 

 may be pain on pressure in the region of the kidneys, and an exact knowl- 

 edge of the anatomy will aid to discover whether these organs are enlarged; 

 a quick full pulse, with loss of appetite, and persistent vomiting in the 

 early stages of the disease; great lessening in the amount of urine se- 

 creted, and what is passed is dark in color and contains small portions of 

 coagulated blood, but the animal may make frequent attempts to uri- 

 nate, and the faeces are dry and hard. The amount of urine passed in such 

 conditions is small and contains a large amount of albumin. The urine 

 is turbid, reddish-brown to dark red in color; if allowed to stand there is 

 a thick nuicus-like sediment of a red-brown or, in rare cases, opaque 

 red color, and the specific gravity is greatly increased; examined micro- 

 scopically, it is found to contain numerous tube-cylinders, epithelium, 

 and white blood corpuscles, also red blood corpuscles, which give the 

 urine a variable color, according to the number of corpuscles present; 

 chemically tested, large quantities of albumin are found to be present. 

 There is generally more or less pain on urination; this is probably due to 

 the acrid condition of the urine. There are also present more or less 

 symptoms of uraemia, with great weakness, fatigue, and temperature 

 generally subnormal, the pulse weak and thready, vomiting, dian-hcea, 

 oedema of the lim1)s, convulsions, coma, and death. The result in an 

 acute case is not often favorable if the disease lasts from 8 to 14 days. 



