198 DISEASES OF THE URINARY AND SEXUAL APPARATUS 



heavy deposit of lime salts, and that results differed greatly in animals 

 fed in the usual way, with pure water and meat. In the latter case the 

 concretion was much smaller and deposited much more slowly. 



The irritation produced l^y stone in the pelvis of the kidney has 

 l^een already pointed out (see page 190.) Stones in the bladder, as will be 

 spoken of later, cause not only interference with the flow of urine, but 

 by their weight and position may cause a hypertrophy of the walls 

 of the l)ladd(>r. 



Clinical Symptoms and Course. — When the uric calculus lies in the 

 bladder and has not attained any size, it may stay there a long time and 

 not produce any marked symptoms, with the exception of a slight 

 catarrh, and that is only noticed when the animal has had a long run, 

 the urine then being voided with great difficulty, perhaps mixed with 

 blood or mucus, and has a penetrating odor. Palpation through the 

 alxlominal wall, even when the liladder is partially filled, may discover 

 the stone as a hard l)ody lying in the bladder; in the Ijitch, the urethra 

 l)eing very short, it is easily detected by means of a catheter. When the 

 stone gets into the neck of the bladder or passes into the urethra and 

 lodges at the posterior end of the bone of the penis very severe symptoms 

 are noticed. Retention of urine is indicated by an entire suppression 

 (ischuria), or urine is passed in a thin stream or only by a drop at a time, 

 the animal showing great pain. A partial obstruction of urine is soon fol- 

 lowed by a complete obstruction. 



The symptoms presented in the dog are very striking. The animals 

 are very restless, looking frecjuently towards the region of the kidney and 

 whining. They place themselves in the position to urinate and strain 

 violently without any result, or perhaps a few drops are passed and these 

 may be mixed with blood. The appetite is lost and the pulse is rapid and 

 thready; they stand with an arched back or walk with a staggering gait 

 and extended legs. The abdomen becomes distended and we can finally 

 feel the bladder through the abdominal walls like a hard, distended body 

 which is very painful on examination. When the catheter is passed it 

 goes in easily enough until the neck of the bladder is reached, when it 

 stops and cannot be passed any further, and no urine escapes from the 

 catheter. 



Uric calculi lie on the floor of the bladder and can be felt through 

 the abdominal walls liy manipulation, that is, of course, when they have 

 reached a good size; the small ones escape detection, but they may be 

 suspected when the urine has a gravel or sand-like sediment. 



The urine, when it is retained in the bladder, gradually accumulates, 

 and if it is not drawn off in three days the bladder is ruptured; it may even 

 burst in two days. AVhen this occurs it causes death in a few hours, with 

 tlie following symptoms: the animal liecomes dull or comatose, with 



