202 DISEASES OF THE URINARY AND SENUAL APPARATUS 



l:)lood clots are apt to form in the course of the urethra, French advises 

 that the animal be catheterized at least twice daily until normal urina- 

 ation is established. 



When the bladder is so distended that it is deemed dangerous to 

 operate before emptying the bladder of its contents, we may empty the 

 bladder by means of a fine trocar and canula. In the bitch the trocar 

 should be introduced on the median line, at the brim of the pelvis, and 

 in the dog, either on the right or left side of the flank, low down and as 

 near as possible to the brim of the pelvis. 



Sometimes ruptures of the bladder are caused bj^ accidents, such as 

 being run over by wagons when the l;)ladder is full. The animal dies, 

 as a rule, in forty-eight hours, from collapse, before peritonitis has devel- 

 oped. On post-mortem, the !)ladder is found to be infiltrated with 

 blood and very much swollen at the lacerated i-egion only. In injuries 

 to the lumbar region, where the animal is dull or even comatose, it is 

 always well to consider the prognosis doubtful, and Siedamgrotzky 

 deems it advisable to consider the prognosis doubtful in injuries to that 

 region, even w^here there are no acute symptoms presented. 



Stricture of the Urethra. — Indications of painful retention of urine 

 are often presented when there is a stricture of the urethra caused liy 

 injuries to the urethra from calculi or by cicatricial contraction following 

 the operator's knife, from intense nephritis, or by torsion following co- 

 itus. An examination by means of the catheter generally gives some 

 information as to the character of the stricture; the practitioner must, 

 however, rememl^er that there is always more or less normal stricture 

 at the posterior end of the bone of the penis. The sound must be passed 

 each day and allowed to remain about twenty minutes if the stricture 

 will admit of it. The size of the catheters must be gradually increased; 

 great care being taken to thoroughly disinfect the catheters after each 

 insertion. This method has been used with success in a number of cases 

 of stricture, but it must he continued for several weeks. 



Hoffman cured a case of stricture of the posterior end of the bone 

 of the penis l)y opening the urethra at the spot of stricture and ampu- 

 tating al)Out 2 cm. of the bone of the penis with a pair of bone forceps. 



Other diseases of the bladder. 



The following are comparatively rare and unimportant diseases of 

 the l)ladder. 



Cramp of the Bladder, Cystospasmus. — This is seen following severe 

 cystitis, calculi, diseases of the prostate, etc. This condition is also ob- 

 served as a symptom from the effects of certain poisons, decayed food, 

 from disease of the spine and from unknown causes. It is indicated by 



