DISTEMPER AND CONTAGIOUS CATARRHAL FEVER 273 



tire surface. It may affect one or both eyes at the same time, and the opac- 

 ity may disappear leaving no trace or it may go away slowly and in rare 

 cases leave permanent white star-like spots on the surface of the cornea. In 

 rare cases keratitis parenchymatosa and some fever may be the only 

 symptoms observed during the course of the disease The ulcerations are 

 apt to appear in the middle or most prominent part of the cornea, and pene- 

 trate into the corneal tissue, and the pit-like depression on the cornea may 

 become vascular, and it may also perforate the cornea, evacuate the con- 

 tents of the anterior chamber, cause prolapse of the iris, and formation of 

 staphyloma. Loss of the eye, by purulent panophthalmitis, is very rare, 

 the eye clearing up and leaving more or less pigmentation of the cornea. 

 Diseases of the interior of the eye, by extension of the inflammation 

 of the cornea, are very rare in distemper. This may be complicated 

 with a permanent opacity of the sclerotic membrane, and in rare cases the 

 whole eye becomes acutely inflamed and breaks down (see Diseases of 

 the Eye). 



3. Symptoms of the Respiratory Apparatus. — These are generally a 

 catarrhal inflammation of the mucous membranes of the upper air pass- 

 ages, and, if the disease is acute, the finer sections of the bronchi become 

 inflamed. The first symptom is a catarrh of the nose, which is marked 

 by sneezing and the animal rubbing or wiping his nose with his front paws. 

 This discharge increases. In the early stages it is simply serous; later it 

 becomes mucous, grayish-white or grayish-yellow, sometimes bloody, and 

 in some cases even purulent, with more or less odor. We also see a " snift"- 

 ling" respiration. This is particularly noticeable in short-headed dogs 

 (such as pugs or bulldogs) . In all cases there is catarrh of the larynx, and 

 bronchioles. Catarrh of the larynx is generally marked by a loud, 

 hoarse, dry cough, which is particularly distressing to the animal, especi- 

 ally at night. As the disease advances it becomes moist and looser, and is 

 easily produced by a slight pressure on the larynx. Where there is 

 simple laryngitis, we do not generally see any visible increase or difficulty 

 in respiration. This is changed, however, as soon as the large bronchial 

 tubes become involved. In such cases we see a marked increase in res- 

 piration, wdiich gradually becomes more intense as the inflammatory pro- 

 cess goes downward into the finer bronchi. Any pressure on the sides or 

 tapping upon the walls of the chest causes a very distinct, painful, dis- 

 tressing cough. On auscultation we hear an increased vesicular breath- 

 ing, as well as dry and moist rattling bruits, which are of various forms 

 and intensity. 



If the inflammatory process has extended to the fine bronchi it is 

 not rare to see the formation of lobular pneumonic centres — that is to say, 

 catarrhal pneumonia. Difficulty in respiration now appears more pro- 

 nounced; respiration is superficial but laborious, as is proved by the infla- 

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