DISEASES OF THE URINARY ORGAx\S 61 



urination is painfnl and the nrine is passed in very small 

 amounts. The appetite is irregular or suppressed, the pulse 

 strong at hrst but later small and weak, and the body tempera- 

 ture is elevated. On making a rectal examination we find the 

 bladder empty and the kidneys enlarged and sensitive. 



When the kidneys become so badly diseased that they can no 

 longer perform their function of separating from the blood the 

 nitrogenous end-products of digestion, iirjemic poisoning occurs. 

 In this later stage of the disease the animal staggers about if 

 moved, and finally goes down in the stall and is nnable to get 

 up. Death is usually preceded by convulsions and coma. 



The prognosis is very unfavorable, death occurring in the 

 majority of cases. In azoturia of horses and in infectious dis- 

 eases, the inflammation is nearly always acute. The color of the 

 urine, its high specific gravity and the small quantity passed 

 are valuable symptoms to consider in the recognition of this 

 disease. Chronic inflammation generally develops slowly and 

 may not give rise to any very prominent symptoms at first. 



The preventive treatment of nephritis consists in careful 

 nursing of animals affected with acute infectious diseases, a 

 clean water supply and avoiding the feeding of spoiled feeds. 

 The curative treatment is largely careful nursing. The ani- 

 mal should be given comfortable, well-ventilated quarters and 

 complete rest. Chilling of the skin should be especially giuirded 

 against by protecting the body with heavy blankets and apply- 

 ing roller bandages to the limbs when necessary. The diet 

 must be of such a nature as not to increase the work of the 

 kidneys. For the first few days the animal should receive very 

 little feed or water. Later a sloppy diet of sweet milk, green 

 feed and mashes should be fed. Such purgatives as aloes and 

 Glauber's salts are indicated at a very early stage in the dis- 

 ease. We must encourage the elimination of waste products 

 by way of the skin in the larger animals by vigorous rubbing, 

 blanketing and the administration of such drugs as pilocarpine. 



