52 SPECIAL CATTLE THERAPY 



OBSCURE ABDOMINAL AILMENTS 



There occur in cattle a number of indefinite, obscure 

 disease conditions Avhich affect the alimentary tract 

 and Avhich invariably defy diagnosis of an exact char- 

 acter. In many of these cases the most sincere, thor- 

 ough and skilled practitioner is unable to make a diag- 

 nosis which he could uphold by the symptoms and 

 clinical findings. 



The general clinical picture points to some derange- 

 ment of the alimentary tract ; yet, there ar^ not suffi- 

 ciently clear signs to warrant a reasonably specific 

 diagnosis. 



Cases of this kind are at times the cause of con- 

 siderable embarrassment to the young practitioner. If 

 he will remember that old and experienced practi- 

 tioners are as much ''at sea" with these cases as he, 

 it may make the battle a bit more pleasant for him. 



The cases under discussion appear somewhat in the 

 following form : 



The cow has been "off feed" for a few days; she 

 has not quit eating entirely, but she '/don't eat like 

 she ought to." She has a somewhat "glum" expres- 

 sion of the face, and once in a while she grinds her 

 teeth, hardly often enough to attract attention, how- 

 ever. 



She is neither "full" nor bloated, nor is she drawn; 

 occasionally, if she is observed for a long time, she 

 seems to tense the abdominal muscles just a trifle. 

 The evacuations are good enough to be termed nor- 

 mal. The temperature is also normal. Auscultation 

 brings out nothing of an abnormal character in either 

 body cavitj^ In some cases there is just a trace of 

 tenderness shown by pressure on the lower abdominal 



