372 TH E DOG IN DISEASE. 



that the dog never rallies, and these resemble the worst 

 cases of typhus fever in man. 



The blood in some cases undergoes a rapid and fatal 

 degeneration ; in others the nervous system is completely 

 overpowered. Such cases must soon end fatally. "We do 

 not think divisions of such a disease into varieties is wise 

 for the inexperienced, as it is seldom that typical cases of 

 each are found, and the observer is led to look for what 

 does not exist in nature ; hence we do not say that there 

 are two varieties or types of distemper, the nervous and 

 gastric or catarrhal. 



The disease might with some propriety be termed a 

 catarrhal fever, but even that term expresses only a part of 

 the truth. 



Prognosis. Except in the very severe cases (lightning 

 cases) just referred to, and when the nervous system is 

 much affected, leading to fits, paralysis, extreme emaciation, 

 etc., the prognosis as regards survival of the immediate 

 action of the poison is good, provided complications do 

 not arise. Most of the deaths from distemper are due to 

 these. With marked emaciation and total refusal of food 

 the prognosis is always very grave. 



Complications. Extensive or capillary bronchitis, es- 

 pecially in young puppies, pneumonia, either lobar or 

 lobular, are not uncommon, and often end fatally. 



Diarrhoea with blood or bile in excess is also another 

 frequently fatal complication ; while jaundice is generally 

 an indication that death is not far off, as the retained bile 

 soon poisons the whole system and disorganizes the blood. 



Paralysis and chorea may occur early or more fre- 

 quently after all the acute symptons have subsided. They 



