362 



THE BOOK OF THE CAT. 



Retention of urine is generally caused by 

 a calculus or chalky material blocking up the 

 urethra or canal leading from the bladder, and 

 preventing the exit of the fluid. If relief 

 is not given to the bladder that is, if the 

 obstruction is not immediately removed the 

 urine decomposes and then sets up inflamma- 

 tion of the bladder, and death takes place 

 from unemic poisoning. 



Symptoms. The cat seems in pain, and 

 makes ineffectual attempts to pass its urine ; 

 it strains to no purpose ; it seems restless, 

 getting up, lying down, rolling on its side, 

 swishing its tail, looking towards its side, and 

 crying. After a time the animal becomes 

 drowsy and indifferent. If the abdomen is 

 manipulated, the bladder will be felt to be 

 distended, hard, and painful. 



Treatment. The only rational treatment is 

 to remove the obstruction and pass the catheter 

 immediately, a special silver catheter, half the 

 size of the smallest human catheter, being re- 

 quired for this purpose. If the urine is bloody, 

 it may be necessary to wash out the bladder 

 with a warm solution of boracic acid and 

 alkalis and sedatives, but no meat or meat 

 extracts should be given. 



DISEASES OF AIR PASSAGES AND LUNGS. 



A Common Cold, or coryza, or acute nasal 

 catarrh, or cold in the head, is caused by 

 exposing the cat to the inclement weather, or 

 washing it and not thoroughly drying after- 

 wards. It may also be due to the irritating 

 vapours of chloroform or ether used by 

 inhalation to produce anaesthesia. Letting a 

 cat out in the cold and wet after it has been 

 used to a warm, dry dwelling sometimes results 

 in a cold. It is not contagious, but is fre- 

 quently mistaken for distemper. 



Symptoms. There is frequent sneezing, and 

 sometimes a cough ; a clear watery discharge 

 trickles from the corner of the eyelids and 

 nostrils. After a time this discharge becomes 

 gluey, thick, and yellowish or greenish ; the 

 eyelids become partially closed, and the haw 

 protrudes over the front of the eyeball ; food 

 is refused, or sparingly eaten ; the fur is dull 

 and open ; warm or dark corners are sought 

 for ; the animal trembles and seems miserable. 

 If the throat is sore, there is a cough; the 

 breathing is wheezy, and a discharge may 

 issue from the angles of the mouth. These 

 symptoms generally pass away in a few days. 



Treatment. Where many cats are kept, an 



animal suffering from " a cold " should be 

 isolated from the rest as soon as possible, as 

 it is difficult to distinguish a simple case 

 of " catarrh " from the early stage of a case of 

 distemper. A warm place, well ventilated, but 

 free from draughts, is essential. 



Raw meat, scraped and given three times 

 a day, is the best diet. Fish, milk, bread-and- 

 milk, or rice-pudding should be offered. 



A small pilule of half a grain of quinine 

 sulphate should be dropped at the back of 

 the mouth three times a day. The nostrils 

 and eyelids should be sponged with a warm 

 solution of boric acid, containing eight grains 

 to the ounce of water, and afterwards smeared 

 with a little white vaseline three times a day. 

 Sanitas or turpentine should be sprinkled on 

 the floor of the room. Great relief is often 

 given by inhaling the fumes of eucalyptus oil 

 dropped into a jug of boiling water. 



Chronic Nasal Catarrh, sometimes called 

 "feline glanders," differs from the preceding 

 complaint, inasmuch as it runs a longer and 

 more persistent course ; it may, however, follow 

 on simple catarrh which has been neglected. 

 Distemper is one of the commonest causes of 

 it, but it is also seen after diphtheria. It may 

 occur as a symptom of tuberculosis, foreign 

 bodies in the nasal channels, malignant growths, 

 such as sarcoma or cancer attacking the tur- 

 binated bones, diseased bone, or teeth, etc. 



When neglected, it may last for months or 

 even years, and is frequently incurable. 



Symptoms. There is a persistent gluey, 

 odourless, or sometimes foetid discharge either 

 of a gelatinous or yellowish appearance, with 

 or without streaks of blood from the nostrils, 

 the outsides of which are sometimes ulcerated. 

 The throat may be swollen ; the appetite and 

 general condition of the animal are often pre- 

 served. Sometimes there is an abscess in the 

 inner corner of the eye. 



Treatment. In those cases that are due to 

 malignant tumours or tuberculosis, and, in 

 consequence, incurable, merciful destruction of 

 the animal is called for. If due to foreign 

 bodies as fish-bones, pieces of grass, or food, 

 or to diseased teeth they should be removed. 



Syringing the nostrils, so as to wash the 

 diseased lining membrane of the nasal channels, 

 with some mild antiseptic is the only means to 

 insure success. The mode of procedure is this : 

 A skilled assistant must firmly secure the 

 animal between his hands that is, he holds 

 the limbs firmly then the operator grasps the 



