CHRONIC CATARRHAL ENTERITIS IN SOLJPEDS. 



Causes : As in acute : troubles of circulation, heart, lungs, verminous 

 embolism, parasitism, skin disease. Lesions : thickening of mucosa, pig- 

 mentation, rigidity, hypertrophy of villi, follicles and gland-i, ulceration, 

 polypi. Symptoms : impaired appetite, buccal fcetor, retracted flank, 

 unthrifty skin, pallid mucosae, colics, tympanies, rumbling, irregular 

 bowels, emaciation, perspiration, fatigue. Treatment : dietetic, tonic, 

 bitters, salines, aromatics, enemata, bismuth, laudanum, calomel and chalk, 

 iron, astringents, counter irritants, electricity, sunshine 



Causes. This may occur from a continuance of the same causes- 

 as in the acute, or from an imperfect recovery from the acute form. 

 It may result from troubles in the circulation, as valvular disease 

 of the heart, or emphysema of the lungs, which forces the blood 

 back on the venous system, including the liver and portal vein. 

 Or the lesions that come from verminous embolism may leave 

 such alteration in the intestinal walls as entail chronic congestion 

 of the mucosa, or intestinal parasites may be the cause. Severe 

 and inveterate skin diseases appear to affect the intestinal mucosa 

 by sympathy, just as diseases of that mucosa usually entail skin 

 diseases. 



Lesions. Attenuation of the coats of the small intestine and 

 thickening of the mucosa of the large have been noticed. The 

 mucosa is darkly pigmented and covered with excess of mucus. 

 The thickening of the mucosa may extend into the sub-mucous 

 tissue, giving a firm leathery feeling to the part, and entailing a 

 loss of elasticity. The villi are hypertrophied and the follicles of 

 Eieberkuhn and Peyers' patches may be congested, ulcerated or 

 otherwise altered. Polypoid growths are not uncommon on the 

 mucosa, and the mesenteric glands are enlarged and pigmented. 



Symptoms are by no means very definite. Disturbance of the 

 digestive functions, capricious or impaired appetite, dry foetid 

 mouth, tucked up abdomen, dry hair and skin, pallor of the vis- 

 ible mucous membranes, slight intermittent colics and tympanies, 

 loud rumblings in the bowels, and relaxed bowels, or alternate 

 costiveness and diarrhcea, with some tenderness on manipulation 

 of the abdomen are the usual symptoms. The animal loses flesh, 

 has dry, unthrifty coat, and sweats and is easily exhausted at 

 work. 



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