VOLVULUS IN DOGS. 



Rare. Short mesentery hinders. Occurs with hernia. Symptoms : ob- 

 struction, prostration, colic, tense, painful abdomen, retching, anorexia, 

 exhaustion. Treatment : laparotomy. 



The carnivora seem to be protected against volvulus by the 

 shortness of their mesentery, the comparative lightness of the in- 

 testinal contents, and the restricted area of the abdominal cavity. 

 Cadiot, Miiller, and Friedberger and Frohner agree in ignoring 

 the subject as a canine disease, while Cadeac mentions only such 

 cases as are complicated by mesenteric hernia, the protruding 

 loop becoming twisted in the wound through which it has 

 protruded. 



' ' The symptoms are those of invagination or intestinal obstruc- 

 tion ; sometimes the animal is dull, anxious, resting almost con- 

 stantly down on his belly, and this prostration dominates the 

 table of symptoms ; sometimes, on the contrary, the subject 

 manifests signs of excitement and intestinal pain ; it trembles, 

 lies down, glances at its flanks ; sometimes it even lets itself fall 

 abruptly, straightens out stiffly its limbs and head, clenches its 

 jaws and rolls its eyes." 



"In all cases the belly is hard, drawn up, painful to pressure 

 or palpation ; but these means of exploration are insufficient to 

 feel the intestinal knot." 



"Constipation is persistent, obstinate, and efforts at vomiting 

 continuous . anorexia is incomplete, or the animal rejects the 

 solid and liquid aliments immediately after their ingestion. 

 Vomited matters, when they exist, become glairy, bilious toward 

 the end of the attack ; but sometimes the animal becomes ex- 

 hausted in his fruitless efforts ; one is rendered uncertain and 

 hesitates to confirm his diagnosis by laparotomy." 



The only treatment advised is by laparotomy. 



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