STOMATITIS 95 



to tartar around the teeth; dentition; weed hairs penetrating 

 the membrane (seen in hunting dogs after running in fields) . 



Chemical.— Irritating medicinal agents administered in 

 concentrated form; poisons (carbolic acid, arsenic, mercury, 

 etc.) ; decomposed food which has been retained in the mouth; 

 internal administration of calomel or lead compounds in 

 too large doses or for too long a time. 



Thermic— Hot food or drink. 



Infectious.— It occurs in the suckling young of bitches 

 affected with infectious mammitis; accompanies infectious 

 •diseases (septicemia, distemper in dogs and cats, diphtheria 

 and roup in birds) ; usually present during the course of gas- 

 tritis, some of the toxins when absorbed into the circulation 

 are secreted with the saliva and thus cause irritation to the 

 oral mucous membrane; produced by extension of inflamma- 

 tion from other parts (pharynx, larynx and salivary glands). 

 • Chronic constitutional diseases (rachitis, anemia and 

 leukemia) are predisposing factors. 



Pathology.— There is at first a superficial redness and dry- 

 ness of the mucous membrane followed by an increased secre- 

 tion and swelling. This secretion collects around the teeth 

 and on the tongue in the form of a dirty gray or brown coat- 

 ing. The lips often become fissured and ulcerated. 



Symptoms.— The animal shows pain during mastication 

 and has an increased thirst. On direct examination the 

 mucous membranes are seen to be red, swollen, and covered 

 with mucus. The redness may be in spots or diffuse, depend- 

 ing on the cause. Saliva often flows from the mouth or hangs 

 in strings from the lips. The swelling of the mucous mem- 

 brane may occlude ducts of the buccal glands, forming cysts 

 which appear as small gray nodules on the inner surface of 

 the lips. Quite frequently there is an edematous condition 

 of the mucous membrane. The upper surface of the tongue 

 shows a brown or greenish-brown discoloration. In cats it 

 is slightly yellow, and the papillae are enlarged and quite 

 prominent. In birds the epithelium is thickened, tongue 

 dry, and a pseudomembrane is often noticed. 



Diagnosis. —The diagnosis is made by the absence of general 

 symptoms, the inflamed and sensitive mucous membrane 

 and the characteristic conditions noted above. 



