HEMORRHAGIC SEPTICEMIA OF CATS (iOl 



Pathogenesis. — The organisms are evidently taken into 

 the digestive tract with the food and drink. The organisms 

 multiply very rapidly and induce in a very short period of 

 time a severe hemorrhagic gastro-enteritis. The severity 

 of the disease depends upon the natural resistance of the 

 animal and the virulency of the infection. 



Symptoms.— The period of incubation is from two to five 

 days. The development of the symptoms is very rapid. 

 The disease is ushered in by a sudden suppression of the 

 appetite, vomiting, retching, marked depression and general 

 weakness. The animal shows a tendency to seek dark cool 

 places and lies stretched out on its abdomen. The tem- 

 perature rises rapidly after the onset reaching 103-106° F. 

 in twelve to twenty-four hours. The temperature remains 

 high during the early part of the disease, but later becomes 

 normal or subnormal. Emaciation comes on rapidly, a 

 profuse diarrhea is present, the feces having a characteristic 

 fetid odor. As the disease progresses the animal becomes 

 weak, eyes retracted and staring. In three to four days 

 coma develops, and death follows in the course of a few 

 hours. The course is very rapid in acute cases. Some 

 few cases assume a subacute form, and the symptoms are 

 milder but progressive. 



Pathology.— A more or less severe gastro-enteritis hemor- 

 rhagica is typical of this disease. The entire mucosa of the 

 digestive tract is highly congested and dotted over the 

 surface with petechia' and numerous patches of ecchymoses. 

 The membrane is covered with a catarrhal exudate which 

 in the majority of cases contains some blood. The serous 

 covering of the intestines shows marked congestion, but no 

 petechia?. The presence of gas in the stomach and bowels is 

 quite constant. The stomach particularly is nearly always 

 found distended. The heart muscle, liver and kidneys show 

 signs of rapid degeneration. The gall-bladder is greatly 

 distended, and the bile is dark colored, thick and tenaceous. 

 The lungs may show congestion, and in subacute attacks 

 pneumonic areas. Other cases may not show changes in 

 the lungs. 



