i82 CANINE AND FELINE SURGERY 



The swelling is not tender on pressure in the earlj- stages, nor 

 is the abdominal wall sore. 



^^^^en the diagnosis is made, the sooner an operation is 

 performed the better the chance of success. Purgati\'es 

 and other medicines are generall}' returned as soon as 

 administered. 



The inflation of the bowel with warm enemas ma}' be 

 tried, a long tube, passing as far up the gut as possible, being 

 used ; but undoubted!}' the surest and safest method of 

 reduction lies in the application of modern surger}-. 



It is true that no\\' and again sloughing of the intussus- 

 cepted gut will occur, firm adhesion of the serous edges having 

 taken place, and the ' cast ' of bowel will be passed per anitni ; 

 but the process is a comparati\'el\- slow one, the animal is in 

 pain until it has happened, there is great risk of stricture as 

 a sequel, and there is also great risk that the gangrene and 

 peritonitis which must accompany the process may extend 

 and cause the death of the patient. Ulceration, too, ma}' 

 occur, and then a fatal termination ^\■ould be certain. 



Operation. — The surgical method of affording relief consists 

 in the performance of laparotom\' (see p. 158) and the replace- 

 ment of the gut into its natural situation b}- means of the 

 fingers.^ If the intussusception is of recent origin, this can 

 be done \\ithout any difficult}-, but if it has existed for some 

 time adhesions will have formed, and the outlook is much 

 more serious. If these adhesions can be broken down with- 

 out materiall}' injuring the bowel wall, this should be done ; 

 if not, the whole piece must be excised (see Enterectom}-, 

 p. 190). 



Prognosis. — The prognosis of an uncomplicated case is 

 excellent if the operation has not been delayed too long. 

 It is, of course, serious if enterectomy has become necessary. 



After-treatment. — It is \'ery important that the bowels 



1 Journal of Comparative Pathology and Therapeutics, vol. xii., p. 261 ; 

 I'cterinary Record, vol. xvii., p. 493. 



