1 84 CANINE AND FELINE SURGERY 



up when spoken to with a most appeahng glance in its eyes, 

 and showing the greatest disinchnation to move. The coat 

 is unthrift\', and after a week or ten daj's the dog becomes 

 emaciated and perceptibl}' weak. Palpation reveals great 

 tenderness of the abdominal walls, especially on pressure, and 

 the presence of a hard, swollen mass can be detected. On 

 examination pcv rectum the mass can generally be felt, and 

 the surgeon must guard against being scratched by the 

 spicules of bone, which are sometimes as sharp as needles. 



Operation. — Surgical aid is rendered after all efforts to 

 remove the impaction by medicines given by mouth or rectum 

 have failed. The simplest plan consists in the injection of 

 melted lard or warm oil per rectum, and the removal of as 

 much as possible, bit by bit, ^^•ith the fingers or a blunt spoon 

 or curette. This can generally be done to a certain extent, 

 but often the lump is out of reach and matters become more 

 serious. Laparotomv (see p. 158) must be performed, and 

 the obstructed bowel massaged and kneaded gently but 

 firmly, until its contents break up into fragments of suffi- 

 ciently small size to be passed on into the rectum ; they are 

 then removed by an assistant. 



The process of kneading must be done \'er}' patienth' ^^•ith 

 the ends of the fingers and thumb, great care being taken to 

 avoid injury from the nails ; it is a good plan to try first at 

 one end and then at the other, gradually working towards the 

 centre, or any place that feels softer than its surroundings. 



A second plan consists in opening the bowel and removing 

 the obstruction in that way (see Enterotomy, p. 188), the 

 operation being rendered more risk}- than in an ordinar)- case 

 on account of the large accumulation of fluid fa;culent 

 matter and the lax, debilitated condition of the serous and 

 muscular coats of the intestine, the latter in particular 

 rendering the insertion of sutures without tearing a matter 

 of very careful and delicate manipulation. 



Enterectomy and subsequent anastomosis (see p. igo) offer 



