272 CANINE AND FELINE SURGERY 



the fact of something being wrong in that direction. Occa- 

 sionally, from an accident, such as is occasioned by a violent 

 blow or during a fight with another dog, the penis will 

 become lacerated and the bone even fractured, and amputa- 

 tion will be necessary. Gangrene of the extremity is also 

 met with as the result of calculi in the urethra. 



The Symptoms shown are those of great constitutional 

 pain, inability to pass urine properly, hfemorrhage from the 

 urethra, continual licking of the parts, and, if gangrene has 

 already taken place, a very nasty foetid odour. 



Treatment. — The first thing to do is to detect and remove 

 the cause. If it is a piece of thread or string, or an elastic 

 band, this must be cut off, the parts being afterwards fomented 

 and treated with antiseptic, sedative, or astringent lotion. 

 Calculi in the urethra can be detected by the aid of a metal 

 sound or catheter, and must then be removed (p. 241). If 

 gangrene has proceeded to such an extent that recovery of 

 the extremity is hopeless, amputation must be practised. 



The Operation of Amputation is performed with the aid 

 of a scalpel, forceps, and saw, a rubber or tape ligature 

 being previously placed above to control haemorrhage. A 

 catheter is passed into the urethra, a circular incision is 

 made through the fleshy portion (the patient, of course, 

 being anaesthetized), the urethra is, if possible, dissected out 

 from the interior of the groove in the bone and laid back, 

 and a saw is used to complete the excision. In the cat 

 amputation is occasionally done unintentionally by the 

 amateur castrator, and a painful death is the usual 

 sequel. 



After-treatment.- — The parts must be kept clean with anti- 

 septics, and the urethral orifice kept open by passing the 

 catheter twice a day for a fortnight or three weeks, and after 

 that at intervals of once a week or so until the operator is 

 sure that all danger of stricture has passed. 



