ATONY OF THE FORESTOMACHS 139 



for a time, diarrhea develops, the feces having a sour, fetid odor 

 and occasionally admixed with undigested food and mucus. 

 A fetid diarrhea may alternate with constipation in pro- 

 tracted cases. Milk secretion is diminished from the 

 beginning. 



General. — In mild, acute cases there is little general dis- 

 turbance beyond a certain degree of languor or restlessness. 

 When the atony persists for several days the patient may 

 become distressed, stand with all four feet drawn together, 

 its head forced into a corner or against the stanchion, the 

 teeth are gnashed frequently, the back is arched, the muzzle 

 is dry and the eyes retracted. The animals lie down a good 

 deal and in the later stages, especially if weakened by 

 lack of food, are brought to their feet with difficulty, pre- 

 senting sjTnptoms resembling antepartum paresis or par- 

 turient paresis. The temperature is rarely high (104.5° F.). 

 In the latter stages the pulse becomes rapid and weak. 

 If bloating or great impaction of the rumen is present, 

 dyspnea exists. In protracted cases the general condition 

 grows continuously worse, the patient becoming anemic, 

 emaciated, even cachectic and eventually dies of inanition. 



Diagnosis. — ^The disease should be distinguished from acute 

 bloat (marked distention, dyspnea, sudden appearance, 

 short duration); chronic bloat (usually no general disturb- 

 ance, appetite and rumination good); impaction of the 

 rumen (sudden development, no movement of rumen dis- 

 cernible, results of flank and rectal palpation); traumatic 

 gastritis (pain over region of diaphragm, evidence of peri- 

 tonitis, stiffness of movement, heart symptoms). In acute 

 gastritis the fever, absence of bloat or impaction of the 

 rumen, and the severity of the attack are sufficient for 

 differentiation. 



While in many cases it is difficult to determine whether the 

 atony is primary or secondary, usually the history of the 

 case, the insidious development and the negative findings 

 on examination of the other organs, coupled with the effect 

 of the treatment, suflace for differential diagnosis. How- 

 ever, in not every case of secondary atony is it possible 

 to determine accurately the primary disease. Johne's 



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