INFECTIOUS ANEMIA OF THE HORSE 197 



chronic cases a good appetite may be retained. The general 

 condition of the patient rapidly becomes bad. Accompany- 

 ing the febrile attacks there is usually great loss of flesh, the 

 patient finally becoming extremely emaciated. 



There is a tendency for edemas to appear on the limbs, 

 under the thorax or ventral portion of the abdomen. Quite 

 often, however, these swellings are absent: 



The blood shows little tendency to coagulate and the blood 

 serum is discolored yellow or somewhat greenish, its color 

 varying with each change in angle of observation. There is 

 a great diminution in the number of red corpuscles which 

 in a period of two weeks can be reduced to two million or 

 less. 



As the disease progresses the animal grows weak, emaci- 

 ated, cachectic, paralyzed behind, covered with decubital 

 sores and dies of inanition. . Pregnant mares often abort. 

 The acute form usually lasts from one to four weeks. In 

 yoimg colts it may end fatally in from one to two days. 



(6) Chronic Type. — The chronic type of infectious anemia 

 is characterized by periodical attacks of fever with feverless 

 periods of varied duration between. Sometimes the fever- 

 less interval is only a few days, at others it may be a few 

 weeks or even months. The fever attack may last two to 

 four days or longer. The rise and fall of the temperature 

 take place gradually. The pulse is usually inci-eased when the 

 temperature is high but generally only slightly. The mucous 

 membranes in the early stages are normal but later become 

 anemic. Petechise are rarely seen. During the fever periods 

 the anemia may temporarily disappear. Albuminuria is a 

 constant symptom occurring concomitant with a fever period. 

 In some instances diarrhea is noted and occasionally colic. 

 The general condition of the patient becomes bad, it grows 

 thin, the hair loses its luster, stands on end, the skin becomes 

 dry. The patient is extremely weak, the tail hangs motion- 

 less, the sphincter ani relaxes and incontinence of mine and 

 feces appear. Quite often the appetite is preserved until the 

 end. In some cases the condition of the finimal is retained to 

 a remarkable degree; beyond an intermittent or remittent 

 fever the patient may show no symptoms for many weeks or 



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