340 ACUTE GENERAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES 



(a) Septicemic Form. — ^In the septicemic form there appear 

 within a day or two after birth the following symptoms: 

 Refusal to suck; the patient is languid, remains recumbent, 

 and, if lifted to its feet, is rarely able to stand, the head held 

 low, the whole body limp. The temperature is elevated 

 (105° F.), the heart beat rapid and the respirations dyspneic. 

 Death occurs in one to two days. In some cases, due to 

 metastasis, symptoms in internal organs (lungs) develop. 



(6) Articular Form. — Most frequently in colts the first 

 symptom noted is swelling of a joint or joints appearing within 

 a few days after birth. The owner generally assumes that 

 the swollen part has been trodden on by the dam. The enlarge- 

 ment occurs in a limb joint (tarsal, carpal, femorotibial) and 

 is inflammatory in character. The surrounding tissue is 

 edematous. While the swelling sometimes promptly dis- 

 appears, generally it persists, fluctuates and perforates or is 

 lanced, discharging pus. Flexion of the affected joint causes 

 pain and severe lameness. If many joints are attacked the 

 young patient may be unable to stand. Marked suppuration 

 does not always take place. The swelling may never open 

 spontaneously, but lead to a subacute or chronic arthritis 

 with periarthritis, causing temporary or permanent enlarge- 

 ment of the joint. 



(c) Umbilical Form. — In some cases a local inflammation 

 appears, the navel becoming hot, painful, and swollen, the 

 stump moist and discharging pus or ichor. Between the 

 umbilicus and' the ensiform cartilage a firm strand, the size 

 of a finger, may be felt in the abdominal wall running toward 

 the liver. The local symptoms may abate in a few days and 

 the patient recover, or, on the other hand, a general septic 

 infection ending in death results. Not infrequently meta- 

 static abscesses form in parenchymatous organs producing 

 symptoms varying with their distribution : 



Lungs. — If the lungs are involved the young patient 

 will cough, have nasal discharge and show dyspnea. On 

 auscultation bronchial sounds, rales, and rhonchi may be 

 heard and on percussion areas of dulness and tympany. The 

 animal becomes anemic, emaciated, and extremely weak, 

 remaining most of the time lying on the sternum. In this 

 form it may linger several weeks. 



Digitized by Microsoft® 



