40 DISEASES OF RABBITS 



lower lip over throat and chest and symptoms 

 of generalization manifest themselves. The 

 animal becomes dull and listless, rapid emacia- 

 tion takes place, the respirations hm-ried and 

 difficult, and the temperature rises. The ani- 

 mal relapses into coma and dies unconscious. 

 Owing to the destruction of the lips, starva- 

 tion may terminate the sufferings of the animal 

 before the later symptoms appear, much de- 

 pending on as to whether both lips are involved 

 or not and to the extent of the necrotic process. 

 The symptoms of a generalized infection, in 

 which the lips are not involved and the necrosis 

 is not in connection with any visible wound, 

 manifest themselves by the appearance of mul- 

 tiple abscesses, varying in size from a pea to a 

 hickory nut, in the regions of the thighs, flanks, 

 abdomen and back. The capsule of an abscess 

 typical of this disease is dense and fibrous, very 

 slow in developing with little or no tendency to 

 open spontaneously. The pus is thick and 

 crea,my and white or bright green in color. The 

 course of this form of the disease runs about 

 from two to three weeks, emaciation is extreme 

 and the animal dies of exhaustion. 



Treatment. — ^Very little can be done in the 

 way of treatment except in the very early 

 stages. If the condition is recognized then and 

 the necrotic process has not involved too great 

 an amount of tissue, total excision of the necro- 



