I lO 



CANINE AND FELINE SURGERY. 



The principles of surgical treatment are the same in all 

 cases, and consist in the return of the organs to their normal 

 situation, and the adoption of steps necessary to retain them 

 there. If a general anaesthetic is used the patient is placed 

 on the operating table in the abdominal posture, and after- 

 wards turned on to its back or side as the operator may 

 consider the most convenient ; if a local anaesthetic is sufficient 

 the animal is at once placed in the most convenient position 

 for the performance of the operation, and the anaesthetic 

 applied. Rigid antiseptic precautions are always necessary 

 with regard to the instruments, the parts to be incised, and 

 the operator's fingers. 



In Umbilical Hernia the organ most commonly out of place 



Fig. go. 

 I'hotograiih sliowing suitable position for opeiating upon inguinal or timbilical hernia. 



is the omentum ; if return is possible this is done after the skin 

 has been incised directly over the centre of the swelling. The 

 edges of the dilated umbilical ring are lightly scarified, and 

 then drawn together with silkworm gut sutures, the skin being 

 united with aseptic silk, and the wound coated with collodion 

 and orthoform or iodoform. Strappings of adhesive plaster 

 or a bandage may be applied if extra support is considered 

 necessary. In cases where the omentum has become adherent 

 to the edges of the ring, a separation must be effected by 

 the scalpel. Sometimes a simple solution of the difficulty 

 consists in excising a portion of the omentum, and returning 

 the remainder into the abdomen before suturing the ring as 

 mentioned above. 



