ii6 



CANINE AND FELINE SURGERY. 



will not copulate with a bitch suffering from these tumours. 

 Their vascularity is much increased at time of oestrum. 



In the bitch their growth can be very much retarded if 

 oophorectomy is performed in addition to the curetting i; these 

 operations, however, should be done on separate occasions. 



As a sequel to the curetting, death has been known to ensue 

 from inflammation of the bladder, owing to the retention of 

 urine consequent upon a swollen condition of the mucous 

 membrane of the vagina around the urethral orifice. 



Passing the Catheter. — In the smaller varieties this opera- 

 tion is one of extreme difficulty, and in many cases quite 



impossible on account of the small size of the urethral canal. 

 In cats and small dogs a bougie can often be passed, and 

 will frequently answer the same purpose. Both catheters and 

 bougies are made in sizes known according to the diameter 

 as No. i to 12. For canine and feline work Nos. J to 5 answer 

 in the majority of cases. 



In the female of the larger breeds, the instrument can be 

 passed whilst the animal is standing, but in smaller ones it is 

 often of advantage to place the patient in the dorsal position 

 and introduce a speculum as an aid to finding the urethral 



1 "Veterinary Kecord," Vol. X., p. 30. 



