68 DISEASES OF THE DIGESTIVE APPARATUS. 



Symptoms of Constriction of the Bowels. They are not especially 

 characteristic, and resemble chronic catarrh of the stomach. At 

 first the animal is noticed to defecate irregularly; the stools are 

 smaller and passed apparently with more or less difficulty, which 

 is i-pecially noticeable, considering the stools are smaller. The 

 intestine is greatly swollen on account of the accumulation of gas; 

 vomiting is sometimes present. On making an examination of 

 the intestines by the hand we may be able to detect the enlarge- 

 ment. 



Symptoms of Obstruction of the Intestines. The animal is irri- 

 table and cross, and Trasbot has seen cases where the animal 

 showed symptoms very similar to rabies; or there may be the other 

 extreme, being dull and indifferent to the surroundings, refuse all 

 food, but show great thirst, with no passage of feces whatever. 

 The rectal temperature is slightly increased, the lower portion of 

 the abdomen is inflated with gas and very painful, even on the 

 slightest pressure. 



The vomiting is constant and very severe, in the later stages 

 of the disease the animal vomiting whenever it drinks any water. 

 At first the vomited matter is normal, but later on it assumes a 

 greenish color, and finally putrid, containing small pieces of fecal 

 matter. 



By examining the abdominal region by the hand we can gen- 

 erally locate the obstruction, which is hard and exceedingly pain- 

 ful on pressure. The swelling can be moved about, showing it to 

 be part of the intestine. 



Course and Prognosis. In an ordinary case of constriction 

 of the intestine no definite prognosis can be made with any degree 

 of certainty as to its course and duration. The constriction of 

 the intestine may go on gradually and not cause any serious symp- 

 toms for a long time, or it may progress very rapidly and cause 

 a complete constriction in two or three weeks The prognosis is 

 always serious and generally ends fatally, with the exception of 

 the form of obstruction that will be described below. Foreign 

 bodies, such as pieces of cork, bone, or wood, may be macerated 

 and passed finally without causing any great trouble. It is not 

 difficult, as a rule, to detect the existence of a foreign body in the 

 intestines, but it is very difficult to tell its exact nature. 



There is one form of intestinal stenosis that is due to great accu- 



