172 DISEASES OF THE VRINAR Y AND SEXUAL APPARATUS. 



condition may continue for a long time. Mild cases of cystitia 

 are not diagnosed, but as the disease continues the urine be- 

 comes thicker and turbid, and on examination of the urine micro- 

 scopically we find numerous pus-cells and epithelium of the blad- 

 der ; the urine rapidly loses its acid reaction, and soon becomes 

 neutral or alkaline and has a strong ammouiacal odor. Urine from 

 an animal in this condition ferments very rapidly. It contains 

 numerous crystals of triple phosphate, and in rare instances uric- 

 acid crystals aud also numerous bacteria. (Fig- 51.) 



Urine of a dog with cystitis, triple phosphate crystals, red and white blood-corpuscles, and. 

 cystic epithelium. Bacteria. 



Fever, as a rule, is present in this disease, but is never intense, 

 but rather shows an intermittent character. There are also severe 

 depression and loss of appetite. The course of the disease, gene- 

 rally, is rapid, and in slight cases the animal recovers in a few 

 days, but in acute cases the case may last for a month or more, 

 and death may finally be caused by perforation of the bladder and 

 the animal dies of peritonitis, gangrene, or uraemia. The most 

 frequent termination of the acute form is into the mild chronic 

 form. 



In the chronic form the symptoms are much milder, and for a 

 long time the urine is the only guide to a diagnosis, as it is only 

 in advanced cases that the animal will show any pain on pressure of 

 the abdomen. The contractile power of the bladder is gradually 

 lost, and the animal may present symptoms of incontinence of 

 urine, passing small quantities of urine without any effort ; or 

 this is seen in well-trained house animals that pass small quantities 

 of urine while making every effort to retain it until they are out- 

 side, or it may pass away drop by drop Avhen they are moving 

 about or asleep. 



