270 DISEASES OF THE BONES AND ARTICULATIONS 



cases that it does not show as the animal grows to an adult age; 

 either in the form of a peculiar bending or bow-legged appearance 

 of the front legs, or a twisting, or show halt-shape in the hind legs. 



Therapeutic Tebatment. The treatment of rhachitis con- 

 sists of improving all the nutritive conditions and encouraging 

 digestion as much as possible. Give the animal plenty of meat 

 and bones, adding to them a certain amount of phosphate of cal- 

 cium, egg-shells, and lime-water to drink. Improve the digestion 

 as much as possible by tonics. 



Canine literature does not show that osteomalacia exists in dogs, 

 and it is not likely that they are affected by this disease, which 

 affects the middle-aged or old animals. It is a progressive disin- 

 tegration of the phosphates and softening of the bones. Kitt 

 described, in 1890, a peculiar diseased condition of a German bull- 

 dog, and compared it with myositis ossificans progressiva. The 

 head of the affected dog was disfigured by enormous osteophytes 

 on the lower jaw and by prominences of the frontal bones. The 

 bones of the forearm and thigh were covered with large osteophytes 

 which had accumulated, particularly around the muscular centres, 

 while, on the other hand, around the joints there was very slight 

 indication of the disease. The whole spinal vertebrse, as far as 

 the last one in the tail, as well as the ribs, chest, and shoulder- 

 blades, were normal and well formed, abnormalities being confined 

 entirely to the bones before mentioned. During life the animal 

 seemed lively and free from any fever, had a good appetite, but 

 walked in a peculiar, undulating way, giving it a very awkward 

 and unsteady appearance. 



Multiple periostitis has been observed by Siedamgrotzky in a 

 dog. This was very different from the case described above. The 

 animal during life showed marked symptoms of general muscular 

 rheumatism, the disease affecting the periosteum of the entire 

 body, especially the joints. 



DISEASES OP THE JOINTS. 

 Inflammation of the Joints. 



General Pathological Anatomy of Inflammation of 

 THE Joints. The most common affection of the joints is syn- 

 ovitis. In a simple case of inflammation of the joints we see an 



