SECTION IX 



DISEASES OF THE KIDNEY 



DISEASES of the kidney in the dog are of rela- 

 tive unimportance owing to their rarity. Eor 

 clinical purposes they may be classed as follows : 

 acute nephritis, chronic nephritis, suppurative ne- 

 phritis, pyelitis, degenerations, neoplasms, and para- 

 sites. 



Acute Nephritis 



(Acute Inflammation of the Kidney) 



Cause. — Acute nephritis occurs from various 

 causes. It may arise from blows and injuries to the 

 back or from exposure to cold. Or it may occur 

 during the course of infectious diseases, such as dis- 

 temper, bronchitis, septicemia, and pyemia, which 

 fact is not remarkable when we remember that 

 many bacteria and their toxins are excreted by the 

 kidneys. Nephritis also follows poisoning by 

 arsenic, merc'ury, phosphorus, lead, male fern, squill, 

 turpentine, croton oil, cantharides, tar, phenic acid, 

 ergot, and other poisons. It may also arise from 

 infection extending from the pelvis of the kidney 

 (pyelitis), the ureters, or bladder (cystitis).. 



Symptoms. — The most important and in the 

 course of severe infectious diseases sometimes the 

 only symptoms are in connection with the urine. 

 There is well marked albuminuria, the quantity of 

 urine (except in the initial stage, when for a few- 

 hours it may be increased) is much reduced, some- 

 times entirely suppressed for several days. The 

 causes of this anuria are stoppage of the urinary 

 canals by casts, inflammatory swelling of the kidney 



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