94 - CANINE MEDICINE AND SURGERY 



Treatment. — This must be directed to correcting 

 the primary condition. If the trouble is caused by 

 old age or debility the patient should be given a 

 good nerve tonic, such as the triple arsenates or 

 other good tonics containing strychnin, and every 

 means 'taken to improve the animal's general con- 

 dition. Cantharidin, 1-1000 grain, often virorks won- 

 ders in this , condition, and should be given a trial. 

 A good combination is one grain each of pulverized 

 cantharides and of pulverized nux vomica, given 

 twice daily in capsule or pill. 



Lithiasis 

 (Stone in the Bladder) 



This condition is more common in dogs than is 

 generally supposed, since until the calculus has at- 

 tained a fair size, few symptoms manifest them- 

 selves, a slight cystitis often being the only symp- 

 tom noticed. When, however, the stone becomes 

 large enough to either partially or completely 

 obstruct the neck of the bladder the following 

 symptoms appear : 



Symptoms. — The patient becomes very restless, 

 constantly looking round to his hind quarters and 

 whining. He frequently places himself in the posi- 

 tion to urinate, but either accomplishes nothing or 

 succeeds in passing only a few drops of urine, which 

 are often followed by blood. The appetite is sus- 

 pended, the abdomen becomes distended and pain- 

 ful on manipulation, the back is arched, and the 

 patient straddles and staggers in his gait. If not 

 relieved, the bladder either ruptures or the patient 

 dies of uremia and exhaustion. If a catheter is 

 passed it will go only as far as the neck of the 

 bladder and cannot be introduced into that organ, 

 being stopped by the calculus, consequently no urine 

 will be liberated through it. 



