110 CANINE MEDICINE AND SURGERY 



tuberculosis, pneumonia, pericardial adhesions, and 

 chronic nephritis. 



Symptoms. — Extension of the area of cardiac dull- 

 ness is an evidence of the disease, as well as dysp- 

 nea, vertigo, disturbances of the circulation, and 

 tumultuous heart action. The heart sounds are 

 irregular, the first loud and vibrating, the second 

 weak and sometimes inaudible. The pulse is weak, 

 irregular, and rapid, and there is a venous pulse. 



In addition to the cardiac symptoms proper, con- 

 sequent upon the disturbances of the circulation, 

 secondary symptoms arise. These may be chronic 

 bronchitis, intestinal catarrh, albuminuria, marantic 

 thrombosis of the arteries, general cyanosis, dropsy, 

 and emaciation. 



Rupture of the Heart 



The heart may be ruptured by violence or the 

 walls, may give way after being weakened by de- 

 generative processes. Death is practically instan- 

 ianeous if the rupture is large; if small, death 

 may be deferred for a few or several hours. The 

 symptoms are often the uttering of a loud cry, 

 vertigo, trembling, dyspnea, convulsions, and anemia 

 of visible mucous membranes. 



