118 CANINE MEDICINE AND SURGERY 



excessive tenderness over the spine. The patient 

 cries or screams when handled, and may attempt 

 to bite when approached ; the reflexes are accentu- 

 ated. The latter is recognized by dulled or sus- 

 pended reflexes and loss of sensation in the skin, 

 which does not respond to any stimuli. 



3. Disturbances of the- bladder and rectum. At 

 first both feces and urine are retained on account 

 of paralysis of the rectum and detrusor urinse mus- 

 cle, while later incontinence of urine and feces takes 

 place. 



Treatment. — In the early stages of the disease 

 cold applications should be applied to the spine in 

 the form of ice packs. Later on, smart counter- 

 irritation must be maintained with mustard oil. For 

 the paralysis, the induced electrical current should 

 be applied and strychnin administered internally. 

 Pain is best controlled by H-M-C. The bladder and 

 rectum should be emptied, and due attention given 

 to the patient to prevent the irritation produced 

 from the urine soiling the thighs and belly if incon-' 

 tinence occurs. 



Apoplexy 



Hemorrhage into the spinal cord may be pro- 

 duced by traumatism, neoplasms, exostosis of the 

 vertebrae, emboli, atheromatous degeneration, or 

 arteriosclerosis of the spinal arteries. Traumatism 

 is by far the most frequent cause, and the lumbar 

 region most often afifected. 



Symptoms. — The chief symptom is sudden paral- 

 ysis, due to pressure of the extravasted blood on 

 the cord, and pain on pressure or movement of the 

 spine or lumbar region. The patient drags his hind 

 legs along the ground, and is unable to stand. More 

 rarely,- the hemorrhage takes place more anteriorly, 

 and complete paralysis ensues. The bladder and 



