236 CANINE MEDICINE AND SURGERY 



After the vagina has been replaced and smoothed 

 out the lips of the vulva should be drawn together 

 with two or three stitches, leaving only a sufficient 

 opening for urination. The sutures may be left in 

 three days or longer, as required to prevent further 

 prolapse. 



In prolapse of the uterus it is often almost an 

 impossibility to completely smooth out the horn to 

 its normal shape, even by means of some blunt, 

 smooth instrument, and in such cases a recurrence 

 of the prolapse may be looked for. Unless the 

 uterus is completely replaced, straining will in- 

 variably persist and the condition recur. In these 

 cases either one of two courses of surgical inter- 

 ference may be followed out: (1) laparotomy, re- 

 duction of the prolapse, and suture of prolapsing 

 horn to the abdominal parietes, or (2) laparotomy 

 and amputation of the offending horn, or total ex- 

 tirpation of the uterus. 



The first procedure gives good results and should 

 be practiced in cases where the uterus has suffered 

 little or no injury from exposure or trauma. The 

 second is indicated where grave changes have taken 

 place in the uterus, and this is far preferable to the 

 pld operation of ligating and amputation, or amputa- 

 tion with the ecraseur. 



Metritis 



Inflammation of the uterus is a common sequel 

 to difficult, prolonged, or badly-handled labor, and 

 is manifested in two forms: (1) simple metritis, 

 which is a catarrhal inflammation of the mucous 

 membrane, and (2) septic metritis, or puerperal 

 fever, which is a very serious condition. 



SIMPLE METRITIS 



Symptoms. — The vulva is swollen and congested 

 and there is a copious discharge of purulent, sanious, 



