388 Veterinary Obstetrics 



as to lead to error. The enlargement of the abdomen, as a sign 

 of pregnancy, becomes valuable, therefore, only in connection 

 with other signs and should not be depended upon alone. 



The enlargement of the mammae normally begins quite early 

 during pregnancy in primipara, while, in animals which have 

 produced young several times, these organs do not ordinarily 

 show signs of enlargement until toward the close of gestation. 

 In the cow or goat which is used for dairying purposes, the 

 milk flow may be perpetual and, when the milking of the animal 

 has been continued throughout gestation, there is no notable en- 

 largement of the udder. In poor milkers there is usually a 

 tendency for the flow of milk to decrease soon after impregnation 

 and in many cases it is impossible to keep the cow milking up 

 to the time of parturition or even to mid-term. In other cases, 

 however, the animal continues to secrete milk throughout gesta- 

 tion, and toward the time of parturition, when the mammae 

 would ordinarily enlarge as a result of pregnancy, there is in- 

 creased secretion of milk. 



The enlargement of the mammae is not, however, a trust- 

 worthy sign of pregnancy. In some animals the glands fail to 

 enlarge to any appreciable degree and, after parturition, fail to 

 furnish milk for the nutrition of the young. This is especially 

 observed in old mares, which have been bred for the first time. 

 On the other hand, the mammae become enlarged in the absence 

 of impregnation. Fleming states that the milk glands may be 

 aroused to activity in the young animal, when but a few days 

 old, owing to suction upon the teats, as is habitually observed 

 in young calves when a number of them are kept together, in 

 which case they form the habit of sucking each other repeatedly. 

 While this rarely excites the glands to function, it is claimed 

 that it does at times. In other cases it is repeatedly noted that 

 animals which are in estrum show functional activity of the milk 

 glands. The bitch, while in estrum, very frequently shows en- 

 largement and some functional activity of the mammae. We 

 have observed a mare mule which, though presumably incapable 

 of impregnation, constantly soiled her hind legs badly while in 

 estrum, owing to a profuse flow of milk from the greatly en- 

 larged udder. 



It has been claimed that toward the close of gestation there 



