262 : The Diseases of Aninals 
from indigestion, impaction of the rumen with undi- 
gested food, or from choking, but in these cases the gas 
passes away as soon as the cause of the disease is 
removed. 
Bloating is easily recognized from the prominent 
symptoms. The first one is usually that the animal 
stands off by itself and refuses to eat. Upon examina- 
tion, the belly is found to be greatly distended, par- 
ticularly on the left side, that part bulging outward 
and upward like a dome. The animal stands humped 
up and breathes with difficulty, often emitting a grunt 
or moan as it breathes. There is often a dripping of 
saliva from the mouth. There may be colicky pains 
shown by the animal’s stepping uneasily about, or kick- 
ing at the belly. The rectum sometimes protrudes, 
owing to the internal pressure of the gas. As the 
bloating increases, the animal may stagger and fall. 
In hoven, the animal may die from suffocation, or, as 
it loses consciousness, it may fall and rupture some of 
the stomachs or other organs subjected to the excessive 
pressure of gas. 
The method of treatment will depend upon the con- 
dition of the animal. If the bloating is severe, so that 
there is danger of the animal’s suffocating or falling, 
the side should be tapped at once. This is done after 
confining the animal by tying the head. A small in- 
cision is then made through the skin over the most 
prominent part of the swelling on the left side, about 
halt way between the point of the hip and the last rib. 
Two instruments, called a “trocar” and a “canula,” are 
then inserted through the hole in the skin, directed 
