GASTROINTESTINAL CATARRH OF SUCKLINGS 119 



an important factor. While this germ is regularly present in 

 the bowels of sucklings, and usually does no harm, once the 

 resistance of its host is lowered by error of diet, exposure, 

 etc., it can become pathogenic. Other intestinal bacteria 

 may assume a similar role. Predisposing causes are: (a) 

 weaning too early; (b) feeding boiled milk (destroys ferments 

 in milk which aid digestion), or substitutes (flour, linseed, 

 cotton seed) for milk; (c) feeding spoiled, contaminated (sour, 

 putrid) milk out of filthy vessels; (d) overfeeding, allowing 

 the hungry suckling to gorge itself with milk after too long 

 a period of fasting, as in the case with foals of working mares; 

 (e) sucking the diseased udder (various forms of mastitis); 

 (/) the eating of solid foods by the newborn animal, which it 

 is unable to digest, such as hay, straw, etc.; (g) preventing 

 the suckling from obtaining the colostrum, which removes the 

 meconium from the bowel ; (h) refrigeration (cold, damp stable) . 



Symptoms. — The first symptom is usually refusal to suck 

 or, if weaned, to drink the milk offered. The little patient 

 is languid, depressed.* Colicky symptoms are not rare. There 

 is often bloating. The most marked symptom is diarrhea. 

 The feces are fhin, yellowish or dirty white in color, often 

 foamy, of pungent, sour odor and voided with tenesmus and 

 considerable force. Sometimes they are flocculent (like 

 buttermilk). They are usually sticky and adherent to the 

 anus, tail, buttocks, etc., which regions they excoriate. As 

 the disease progresses the patient becomes weak and anemic, 

 and remains lying most of the time. The eyeballs retract, 

 the skin feels cool, moist, and sticky,, and a most disagreeable 

 odor is emitted from the body. In fatal cases toward the 

 'end the periphery of the body grows cold, the anal sphincter 

 relaxed,' and incontinence of feces follows. Death may occur 

 under convulsions. 



Diagnosis. — Gastro-intestinal catarrh may be confused with 

 infectious dysentery of newborn animals. This latter dis- 

 ease, however, usually appears earlier (may be born with it), 

 runs a much more rapid course, and is very fatal (80 per cent, 

 mortality). _ 



, Course and Prognosis.— The course is generally favorable. 

 Often, even after several days' illness, the diarrhea suddenly 



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