90 THE DISEASES OF THE DOG. 



and although they .differ slightly in tone from those of the 

 larger animals, will prove diagnostic. Direct ausculta- 

 tion or stethoscopic may be made ; I always prefer the 

 former. 



Percussion, succession, and measurement may assist the 

 diagnosis, but we must mainly depend on auscultation to 

 guide us in diseases of the chest. 



Inflammation of the Organs in the Chest is generally 

 complex— bronchi, lung tissue, and pleura being all more 

 or less involved — but the main seat of disease varies in 

 different cases, and generally we find that the structure 

 which is first invaded is most severely affected. It is con- 

 venient to consider the three principal forms of chest in- 

 flammation together, because they exhibit a number of 

 similarities in causes, symptoms, and treatment, and prac- 

 tically we have to deal with them as a whole. Thus a dog 

 is brought to us in a state of fever, panting hard, with a 

 cough and shivering fits. We first inquire into the cause. 

 He may have been exposed to cold, whether by not being 

 properly dried after a bath or a swim, by not being well 

 clothed on removal of his coat in cold weather, by acci- 

 dental exposure through a cold night, by being taken out 

 on a cold day without his rug on, in the case of toy pets, 

 or imperfect housing. So far we have nothing to specially 

 guide us, but if he has been treated for catarrh or laryn- 

 gitis for a short time; we probably have bronchitis in the 

 main to deal with, or if he has had a kick or wound in 

 the side, the case is one of pleurisy.* Some of the 

 symptoms, too, will further our diagnosis. Thus, in bron- 

 chitis the breathing is very quick but even, and not 

 apparently painful j in pneumonitis it is quick and op- 

 pressed, and in pleurisy the expiration is prolonged and 

 the inspiration sharp and jerky. Auscultation shows the 

 mucous rale throughout the chest as soon as bronchitis 



* Pure pneumonia is the most frequent cause of mortality among the larger 

 felines imported into Europe. It has been noticed that even a very small 

 amount of lung consolidation suffices to kill a tiger. In the ' Veterinary 

 Journal/ viii, p. 169, is a most interesting record of a case of pneumonia in 

 a tiger by Mr. L. Butters, M.E.C.V.S. 



