Part 29

Treatment. Neither the general care nor the remedial treatment differs materially from that for the horse. The principle difference is in the lesser liability to superpurgation and in the preference to be given to Epsom or glauber salts over aloes as a laxative. Either saline may be given in dose of one pound combined with an ounce of ginger or other stimulants, and followed up by similar diuretics, expectorants and tonics, as in the horse. The chronic form is to be treated as in the horse.

=Pigs and sheep= affected with =bronchitis= must be treated on the same general principles as the ox, only giving one-fifth the amount of the different medicaments, and in the case of the pig oleaginous purgatives and emetics as advised for the dog.

BRONCHITIS IN THE DOG.

Causes, damp kennels, cold and damp after hunting, pampering and exposure, distemper. Symptoms, fever, cough hard, later soft, discharge watery, glairy, purulent. In capillary bronchitis cough more paroxysmal, painful and attended with vomiting. Disturbance of breathing, pulse, temperature. Fatality in different breeds. Treatment, laxative, expectorants, diuretics, heart tonic, calmative, water vapor, chest jacket, stimulant expectorants, stimulants, tonics. Diet.

This is common and severe. Hounds kept in damp kennels, much exposed to cold and damp after being heated in hunting, or subjected to frequent and sudden alternations of temperature are specially liable. Pampered pets kept in warm rooms, overfed and having little open air exercise, are equally subject to its attacks. It is an usual form in which distemper is manifested.

Symptoms. There is roughness of the coat or shivering and a small, hard cough often repeated. If confined to the bronchi the cough soon becomes loose, a free discharge sets in, and with care recovery may be secured in five or six days.

If the smaller bronchial tubes are involved the symptoms are more intense and persistent. The temperature may reach 104° or 105°. To the same early symptoms succeed, a painful cough occurring in paroxysms and sometimes followed by vomiting of a glairy mucus. There is running from the eyes and nose, and reddening of thin membranes. The creature stands with his elbows turned out, his flanks heaving and his heart beating rapidly and tumultuously. In the worst cases when the inflammation has been propagated to the smallest bronchial tubes constituting capillary bronchitis, these symptoms are seen in their most aggravated type and the subject often dies of suffocation, or by implication of the lung tissue. Percussion and auscultation are even more applicable than in the larger animals, showing the clear resonance, of the lung tissue, the tubal murmur in the early stages and the mucous rattle in the later ones. In the capillary form a distinct crepitation is heard like that of pneumonia. Bronchitis proves most fatal to the higher bred dogs, such as King Charles spaniels, Italian greyhounds, and English terriers, and according to St. Cyr small dogs suffer more severely than large ones.

Treatment. If the bowels are costive a tablespoonful of castor oil should be given, followed up by nauseating expectorants and diuretics (tartar emetic two grains, nitrate of potass one drachm, and sugar one drachm, mix thoroughly, divide into twelve powders and shake one on the tongue thrice daily). If the cough is very troublesome two grains of powdered digitalis may be added to each dose, or after the nasal discharge has been freely established two to four grains of opium among the tartar. The opiates are of great value in controlling the paroxysms of coughing and the propagation of the disease to the smallest ramifications of the air passages, but as they check secretion they must be used with caution until a free discharge has been established. In the early stages bromides, hyoscyannes or digitalis may be preferred. Muriate or carbonate of ammonia, syrup of Tolu, senega, or gnaiac may follow.

Inhalations of water vapor, the maintenance of an equable temperature, and the moist chest jacket, followed by mustard poultices to the throat and chest are not to be neglected. The diet should be simple, oatmeal or Indian corn pudding with milk, soups and the like may be allowed, but as a rule butcher meat is to be withheld. If the patient has previously fed entirely on the latter it should now be given in very limited amount only, and qualified by an admixture of farinaceous diet.

In some cases the prostration becomes so great that the patient must be supported by tonics and stimulants (a teaspoonful each of sweet spirits of nitre and tincture of gentian, or a teaspoonful of port wine repeated twice daily).

In case of persistent discharge, iron, liquor arsenicalis, the same strength as Fowler’s solution, or cod-liver oil may be used.

CROUPOUS BRONCHITIS IN CATTLE AND SHEEP.

Causes, smoke, hot air or gas, irritant inhalations, concomitant of infectious diseases. Lesions, intense congestion covered by fibrinous exudates. Symptoms, slowly or suddenly developed, fever, loud, wheezing, stertorous, panting breathing, dyspnœa, dry râles and blowing. Course. Treatment, moist jacket, soothing, expectorant, stimulant inhalations, expectorants, derivatives.

This affection has been found in cattle and sheep from exposure to smoke, hot air or gas, and other irritants, and even from exposure to cold, and without any suspicion of a contagious element. Again it has been seen as a complication in Rinderpest, lung plague and malignant catarrh. The lesions are those of tumefaction and extreme arborescent redness of the mucosa, and the formation of patches of a dense fibrinous exudate of a yellowish color, in some cases completely obstructing some of the smaller tubes.

Symptoms. The attack may come on slowly as in ordinary bronchitis, while in other cases it is sudden. The respiration being loud, wheezing, stertorous and panting and general dyspnœa supervening. Auscultation furnishes loud, blowing sounds, dry râles and rouchi, while percussion may show no abnormal change. A strong tremor is felt by the hand on the trachea, and after a paroxysm of coughing false membranes may be expelled. If there is no improvement by the second or third day death is liable to supervene by asphyxia.

Treatment is usually unsatisfactory. The hot, moist jacket, inhalations of vapors of warm water, of carbonate of ammonia, and of ether may be tried, counterirritants to the chest, and internally liquor ammonia acetatis and iodide of sodium would be indicated. When the membranes are somewhat loosened pilocarpin, or in weaker subjects apomorphine may assist their expulsion.

ACUTE CONGESTION OF THE LUNGS. PULMONARY HYPERÆMIA.

Active and passive congestions. Congestion of incipient pneumonia. Congestion of over-exertion. Causes, lack of condition, fat, plethora, gorged stomach, hot weather, cold rains, cold baths, infectious diseases. Symptoms, dilated nostrils, labored breathing, deep lifting of flanks, panting, pendent head, staring, fixed, bloodshot eyes, pale—later dark red nasal mucosa, rapid pulse, palpitating heart, fine crepitation, cold limbs, tremors, perspiration, obstinate standing, till unable, blood from nose. Fulminant cases. Exposure cases. Course. Termination. Resolution. Lesions, lungs black, gorged, do not crepitate nor collapse, lessened buoyancy, cut surface, compressed bronchioles and alveoli, right heart and veins gorged, blood black, semi-liquid, petechiæ. Nature. Not yet inflammatory, blood engorgement, no cell proliferation, migration, non-exudation, pulmonary vaso-motor paresis, effect of blood pressure, of peptones, etc., of exhaustion. Treatment, relieve respiratory muscles, derivation to surface, stimulants, hot pediluvia and packs, relief of vascular system, bleeding, heart stimulants, digitalis.

Congestion of the lungs occurs in all animals as the precursor of inflammation, but as death may occur without the supervention of actual inflammation a special notice appears to be demanded. The hyperæmia of the lungs may be seen in two forms, active and passive, the latter form being secondary to other diseases, such as valvular diseases of the left heart, by reason of which the blood is forced back on the lungs and creates mechanical congestion. The active form is a pathological process developed in the lung itself, and which often proves fatal through arrest of the circulation through this organ.

Causes. The pulmonary congestions preceding pneumonia are due to the same causes with that disease. The most typical, acute and deadly form of pulmonary congestion is usually due to over-exertion in an animal that is fat and out of condition. The English hunting field presents the most typical specimens. A horse that has just left the dealer’s hands, or that is plethoric, fat, soft and flabby, is ridden over a heavy country, and though he may perform well for a few miles, he soon hangs heavily on the bit, slackens his pace, and if not pulled up, staggers and falls “all of a heap.” A farm horse, taken from grass or other soft feeding, and entirely out of condition often suffers in the same way, in going perhaps for the veterinarian in case of urgent colic in one of its fellows. Cruzel draws attention to similar congestions from over-exertion in fat cattle, and Trasbot in wild stags and hogs when beechnuts and acorns were abundant, in pampered family horses and in plethoric farm animals generally. Excessive heat (heat apoplexy) is invoked as a cause, and the arrest of hæmatosis and consequent stagnation in the pulmonary capillaries are undoubtedly accessory causes, yet the majority of cases, and the most typical and fatal, occur in the winter season (the hunting season). On the other hand, chills from rains or cold draughts, especially when heated and exhausted, are common causes, and the disease often comes on more gradually, attaining its acme after five or six hours. A horse perspiring after a hard drive and left to face a cold blast unblanketed, or one plunged by accident into ice cold water for ten minutes (Trasbot) are examples of this kind. These cases are ushered in by violent rigors, whereas in those due to over-exertion this is much less marked and is usually only suggested by the coldness of surface and extremities. Another condition which contributes to pulmonary congestion is a full stomach. The plentitude of the abdominal organs leads to compression of the lungs and hampered circulation, and when to this is added over-exertion and exhaustion acute congestion is speedily induced.

Acute congestions are noticed as an accompaniment of other diseases, but these are mostly either the localization in the lung of a specific morbid process (anthrax, influenza, distemper, strangles), or it is due to auto-poisoning, as when the cutaneous transpiration is suppressed by a coating of glue, or to embolism.

Symptoms. In the horse which fails under severe exertion there are the dilated nostrils, the labored breathing, the deep, almost convulsive action of the flanks, the hanging on the reins, the slacking of the pace, the unsteadiness of gait, and lastly the fall. There may now be noticed the protruded bloodshot eyes, the agonized expression of countenance, the extended head, the pallor, and later the blueness of the nasal mucous membrane, the short, panting breathing, accompanied by a roaring noise alike in inspiration and expiration, and the small, weak, rapid pulse often imperceptible at the jaw. If the animal has been stopped short of having fallen, or if he is able to get upon his feet, he stands with his limbs apart to secure his stability, and with the elbows turned out to facilitate the expansion of the chest. As the breathing becomes panting the respirations are less deep, the ribs are maintained permanently drawn outward, and the flanks rise and fall to a limited extent only but with great rapidity (eighty to one hundred per minute). Auscultation may detect at first an increase in the pitch of the respiratory murmur, and the presence of the finest possible crepitation sound. Soon the murmur decreases uniformly. The extremities are cold, and in this coldness the general surface to some extent participates even though it may be covered by perspiration. Tremors or rigors are present. The heart is felt behind the left elbow to beat tumultuously. If blood is drawn it flows in a thin, black, tary stream.

In some cases blood more or less frothy is discharged from the nostrils as the result of rupture of pulmonary vessels.

In the fulminant cases in =cattle= respiration is rapid, even panting, wheezing, the expiration attended by a hoarse grunt, sometimes nasal hemorrhage, great prostration, profuse perspiration, a stupor sets in and the animal falls and dies, with more or less struggling.

In the cases which develop more slowly, and as the result of cold and chill whether in horses or cattle, there is dullness, anorexia, prostration, increasing rapidity and oppression of the breathing, a small, frequent, hoarse cough, and at first distinct pallor of the conjunctiva and pituitary mucosa, with more or less trembling. The head is extended on the neck, toward an open door or window, if available, until prostration and stupor forbid. The pulse is small, thready, often almost imperceptible and much accelerated, while the heart beats are strong, violent, tumultuous. For a time the respiration may be not more than double the normal rythm, but it tends to more or less rapid increase with wheezing or stertorous sounds and shaken by trembling of the respiratory muscles. The nasal discharge is slight and grayish often with streaks of blood. If it increases the cough becomes looser and softer. Quite early the respiratory murmur decreases over the whole lung and a blowing sound from the bronchia or larnyx is heard on the upper middle third of the chest. This may be complicated by a mucous râle, or when hæmorrhage has supervened by a loud rattling. Percussion shows a lack of resonance over the whole lung, not so flat and definitely circumscribed as in pneumonia but a partial flatness of sound over the whole chest. In pneumonia a limited area of lung is absolutely solidified (hepatized) while the remaining lung is practically normal, whereas in acute congestion often the whole lung is gorged with blood but for some time no part of it is entirely divested of air.

Another marked feature is the maintenance at first of the normal temperature with only a slight rise of about 1°. This serves to distinguish congestion of the lungs from sunstroke (heat anhæmatosis) in which the temperature usually rises to 108° or 110° F or higher. The temperature rises however as the disease advances and merges into pneumonia. Another distinguishing feature from sunstroke is the early pallor of the mucous membranes which in heat apoplexy are strongly congested. In congestion they become dark red only with the advance of the disease and the advent of asphyxia. These features serve also to distinguish acute pulmonary congestion from contagious fevers, pneumonia and other inflammations of internal organs.

Course. Termination. The more acute (fulminant) forms are promptly fatal. In the exhausted system the lungs have become uniformly gorged with blood, which can no longer be forced through the capillaries by the right heart, the heart in turn is overdistended with blood and ceases to beat and death ensues in a few minutes.

In the less acute cases the patient survives twenty-four hours and upward, the whole lung not being equally implicated but only certain lobules, usually the lower, or the congestion, if uniform in all the lung, being less extreme.