GENERAL CATARRHAL STOMATITIS IN SWINE.
Causes: Irritants; ferments; noose on jaw; specific poisons. Symptoms: Careful feeding; thirst; frothy lips; champ jaws; redness; swelling; fœtor. Treatment: Cooling, astringent, antiseptic lotions; mushy food; derivative; tonics.
Causes. Swine suffer from simple stomatitis when exposed to thermal, mechanical or chemical irritants. Food that is too hot, or that which is hard and fibrous, or that which contains spikes and awns, capable of entering and irritating gland ducts or sores, or food which is fermented or putrid, food or medicine of an irritant character. The habit of catching and holding swine with a running noose over the upper jaw, and the forcing of the jaws apart with a piece of wood in search of the cysticercus cellulosa are further causes. In several specific infectious diseases inflammation of the mucous membrane with eruption or erosion is not uncommon. Thus aphthous fever is marked by vesicular eruption, muguet by epithelial proliferation and desquamation, hog cholera and swine plague by circumscribed spots of necrosis and erosion. Patches of false membrane are not unknown, and local anthrax, tubercle and actinomycosis are to be met with. Inflammation may start from decaying teeth.
Symptoms are like as in other animals, refusal of food, or a disposition to eat sparingly, to select soft or liquid aliments, to swallow hard materials half chewed or to drop them, to champ the jaws, and to seek cold water. Accumulation of froth around the lips is often seen, and the mouth is red, angry, dry, and hot, and exhales a bad odor.
Treatment does not differ materially from that adopted in other animals. Cooling, astringent, antiseptic lotions, honey and vinegar, and in case of spongy or eroded mucosa, tincture of myrrh daily or oftener. Soft feeding, gruels, pulped roots, or well kept ensilage may be used, and clean, cool water should be constantly within reach. In case of overloaded stomach or indigestion a laxative followed by bitter tonics will be in order.