MYCOTIC STOMATITIS IN FOALS, CALVES AND BIRDS. THRUSH. MUGUET.
Oidium (saccharomyces) albicans; a parasite of the young; cultures. Symptoms in foals and calves; congested buccal mucosa; curd-like concretions; erosions. Diagnosis from rinderpest. Treatment; disinfection; sunshine; open air; exercise; locally antiseptics.
This is a form of stomatitis manifested by a raised white patch on the mucous membrane and determined by the presence of the oidium albicans (saccharomyces albicans), a cryptogam discovered by Berg in 1842 in thrush in children. It is closely allied to the mucor, and attacks only the young and feeble. The white crust consists of epithelial cells intermingled with an abundance of the white mycelium and oval spores of the fungus. Andry in his artificial cultures found that it was pearly white when grown on gelatine, dirty white on potato, and snow white on carrot.
Foals and Calves. Symptoms. The buccal mucosa red, congested and tender, shows here and there white curdy looking elevations, or red erosions caused by the detachment of such masses. These bear a strong resemblance to the concretions seen on this mucosa in rinderpest, but are easily recognized by the absence of the attendant fever, and by the discovery, under the microscope, of the specific microphyte. The eruption may extend to the pharynx and œsophagus and interfere fatally with deglutition, but usually it merely renders sucking painful and is not serious.
Treatment. It is always well to destroy floating germs by cleansing and whitewashing the stable, and to invigorate the young animals by sunshine, free air and exercise. Locally the most effective agent is the old favorite remedy borax which arrests the growth of the parasite whether in artificial cultures, or in the mouth. The powder may be rubbed into the sores or it may be mixed with honey or molasses and used as an electuary. As substitutes boric acid, salol, thymol, chlorate of potash, or permanganate of potash may be used.
Birds. The affection has been twice observed as occurring in the œsophagus and crop of two chickens. Martin tried in vain to inoculate it on other fowls, and Neumann failed to convey it from child to chicken by feeding. The element of individual susceptibility was manifestly lacking. From its seat in the crop the malady passed unnoticed during life. In cases that can be recognized, treatment would be the same as in young mammals.