The Dog

by William Youatt

Peritonitis

Chronic inflammation of the

peritoneal membrane

is a frequent disease among dogs. The animal loses his appetite and spirits; he sometimes eats a little and sometimes not; he becomes thin, his belly is tucked up, and when we closely examine him we find it contracted and hard, and those longitudinal columns of which I have already spoken are peculiarly dense and almost unyielding. He now and then utters a half-suppressed whine, and he occasionally seeks to hide himself. In the greater number of cases he after a while recovers; but he too often pines away and dies. On examination after death the case is plain enough. There is inflammation of the peritoneal membrane, more indicated by undue congestion of the bowels than by the general blush of the membrane. The inflammation has now spread to the muscular coat, and the whole of the intestine is corrugated and thickened.

There is another peritoneal affection, aggravated by combination with a rheumatic tendency, to which the dog is more disposed than any other domesticated animal. It has its most frequent origin in cold, or being too much fed on stimulating and acrid food, and probably from other causes which have not yet been sufficiently developed.

Here also no drastic purgative is to be admitted; it would be adding fuel to fire: not a grain of calomel should be used, if the life of the animal is valued. The castor oil mixture will afford the most certain relief, a drop or two of the oil of peppermint being added to it

[Contents]/[Detailed Contents, p. 6]/[Index]

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