Causes: dietary causes; constitutional debilitating diseases; dental disorders; microbian infection; microbes. Symptoms: difficult sucking or mastication; salivation; dullness; prostration; mucosa red with gray patches, erosions, and ulcers; fœtor; loose teeth; excess of tartar. Extensions to face, throat, lymphatics, nose, eyes, stomach, liver, bowels. Duration. Treatment: clean teeth; antiseptics; mild caustics; stimulants.
Causes. This affection is more common in this class of animals than in the herbivora, being apparently dependent in great part on their artificial habits of life, the sweet and stimulating diet and the derangement of the digestive organs. The lowering of the general health in connection with privation or disease and especially canine distemper, rachitism or indigestion must be recognized as predisposing causes, while the accumulation of tartar on the teeth, or the decay of the teeth themselves, constitutes a potent exciting local cause. In connection with such cretaceous deposits the decomposing elements of the food collect, and the irritant products of their fermentation lead to disease of the gums, congestion and ulceration. Superadded to this is the bacteridian infection of such diseased parts, through which the ulceration is started, maintained and extended. This infection is not that of a specific microbe, but usually of a multiplicity of germs, one or more of the bacteria that live habitually in the healthy mouth, taking the occasion of the existence of a wound, or of a reduction of vitality to colonize the mucosa which would otherwise have remained sound. The microbes actually found in the ulcers are very varied. Pasteur isolated a spirillum, Fiocca the bacillus salivarius septicus, others have found pus bacilli, and in sucking kittens the bacillus coli communis.
But the attempts made to convey the disease to healthy mouths by the transfer of the microbes have usually failed (Pasteur, Netter, Cadeac). To establish their pathogenic action therefore, it appears to be necessary to furnish a susceptible mucosa as well as an infecting microbe. This explains why the disease does not spread as an infection, the average mouth is immune and it is only when it becomes the seat of a wound, bruise or other injury, or when the general system has become so reduced that the resisting power is a minor quantity, that the hitherto harmless germ becomes actually pathogenic.
Symptoms. There is indisposition to suck or eat, the patient leaves the teat or the food, and looks dull, depressed and disposed to lie down apart. There is evident salivation and on opening the mouth we may find the offensive odor, the tartar covered teeth with red or ulcerated gums, and on the cheeks, lips and tongue dark red patches of congestion, or whitish or yellowish gray, soft, pulpy spots of disintegrating epithelium. This is followed by shedding of these epithelial patches, and the formation of rounded ulcers of a line in diameter or less. These are tender, and bleed readily. They may extend to the skin of the lips, or deeply into the mucosa, the muscles or bones, and the attendant morbid process may cause loosening and evulsion of the teeth. There may be implication of the pharynx, the lymph glands, the nose, the eyes, the stomach, the liver, or the intestines with corresponding symptoms. Death may supervene in from six to thirty days, or a more or less speedy recovery may take place.
Treatment. The first step as a rule is to remove the tartar from the teeth. This is often done with a wooden spud dipped in a weak solution of hydrochloric acid. A steel scraper will usually act well and without the solvent action of the acid.
Next will come the removal of all diseased teeth which are operating as local irritants and as centres for infectious microbes and their hurtful products.
Then antiseptics in the form of liquids applied as in the other animals with each meal, will be necessary to counteract infective action, and give the tissues an opportunity to re-establish their integrity. Cadeac recommends a 10 per cent. solution of oil of thyme, as a safe and efficient application. Boric acid, borax, salol, salicylic acid, tannic acid, sulphurous acid, or carbolic acid largely diluted may be substituted. Internally iron tonics and bitters are of great value in improving the tone of the system and securing antisepsis of the intestinal canal. The sulphites too may be given with advantage internally. In depressed conditions alcoholic stimulants may be used both as local antiseptics and general stimulants. As in other animals ulcers may be touched with a rod dipped in tincture of iodine, or a strong solution of chloride of zinc, or nitrate of silver.
MERCURIAL STOMATITIS.
Animals suffering. Causes: mercurial baths, ointments, blisters and surgical dressings; mercurial vapors; deposits on vegetation; rat poisons; malicious poisoning. Lethal dose in horse, ox, sheep and goat. Mature and old eliminate more slowly. Symptoms; Salivation; red, swollen buccal mucosa; gingivitis; loosening of teeth; fœtor; ulceration; anorexia; gastro-intestinal tympany; loose, fœtid stools; fever; weakness; dyspnœa; langor; blood extravasation in nose, mouth, throat, bowels, womb, skin; abortion; skin eruptions. Lesions in mouth, stomach, intestines, serosæ, kidneys, muscles, encephalon. Treatment; stop the introduction of mercury; as antidote potassium sulphide; emetic; cathartic; mucilaginous and albuminous antidotes; potassium iodide as an eliminating agent. Locally potassium sulphide or chlorate. Iron tonics.
This has been especially seen in the sheep, dog and ox, and less frequently in other domestic animals.