Symptoms. More or less complete retention of the urine. The bladder cannot be completely emptied except by powerful contractions of the abdominal muscles. Habitually it may escape in drops, or in jets at intervals during exercise. Palpation will show overdistended bladder as a tense, elastic mass. But as overdistension may occur without paralysis, no case can be certainly diagnosed without catheterization to show that the urethra is free.
When the paralysis affects the cervix, the urine escapes continually and trickles down the insides of the hips in mares, or from the sheath in males.
Diagnosis demands catheterism and rectal examination.
Complication. Cystitis by retention. Infection by catheter.
Treatment. Corresponds to causes. These corrected, use aseptic catheter often. After extreme distension empty partially, or inject a few ounces of borax or boric acid solution. Thus avoid collapse and inflammation, and secure antisepsis. Give tone by a course of strychnia, (ergot, belladonna), mustard blister; turpentine in small doses. Better electricity, 1 pole in bladder, 1 on pubic symphysis. Apply for 5 minutes.
TUMORS OF THE BLADDER.
Recorded cases of sarcoma (Mauri), carcinoma (Cadeac, Hink, Friedberger), and tuberculosis can be adduced. Papilloma is perhaps as frequent as any of the above. The author has treated two cases of papilloma in mares complicated with multiple small calculi and gravel. Treatment is exclusively surgical and in the mare with the widely dilatable urethra this is sometimes possible through that channel. In the same animals diagnosis may be accomplished by introducing the finger into the urethra and bladder. In other females and males, vaginal or rectal palpation must be resorted to.
VESICAL PARASITES.
Eustrongylus gigas. Dog, horse, man.
Trichosoma plicata. Dog.