Digestive Organs Diseases Found in Animals

List of twenty-two major diseases of the digestive organs found in animals:- 1. Gingivitis 2. Aphtha 3. Glossitis 4. Pharyngitis or Sore Throat 5. Parotiditis 6. Gastritis 7. Gastric Impaction in Horses 8. Impaction of the Rumen 9. Hoven or Tympanitis 10. Fardel Bound 11. Colic 12. Impaction of Double Colon and Others.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 1. Gingivitis:

It is the inflammation of the gums. The various forms of inflammation are those commonly noted on mucous membrane — catarrhal, ulcerative, necrotic, vesicular, pustular and croupous.

Etiology:

1. Various infections. Foot and mouth, con­tagious pustular Stomatitis in horse, Thrush in foals and calves.

2. Chemical irritants such as corrosive ac­ids and alkalies, blistering agents, fermenting or decomposed or too hot food.

3. Mechanical causes such as foreign bod­ies, thorns, spikes etc. Sharp bones in dogs and cats. Specially when wedged between the teeth.

Symptoms:

Food is refused or softer or more liquid foods are swallowed and the animal eats sparingly. There is excessive salivation and saliva may hang in strings from mouth or appear as a froth on the lips. There is usually a bad odour from the mouth and that is more marked in necrosis or gangrene. Frequently the food is quidded.

The animal usually objects to the ma­nipulation of the mouth. While the mouth is open, the changes in the mucous membrane may be noted according to the character of inflammation. The mucous membrane is swollen and covered with mucus. In the catarrhal form, the mouth is red. The buccal epithelium comes away in flakes or in patches. In the ulcerative form, there are superficial or deep ulcers of varying size scat­tered over the mouth.

In stomatitis produced by strong acids or alkalies, the mucous membrane may show characteristic colours, such as yellow with Nitric Acid, brown with Carbolic Acid. Vesicular Stomatitis is usually due to some infec­tion. In the necrotic or gangrenous form, gray or green necrotic areas formed on some part of buc­cal mucosa, such as gum, tongue, lips or cheek. It is commonly due to Bacillus necrosis. It is most common in dogs in canine typhus. In necrosis, the odour is usually foetid as to the pustular form, small pustules develop on the mucosa, that is chiefly seen in contagious disease such as Horse pox.

Prognosis:

Wounds of the mouth tend to heal very quickly when the irritant is removed.

Treatment:

Remove the cause, if possible. If there is any evidence of contagion, isolate the animal. In stomatitis due to chemical agents, it may be necessary to give an antidote. Give soft sloppy liquid diet. The mouth lesions are thus dealt with. Mild antiseptics in drinking water. Swab out mouth with mild antiseptic such as Pot. permanganate (1 in 1,000).

Mercurochrome lotion 2% may be applied. In necrotic form, the part affected should be painted with strong antisep­tics, such as Fine Iodine, Carbolic acid or Strong Pot. permanganate. When the necrotic part is loose, it should be removed by forceps and the base again painted. Give soft food-Administra­tion of Sulfa-pyridine has been found to be very beneficial.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 2. Aphtha:

It is the inflammation of the mouth. Aphthous inflammation of the mouth is an independent disease of infectious or of toxic origin charac­terised by the formation or deposits formed by the desquamated epithelium and fibrinous exu­date which—after their removal—expose an ulcerative surface on the inflamed mucosa.

Etiology:

The epizootic nature of the dis­eases indicates its infective origin but the positive causal agent is not yet definitely known.

Symptoms:

The disease is most common in suckling animals commencing with salivation, redness and moderate swelling of the mucous membrane followed in 1 to 2 days by the appear­ance of deposits on the dorsum and side of the tongue, specially near the tip and also on the inner surface of the lips. These appear as whitish points which soon enlarge forming white deposits with the consistence of soft cheese or thick pus surrounded by a bright red ring.

These gradually enlarge and the deposit increases in thickness and assume a grey and, later, a yellowish colour. These are easily removed exposing slightly bleed­ing erosions on the borders of the lips which become swollen and painful. Small vesicles de­velop which soon dry up to form yellowish brown crust. Prior to the appearance of local lesions, the animals are affected with loss of appetite with disinclination for suckling, debility, with rapid emaciation.

Diagnosis:

The characteristic erosions to­gether with acute stomatitis and formation of vesicles on the borders of the lips are quite diag­nostic of the disease. In foot and mouth disease, there are also lesions on the feet in large number of cases.

Treatment:

Isolate the affected young with its mother from the herd and feed with milk freshly milked from its mother as it can no longer suckle. Wash the mouth frequently with 4% solu­tion of Boric acid or 3% to 4% of Pot. chlor. and paint the erosions with Iodine and Glycerine (1 in 10).

Digestive Organ: Disease # 3. Glossitis:

Inflammation of tongue is caused by all kinds of local irritation, rough handling of the tongue, sharp teeth, hot or irritant drenches, wounds, caustic alkalis etc. That is injury plus pyogenic bacteria, swelling and heavy coating of tongue, salivation, difficulty in mastication, foetid breath with fever are seen. Abscess may ensue.

Treatment:

Consists in superficial scarifica­tion in many places if there is much swelling. The tongue should be frequently swabbed with equal parts of saturated Boric Acid solution and boiled starch. If deglutition is interfered with, food may be given through stomach tube or rectal feeding may be adopted.

In glossitis due to caustic alka­lies, swabbing frequently with a solution of vin­egar and water (1 in 2) will afford relief. In the wounds and laceration of the tongue, all tissues should be saved as far as possible, and suturing employed as indicated. Abscess demands inci­sion.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 4. Pharyngitis or Sore Throat:

This is most common in horses and dogs and less common in cattle and sheep.

Etiology:

Pathogenic bacteria- such as strep­tococci or Bacillus necrosis. Pharyngitis appears as a common complication in many specific dis­eases, Strangles, Influenza in horses. Distemper in dogs and it may arise as an extension from nasal catarrh or Laryngitis. In cases which are not con­tagious, the infection may also be due to organ­isms, some of which may be normally saprophytic on the pharyngeal mucosa and take on patho­genic power only when the resistance of the tis­sue is broken down by other factors.

Mechanical causes such as foreign bodies picked up with the food, irritant drenches e.g. chloral hydrate, Am­monia, Turpentine, irritant gas from fire. The forms of pharyngitis commonly noted are ca­tarrhal, necrotic, ulcerative and croupous or diphtheretic.

Symptoms:

In acute cases, the animal feeds slowly, either quits the foods or swallows it with difficulty. Some very serious cases may not feed, salivation may occur owing to the difficulty in swallowing and the animal carries its head stiff and porked out.

Sometimes, the liquid or semi- liquid food is returned by the nostrils. Soon a nasal discharge appears which is bilateral and in catarrhal form is watery and yellowish white, thick and opaque. In the horse, it may be green from the food which is returned through the nostrils.

In the diphtheretic form, the discharge may contain fibrinous shreds of false membrane, a cough is often noted, specially on manipulation, and is somewhat soft in the horse, it does not compare with the loud harsh cough in Laryngitis. The pharyngeal region may be somewhat swollen but it is tender and the animal flinches on ma­nipulation.

Examination of pharynx through the mouth can only be made in the small animals. In the dog and cat, when the mouth is open and the tongue depressed, the soft palate, tonsils, epiglottis and other parts of pharyngeal mucous membrane may be seen. The mucous membrane is swollen red and covered with mucous and this change may extend to the soft palate and the tonsils.

Accord­ing to variety of inflammation, ulceration, necro­sis or diphtheretic deposit may be noted. In very acute forms (or phlegmonous) exudate passes on considerable quantity into the submucosa and causes great narrowing in the lumen of the tube. This may occur quite suddenly and dyspnoea and roaring may set in. Asphyxia may be detected.

As a rule, there is no fever unless the disease is a complication of a specific disease. In the dog and cat, most marked symptoms are those of cough­ing (appearing in fits), shaking of the head and even vomiting and, sometimes, in these cases, a foreign body is suspected.

Course:

Death may occur from asphyxia or Septic infection or from pneumonia (foreign body). Acute cases usually improve in a few days and recovery may take place in one or two weeks. Serious forms are necrotic and diphtheretic. Occa­sionally, the disease becomes chronic where there remains a nasal discharge, some difficulty in swal­lowing or noisy respirations. Cases are more pro­tracted in ulceration, necrosis or suppuration.

Diagnosis:

It is quite easy from the difficulty in swallowing, pain on manipulation over the pharynx, the nasal discharge and in the small animals on examination of the pharynx through the mouth. In paralysis of the pharynx, there is no pain on manipulation and no nasal discharge. In Parotiditis, there is no nasal discharge and no return of food through the nose.

Treatment:

Isolate the animal if the case is contagious. Keep the patient warm. Allow plenty of fresh air. Apply some liniment over the parotid region. Antiseptic inhalations such as oil of Tur­pentine, Tine. Benzine Co. and oil of Eucalyptus. The inhalation should be given twice daily for half an hour each time.

In the dog, the above agents are used. Remove nasal discharge frequently and apply vaseline round the opening to prevent excoriation of skin by the discharge. Avoid drenching. In dogs and cats, Expectorants may be given in small doses.

The diet offered should be soft or liquid. Nutrient rectal enema should only be given when the animal has not been feeding for 2 or 3 days. Where asphyxia is threatened in Oedematous form, attempt temporary tracheo­tomy. Penicillin treatment may be resorted to.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 5. Parotiditis (Synonym: Mumps):

It may be primary following upon injuries but is chiefly the result of infection which may invade the salivary glands through the Stanton’s duct. Contagious forms of this condition have been noted in the domestic animals. Sometimes it is due to specific disease—Strangles or Salivary calculi.

Symptoms:

The parotid glands are swollen and painful and the head is held stiffly away from the affected side, if only one gland is in­volved. The animal masticates slowly and swal­lowing is difficult. In some cases, abscess forms and fluctuation and softening are noted over the swelling.

The course, as a rule, is favourable and only occasionally facial nerve become paralysed. In the horse, the most common form of Parotiditis is the chronic form in which the gland is swollen and firm but not painful. Parotiditis may be con­fused with inflammation of underlying lymphatic glands or emphysema of guttural pouch.

Treatment:

In acute form, apply counter irritants or liniments. If an abscess forms, open when mature. In the chronic form, apply Iodine ointment. Sulfonamide or Antibiotic treatment may be tried.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 6. Gastritis:

Cow—

Etiology:

1. Pathogenic organisms.

2. Irritant poisons, e.g. arsenic, lead, soya­bean meal where the oil is extracted by Trichlorethylene, drastic purgatives.

3. Various foodstuffs, e.g. Decomposing, mouldy, fermented.

4. Worm parasites—This, however, only occurs in young animals from 6 months to 2½ years old. Sheep and goat 3 to 9 months old.

The forms of gastritis shown are—Acute, Ulcerative and Catarrhal.

Symptoms:

In acute form, symptoms de­velop suddenly, animal ceases to feed and rumi­nate but has distinct thirst. Fever and tempera­ture rise to 105° F (40°C) or over. Same in cases due to poisoning from mineral or chemical irri­tants. The pulse is frequent and firm at first, later becomes weak and small.

The animal is uneasy and may have colicky pains but the chief signs of abdominal pains are grunting, grinding of teeth and paddling of hind legs. Slight tympany is sometimes noted. In some cases, there is marked constipation even after the use of purgatives.

But when the condition extends to the intestines, then a profus foetid blood-stained diarrhoea sets in. The course of the acute form is comparatively short. If an animal survives 5 or 6 days, recovery may take place. But often the animal does not do well afterwards.

Treatment:

Try to ascertain and deal with the cause. First, remove the irritant by giving laxative oil. Keep animal warm and even apply mustard over abomasum. If fever, prescribe Sali­cylic compounds. Bismuth Salicyte is indicated. If there is marked pain, give Extract Belladonna and follow with Nux Vomica and Sodi-Bicarb.

Where diarrhoea sets in, give antacids, sedatives and alimentary antiseptics. Feed by stomach tube if animal is not feeding. Linseed and oatmeal gruel and later mashes and only small quantity of hay when animal is not ruminating. On recovery, tonics are recommended.

In Horse:

It is often associated with Enteritis, may be acute or toxic.

Etiology:

1. Pathogenic bacteria.

2. Defects in food such as mouldy hay or oats, sprouting or green—foreign bodies.

3. Chemical irritants such as arsenic, lead, phosphorus, antimony, mercuric chloride.

4. Animal parasites—rarely.

Predisposing causes include debility and ex­cessive fermentation.

Symptoms:

Indefinite and vary according to intensity of the disease. In mild cases, the appetite is capricious, animal is dull and easily fatigued and sweats. There may be some fever, tongue is furred and there is sour odour from the mouth. Faeces is hard, dry and coated with mucus but if enteritis sets in, diarrhea will appear. In acute, severe cases, the animal is affected with colic soon after feeding and the colic may be severe. There may be a rise of temperature and occasion­ally the regurgitation of gas. The course of the disease varies. Mild cases recover.

Treatment:

Withhold solid food for at least 24 hours, keep the animal warm. Give fluid diet. In mild cases give a course of Sodi Sulph, Sodi Chlore and Sodi-Bicarb. In colic, give Belladonna with Sodi Bicarb and repeat as required. When animal is recovering, follow with vegetable ton­ics. If due to irritants, it may be advisable to give Linseed oil at first.

In Dogs:

It may be acute, catarrhal or ulcer­ative, is commonly associated with enteritis.

Etiology:

1. Pathogenic organisms.

2. Chemical irritants such as arsenic, lead, etc.

3. Meat poisoning—putrefying flesh.

4. Foreign bodies—stones, sand, occasion­ally ascarides.

Symptoms:

Animal is affected with persis­tent vomiting and retching. The vomit contains first food and later mucus which is bile stained and, in severe cases, or in ulceration, may be mixed with blood or blood-stained. There is loss of appetite but there is excessive thirst. The water which is swallowed is almost immediately vom­ited. The animal is usually dull and often lies about in dark corners. Tongue is furred and there is a foul odour from the mouth.

After a time, the abdomen is retracted and back arched. In some cases, the temperature is raised specially in early stages. There may be constipation, but if enteritis sets in, diarrhoea results. This is always a serious condition and, if it persists, the animal becomes very weak and unable to stand. Death may result in a few hours or days.

Treatment:

Where poisoning is suspected, the usual antidotes should be given. A laxative may be given in early stages and followed by an emetic. Gastric sedatives and alimentary antisep­tics are useful. To prevent vomiting, Avomine or Reglan may be given. Keep animal warm and dry. Milk and Soda water or lime water or milk and eggs may be given.

If the food is not retained, meat suppositories or nutrient enema may be given. If there is tendency to collapse, give adrena­line hypodermically and glucose intravenously. If the animal is improving, the food used may be replaced in sparing amounts by solid foods.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 7. Gastric Impaction in Horses:

Synonym—Stomach staggers—Stomach is distended with solid food. Occasionally it is com­bined with tympany.

Etiology:

1. Long fasts and greedy feeders. A horse is given a big feed after a long day’s work with­out any midday meal.

2. Bulky or indigestible food or food con­taining little moisture such as wheat, barley, grains etc. This is most likely to occur when the horse is unaccustomed to food and takes too much. Predisposing causes include debility, dila­tation of stomach, wind sucking, defects of teeth, mild exertion after feeding, atony of the stomach.

Symptoms:

Occur soon after feeding. Animal may show some dull continuous colic and occasionally at­tempts to froth. But not infrequently colicky symp­toms are absent and nervous symptoms develop.

The animal becomes dull and sleepy, may rest its head on manger or press its forehead on the wall. It staggers in its head and drags the toes off the hind limb. The breathing is slow, the pulse is full, mucous membranes injected or may be yellow.

Animal is not feeding and is constipated. Some­times, it sits on its haunches. It may resist drenches which are returned through the nose. The course is variable, recovery or death within a day or two, usually within some hours. Death commonly results from rupture or from auto­intoxication.

Diagnosis:

Is made from history, nervous symptoms and perhaps attempts at frothing and vomiting.

Treatment:

Remove the food. Put the animal in a roomy comfortable loose box with a good bed and prevent any liability to injury. Give mod­erate dose of purgative and stimulants, e.g. Lin­seed oil, oil of turpentine,. Fine. Nux Vom. Sp. Ammon aromat. The stimulant—except Nux Vomica—may be repeated as required. A counter- irritant may be applied to the abdominal wall.

The stomach tube is useful and may be adopted to wash out the stomach. Copious warm enemata should be given. After recovery, attend to any tooth defects present and to feeding and give tonics in foals, impaction of stomach has been noted where they have been weaned abruptly and are not taking water.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 8. Impaction of the Rumen:

It is a condition of over-distension of Rumen with solid food. The food is dry and slowly fer­mentable and gas does not form or form slowly.

Etiology:

1. Over-feeding, specially where there is a sudden change of food or where there is a defi­ciency of coarser foods to stimulate rumination. Greedy feeders are more liable. Foods liable to cause it when given in excess are beans, peas, grains, maize and also hay, straw and which are dry and not nutritious. Impaction is most liable to arise when the food is continued in quantity after rumination is ceased.

2. Debility of the walls of Rumen. Impac­tion is not common in animals recovering from disease or in newly calved cows.

3. Want of water.

Symptoms:

Are not so urgent or alarming as in tympanitis. The animal ceases to ruminate and
afterwards to feed or drink. The abdomen be­comes swollen. The hollow in the left flank is filled up but as distinguished from tympanitis, the swelling bulges outwards and downwards. It is doughy and pits on pressure and is dull on percussion.

No sounds are heard on auscultation over the Rumen and no movements of Rumen are detected on palpation where normally there would be movement every 30 seconds. The ani­mal is dull and arches its back and does not stretch on rising, and is occasionally lestless, stamps hind legs and switches tail.

It shows evi­dence of pain by grunting, grinding of teeth. Temperature, respiration and pulse are not much altered. Mucous membranes are slightly congested but feces are passed only in small quantity. This condition may be followed by gastro-enteritis. Recovery is often slow—1 to 3 weeks.

Diagnosis:

Constipation and doughy swell­ing in left flank. Sometimes vomiting—It is only distinguished from atony of first three stomachs by the absence in latter, the swelling in the left flank.

Treatment:

Withdraw all food for 24 to 48 hours but allow plenty of water. Give purgatives in moderate doses. Sodichlore with treacle, give in electuary. This will induce the animal to drink. If it does not do so then 15 to 20 liters of water may be administered through stomach tube.

If tympany occurs, give Antizymotics followed by nervine and general tonics. The purgative should not be repeated but if purgation is not evident, then 1 kg to 2 kg of treacle may be given daily. Other auxiliary measures are massage or the ap­plication of a liniment over the rumen. Keep the animal warm. The animal should be given gruels, milu and mashes but only coarse food in quantity when it begins to ruminate.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 9. Hoven or Tympanitis:

Synonym:

Gaseous indigestion.

This consists in distension of the Rumen with the gas. The composition of gases present varies a good deal but it includes varying portion of Car­bon dioxide, Methane, Hydrogen sulphide, Nitro­gen and Ammonia. The gas may be lighted if CH₄ is abundant and it burns with a blue flame.

Etiology:

1. Excessive fermentation and is most li­able to occur with certain foods in excess being usually associated with a sudden change of diet. These foods are rich in CHO and water and include after grass, standing corn and the animals become affected by breaking into a field where these foods are grown and taking too much of them. Other foodstuffs include frozen and rotten roots, cabbage, potato and other fermenting foods. Greedy feeders are more liable to affection as they eat too much. Tympanitis is thus more common in certain seasons.

2. Inability to regurgitate or obstruction to regurgitation of gas through the oesophagus after it has been normally formed in the Rumen.

This includes:

(a) Debility in the walls of the Rumen, that is to say, the walls not being stimulated to con­tract, this has been attributed to chills, and large drinks of cold water where warm. It is the expla­nation of some of the acute cases which recover without treatment when the food is not at fault and no other animal on the same diet are affected.

(b) Choking—Obstruction of the oesophagus with a foreign body. Turnip, potato or beet pulp or even a hairball regurgitated from the Rumen.

(c) Enlarged mediastinal glands as in Tuber­culosis.

(d) Tympanitis which occurs when cattle lying on their side for any length of time. Other causes of moderate tympanitis include. Peritoni­tis, diseases of liver and uterus and of Reticulum. Tympanitis may be recurrent or continuous from presence of foreign bodies in Rumen or Reticu­lum or enlargement of mediastinal lymph glands.

Symptoms:

Develop very suddenly, spe­cially shortly after feeding or during feeding. The abdomen becomes swollen and specially in the left flank. The swelling there may be so great that it rises above the level of external angle of Ilium and it is tense and resonant on tapping. In tym­pany, the animal does not ruminate and seldom feeds.

The animal is uneasy, kicks, paddles hind limbs, switches tails and rises and lies. When the swelling is very great owing to the pressure ex­erted through diaphragm upon heart and lungs, dyspnea sets in and it breathes through mouth and may dribble saliva. Salivation is most profuse when tympany is due to obstruction of oesoph­agus.

The animal moans. Pulse becomes increas­ingly small and frequent. Mucosa is cyanotic. Superficial veins are distended and eyes staring. Temperature is not affected, faeces passed in small quantities. When the distension is very great, animal is unable to rise “and death may occur from pressure on heart and lungs. In a few cases, Rumen and Diaphragm may rupture and abor­tion in pregnant cows may occur. Two forms of Tympanitis may be distinguished according to position of gas in Rumen. In more severe form, the gas is mixed to form a frothy mass with the ingesta. In the second less severe form, gas accu­mulates above the food in the Rilmen.

Prognosis:

Acute cases may die in a few hours if not relieved. If animal can regurgitate gases, recovery is the rule.

Treatment:

When the disease is due to for­eign body in the oesophagus, the Rumen should be tapped and measures taken to remove the foreign body. In other cases, where the distension is extensive, there again Rumen must be tapped on the left side with trocar and canula. The canula may be left in for some hours to give relief.

Afterwards, the trocar and canula are removed or medicinal agents administered through the canula into the Rumen. In moderate cases—and in those cases which have been dealt with trocar and canula—medicinal agents are given which may act as Antizymotics, stimulants and laxatives.

Formalin in water (dose to be determined) or Oil Turpentine, Oil Menth pip, Phenol and Linseed oil may be administered. These may be repeated once or twice, followed by stimulants, tonic and laxatives. Thus, after initial dose of antizymotic, give purgative NaCl and Na₂SO₄ 250 gms each in one quart of water or 250 gms of Sodium Chlo­ride in treacle to be followed by a following stimulant.

A mixture of Ammon. Carb, Nux Vom. Ginger and Gentian in proportion according to size of the animal and it should be given every 8 hours in cold gruel. Other treatment that may be useful consists in massage of walls of Rumen, exercise and placing a gag in the mouth. In en­larged mediastinal glands, the gas may be tempo­rarily removed by the passage of stomach tube but the tympany is apt to recur, on other forms of Recurrent tympanitis, a foreign body may be sus­pected.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 10. Fardel Bound:

Synonym:

Dry murrain, also called impac­tion of Omasum.

In this condition, the omasum is not over- distended with food and its contents are not ab­normally dry. The condition described under these names is really due to atony of first three com­partments of the stomach. The causes of it are various and include dietetic errors when long continued, want of water, little or no exercise, anaemia and debility.

Symptoms:

Dullness, want of appetite and loss of desire to drink water. Absence of rumina­tion and constipation. Feces are passed in small quantities. In the cow, milk supply is decreased. The Rumen appears flaccid and left flank is hol­low. There are no movements of the Rumen no­ticed in the left flank. Temperature, pulse and mucosa are not much changed. After a time, there is some grinding of teeth and grunting. This affec­tion differs from impaction of Rumen in that there is no swelling in the left flank.

Treatment:

Is on exactly same lines as for impaction of Rumen.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 11. Colic:

Synonym:

Belly ache, gripes.

The term colic as used means a set of symp­toms which indicate severe or violent abdominal pain. In reality, the term refers to spasm of that portion of large intestine designated as colon. The majority of cases of colic in the horse and prob­ably due to some affection of this portion of the intestine.

By general consent, the term has gradu­ally been extended to include any abdominal affection associated with pain. Colic may be divided into Spasmodic and Flatulent. The latter includes those cases in which fermentation and accumulation of gas are predominant features.

All other forms are included in the term Spas­modic colic. Colic is much more common in horses than in any other animal. The reasons for this frequency in the horse are thought to include small size of horse’s stomach and its small diges­tive surface, the inability to vomit or unload the stomach by vomiting. Great size of intestines and puckering’s of large intestine allow food or for­eign bodies to lodge there.

The great range of movement allow the intestine within abdomen, the great frequency with which the horse is af­fected with intestinal worms, specially Red worms and Ascaris equorum. Colic is more common at night time, and then frequently is connected with irregular feeding.

Etiology:

1. Food:

Under this heading may be in­cluded:

(a) Improper food such as unparched bar­ley, wheat or potatoes, standing corns, badly dam­aged mouldy food, indigestible and fermenting food. Improper food is most liable to cause damage when associated with sudden change of food or with imperfect mastication or greedy feeding.

(b) Foreign bodies in food such as sand or earth.

(c) Pathogenic bacteria in food such as an­thrax.

(d) Irregular feeding. This is a cause on oc­casions when animal is not given mid-day meal while at work but an extra-large feed at night which it bolts. The digestive system is in a debili­tated condition and is unable to cope with the food taken in in excessive quantity and, as a result, there is a variety of changes leading to colic. Intestinal calculi require for their develop­ment some foreign body in the food, such as nails, wire, stones, around which various con­stituents- of the food are deposited.

2. Water:

(a) May occasionally cause colic if given in large quantities and very cold to a horse still sweating.

(b) Want of water.

(c) Drinking from shallow pools from which sand or clay is picked up.

3. Work:

The influence of work, in colic is connected largely with irregular feeding. Many fatal outbreaks of colic are seen during special stress of work. Slips, falls or accidents occasion­ally bring about displacement of bowel or set up irregular peristalsis. Working a horse hard imme­diately after feeding may also prove an occasional cause of colic.

4. Parasitic worms:

Particularly Ascaris equorum and Strongylus of the large intestine but more specially the Strongylus vulgaris.

Other causes, some of which are intrinsic which predispose to or actual cause of colic in­clude strangulated hernia, defective secretion or muscular power, tumour in bowel, wind sucking and crib biting. The cause of pain in colic is attributed to pressure upon the nerves in the bowel wall, which may result from stretching of bowel wall with gas or food or spasmodic con­traction of intestinal muscle or both.

Spasmodic Colic:

It is sometimes noted in horses in which hygiene and management are not properly done. In this condition, symptoms are those of acute colic. The symptoms usually occur very suddenly in the form of spasms, more or less acutely pain­ful but often intermittent in character. The dura­tion of the spasms and also the interval vary considerably.

The horse breaks out in perspira­tion, often in patches. The respiration is acceler­ated and the pulse is hard and accelerated. The mucous membranes are injected. The temperature in early stages is normal but later become raised owing to excitement and probably also due to absorption of toxins. There are frequent attempts of defecation. Feces are passed in small quantity only and in obstructive cases, defecation soon ceases.

The patient stretches as if to urinate, often in vain owing to spasms at the neck of the blad­der. In such cases, if micturition takes place, it is often a favourable sign since it indicates some relaxation of spasms. The patient usually looks round at his side, kicks forward at the abdomen and lies down and rises again at short intervals. When down, he may roll about with considerable violence, often rising again immediately after rolling.

Treatment:

There are two main objects in the treatment of Spasmodic colic, viz. relief of pain and removal of the cause. First, put the animal in a roomy loose box which is well-bedded down. Allow the animal its freedom but ensure that there is nothing present liable to cause injury. In addition give some agent which will relieve the pain.

Chloral hydrate 30ml to 60ml in 950ml one quart of water. Morphia and Atropine can be used in spasmodic colic. The feces should be removed from rectum by hand and 10 liter -15 liter (2-3) gallons of soap enemata to be given. Mas­sage with stimulating liniment over the abdominal wall is useful. Sedatives and hypnotics may be repeated as required. If animal does not recover within a few hours, a purgative may be given.

Flatulent Colic:

Synonym:

Wind Colic.

Due to some causes as for the tympany of the stomach with which it is sometimes associated. The cecum and double colon are chiefly involved.

Symptoms:

Are those of continuous colic in which the animal frequently crouches but seldom lies down. If it does lie down, it goes down gently. Frequent attempts at micturition, and res­pirations may become very frequent and thoracic on account of pressure on the lungs from the distended abdomen. The abdomen is swollen and the swelling is best marked in right flank.

This swelling is tense and resonant on percussion. On rectal examination, the distended double colon may easily be recognised and distension is with the gas. Owing to the pressure, not only the respirations are increased, but pulse is very fre­quent. A good sign in flatulence is the passage of gas per rectum.’ Death may occur from pressure on lungs and heart, from rupture of intestines.

Treatment:

In very severe cases of disten­sion, it is necessary to tap bowel with trocar and canula as soon as possible. When trocar is re­moved, the gas usually comes out with great force. The composition of it is similar to that noted in tympany of Rumen. In some cases, the removal of gas is not effected at once and the puncture may be made lower down or on left side. Unlike what is done in cattle, canula is not left in the bowel as there is danger of bowel collapsing and canula entering the peritoneum. Sometimes, Antispasmodics and Antizymotics are injected through the canula.

N.B.:

In removal of canula, trocar should first be inserted and the skin pressed down. The only bad sequelae in the use of trocar and canula is a subcutaneous abscess. If the gas is removed in this way, all that may be necessary further is to give the animal a purgative which acts rapidly such as Arecoline to sweep out the fermenting ingesta. In other cases or after puncture with the trocar and canula, give antispasmodics, antizymotics and purgatives.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 12. Impaction of Double Colon:

The condition may result from general causes noted for colic, but particularly dry food contain­ing a great deal of indigestible fibre such as oat or wheat strand or badly weathered hay—specially when taken in inordinate quantity and when the animals are irregularly fed. Want of water is also a cause.

Sand colic is also of this nature. Impac­tion is most liable to occur at the pelvic flexure or the termination of double colon. Some predispos­ing causes must also be present such as defective muscular power, defective teeth, pregnancy, old age, tumours and intestinal calculi may be an exciting cause.

Symptoms:

The animal may be dull before colicky symptoms develop. Symptoms shown are those of colic. The colic is of sub-acute character but there are periods of comparative ease in which the animal may remain standing without making any movements or stretched out on floor. Pulse, temperature, respiration vary. Temperature is usually normal and the respirations and pulse are usually disturbed during paroxysm of pain. Feces are passed for a time but later there is complete constipation.

On auscultation, there is little or no borborygmus. On rectal examination, there is no spasmodic contraction of its walls as it may be ballooned. The pelvic flexure of double colon will be found to be distended with the ingesta. Rec­overy may take place in the course of a few hours but sometimes the disease lasts for a few days. Death may occur from auto-intoxication, rupture or Enteritis. In the later stages, there may be slight tympany, patchy sweats, injected mucosa and fre­quent but not full pulse.

Treatment:

Soften bowel contents with rectal enemata or water given by stomach tube. Stimu­late peristalsis by stimulants and sweep out the contents with a purgative. A mixture of Oil Tere­binth, Sp. Ammon. aromat, Oil Linseed may be given. Give frequent enemata of water and soap if animal is not improved in 6 hours, give Arecoline, Escerine, Acetylcholine 5 ml. hypodermically. In protracted cases, heart stimulants may be given’ hypodermically.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 13. Impaction of Small Colon:

This is not so common as the former but may occur under similar circumstances. The differ­ences in symptoms shown here are that there are no intervals of comparative case and if not re­lieved in 12 hours, the animal stands in a stretched out condition, strains violently with some groan­ing. On rectal examination, the hand is clasped backwards and small colon will be found filled with hard feces. Tympany is uncommon. Treat as former.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 14. Impaction of Caecum:

It is not common. It may be brought about by deficient supply of water or by moist artificial foods.

Symptoms:

Consists of a mild attack of diarrhea which soon disappears followed by mild colic. The animal often remains down and stre­tched out for a time and later almost continu­ously. Pulse, respirations, temperature and mu­cosa are not much changed. Appetite is lost, bow­els may hot act for 2 to 3 days. Rectal examination reveals hard condition of cecum. The case lasts for 1 to 2 weeks. No treatment yet tried has been of much service and death after follows rupture.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 15. Impaction of Small Intestine:

Also uncommon and may result from infesta­tions of Ascaris equorum or Bots larvae of Gastrophilus nasahi. It has also been attributed to a rich diet.

Symptoms:

Dull colic without distension of abdomen, mucosa slightly yellowish, offensive odour from mouth. Sometimes diarrhea which disappears spontaneously. Treat on much the same lines as that of the Double Colon.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 16. Intestinal Lithiasis:

Synonym:

Intestinal calculi.

Intestinal calculi consists of accumulation of some constituents of ingesta around some central body or nucleus. The horse is most by subject to it than any other animal and this is due to ana­tomical formation of cecum and double colon. These portions of bowel are puckered and in the puckerings, foreign bodies which act as nucleus, vary in character.

They are commonly pieces of metal, gravel, oat husks and hence attention to the removal of these from the oats has been the means of rendering the prevalence of intestinal calculi in many studs of horses.

The intestinal calculi vary in appearance and composition and may be distinguished as:

1. Phosphate Calculi

2. Dust ball Calculi and

3. Oat hair Calculi.

1. Phosphate calculi which are gray in colour, very heavy, smooth on surface and vary in size from a pebble to a man’s head (at about 3 kg). The shape is usually spherical. When there is one calculus in a puckering, owing to the rub­bing, the calculus becomes crescentric. The phos­phate which compose the Calculi are those of Ammonium, Magnesium and Calcium and these are derived from the food, hence food which are particularly rich in phosphates—such as brans— are more likely to give rise to phosphate calculi.

The calculi are very compact and are laid down in concentric layers of varying thickness. As the calculus increases in size, the puckering enlarges to accommodate it. The most dangerous calculi are those about the size of a cricket ball because they are large enough to obstruct the portion of bowel. The calculi cause no trouble in the bowel. They set up symptoms only when they move out of the puckering and obstruct the passage of ingesta.

2. Dust ball is a light calculus which is mulberry like on surface and vary in colour from gray to black. They are composed of vegetable fibres laid down in thick layers which become coated with lime salts. These vary in size and, because they are light, large ones pass more readily out of the puckering.

3. Oat hair Calculi are large brown masses like pieces of large balls of dung, are smooth on surface and composed entirely of oat havis. Intes­tinal calculi are more common in adult and old horses.

Symptoms:

When the calculi move out of the puckering, they usually obstruct either at a bend or flexure or where the bowels becomes narrow such as 3rd position of Double colon. Symptoms are those of colic and if it remains for some time, they are like those of Impaction of Double colon.

Sometimes, a history accompany­ing the case is that the animal has been subject to colic at various intervals. Probably, in these cases, recovery has taken place on each occasion by the return of calculus to a puckering of the bowel. The only method of diagnosis consists in rectal examination and discovering calculus.

Treatment:

Usually treat as for colic. If diag­nosis is made, then attempts should be made to remove the calculus. That is only likely to be successful surgically by performing laparotomy when small colon is involved. In other cases, where calculus is far back in small colon, enemata containing some oil may be given to facilitate the passage of the calculus or it may rarely be re­moved by forceps if near rectum. Causes of death is obstruction and sometimes rupture of the bow­els. Preventive measures, adopted in large studs, consists in method designed to remove foreign bodies from the oats. The oats are passed over a magnetic drum and then through sieve.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 17. Foreign Bodies:

Hair ball, wool ball in cattle, kids and lambs. They are occasionally found in Rumen and Reticu­lum and even Abomasum in young bovine, sheep and goat. They are composed usually of animal hair and are often cylindrical, ovoid or globular in shape. In the older animals, they are sometimes covered with a smooth layer of mucus and coloured gray or black.

The colouring matter is obtained from the contents of the stomach. In very young animals, the hair balls may appear in tufts. They are formed by the animals licking. Themselves or the course of their dams and other animals and swallowing the hair in quantity. In rare cases, the hair balls may attain the size of a cricket ball.

Symptoms:

Are often noted in young ani­mals. The animal has an irregular appetite or is disinclined to feed, has irregular bowels and re­current tympanitis may be shown. Sometimes, small pieces of hair may be passed in. feces. Additional symptoms include cough, quick ab­dominal breathing and rising temperature. In the later stages, feeds may be refused and followed by fatal results. In older cattle, no symptoms may be seen.

Occasionally, they consist of recurrent tympanitis, irregular appetite and rumination. The tympanitis there is due to regurgitation of hair ball into esophagus. Often, in these animals, hairballs are only recognised postmortem and caused no symptoms during life. In young calves, similar symptoms to those of hair ball may be noted which may be caused by binder twine or ropes or tufts of straw.

Treatment:

In light cases in calves, give a dose of oil or liquid paraffin. Sometimes the hair, in these cases, comes away in small tufts but where the symptoms are pronounced and obsti­nate gastronomy should be performed and formed body removed. A similar condition is noted in sheep, that is wool eating and is noted in finer breeds of sheep and is ascribed to confinement or some deficiency in food. The condition is most important in lambs, a few weeks old. The lambs gnaw at the wool of their dam -» particularly at udder, tail and belly.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 18. Constipation:

In Horse:

This is the arrest in the passage of feces and is generally caused by some defective secretion of the intestines, lack of muscular tone of intestinal walls. It may also be due to a definite obstruction such as calculus in horses or enlarged prostrate in the dog. It may also occur as one of the symptoms in the early stages of fever owing to the temporary reduction in secretions.

Symptoms:

Retention of feces, or the pas­sage of feces in smaller quantities than normal. In the latter case, they are harder in consistency than normal, usually dark in colour and mucus coated. The appetite is capricious and the horse is some­what depressed. The mucous membranes are more or less dirty looking. If the constipation lasts for 12 to 24 hours, colic is likely to super­vene.

Treatment:

Depends somewhat on the cause. A mild laxative may be given such as small dose of Linseed oil with a laxative diet consisting of Linseed mash or Bran mash or green food. This should be followed by a course of alimentary tonics to improve the general tone and secretion. To prevent the condition recurring, it is advisable to add a wine glassful of Linseed oil to the morn­ing feed every day.

In Cattle, Goat and Sheep:

This-is by no means infrequent and may be due to similar causes as in the horse.

Symptoms:

Absence of feces or the passage of small quantities of firm, hard mucus coated feces. The animal feeds spasmodically and rumi­nates in a similar fashion. Milk yield is reduced. Grunting and grinding of teeth, paddling of the hind feet, great depression. No alteration of tem­perature or respiration.

Treatment:

The best agent to use for cattle is Linseed oil to which a little Turpentine may have been added with advantage. Mag. Sulph, in proper quantity in a quart of water is also good. This may be followed by alimentary tonics twice a day, the laxative should be repeated daily for 2 to 3 days unless free operation of bowels is obtained. For sheep and goat, same agents may be used in about 1/4 in the doses of cattle. Diet should be of laxative nature. Linseed cake is very useful.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 19. Indigestion or Dyspepsia:

In Cattle:

Etiology:

Are error in diet, intensive feeding, specially in cows at or after parturition, want of exercise.

Symptoms:

Irregular appetite and rumina­tion. Sometimes the appetite is depraved. The animal is inclined to drink water in quantity. Coat is dry. Feces dry and caked. Flanks hollow, later there is some loss of condition.

Treatment:

Give light laxative, Sodi, Sulph, or Mag. Sulph, or Sodi. Chlore, in treacle fol­lowed by a course of stomachius. Diet should be sparing and laxative, consists of mashes, gruels, green food. Exercise is useful.

In Horse:

It is due to some defect in the excretion of the glands of stomach or defect in muscular movement.

Etiology:

1. Imperfect mastication of food as in de­fects of teeth.

2. Errors in dietary, irregular feeding, indi­gestible or irritating foods and damaged fodder.

3. Parasites (Bots, Habronima, Tricho strongylus axei).

4. Wing sucking and crib biting.

5. Dilated stomach.

Symptoms:

In indigestion, appetite is capri­cious or variable. The animal is inclined to turn up upper lip and lick walls. It is not dry but skin is dry and there is sour condition of the mouth. There may be some constipation. Whole oats and coarse strands of hay will be found in the drop­pings. The course of affection varies, it may pass off rapidly specially when cause is removed.

Treatment:

Try to ascertain and remove cause. Examine teeth and correct any defects. Examine the food and ensure regular feeding. Give laxative and follow laxatives with stomachies and tonics in drinking water twice daily. The animal should be allowed rock salt to lick. If there is a tendency to bolt corn, mix a little dry bran with it.

In Dog:

Inability to digest food material taken in due to want of secretion.

Etiology:

Errors in dietary, particularly foods which contained too much starch or decomposing material, irregular feeding or feeding of bones, specially of poultry or fed too frequently, insuffi­cient exercise, diseases of the teeth such as Tartar, Pyorrhea. In older dog, condition may be associ­ated with chronic cardiac or liver diseases.

Symptoms:

Capricious appetite and vomit­ing after eating. The eating of grass is noted sometimes. There is a sour odour from mouth and tongue is furred. The dog is generally dull and snappy. No pain is shown on manipulation of abdominal wall. Temperature and pulse normal, tendency to constipation. Condition is usu­ally corrected readily on treatment.

Treatment:

Try to ascertain and remove cause, e.g. Tarter of teeth or teeth which are loose or affected with pyorrhea. Give laxative. This is followed by antiemetics, antacids and stomachics before feeding. In more chronic cases, liver ex­tract with Vit. B-Complex and enzymes may be given. If animal is not vomiting, antiemetics may be omitted. Feed animal sparingly and feed regu­larly with milk and its products, finely shredded liver meal and exercise must be given.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 20. Diarrhea:

It is the frequent passage of liquid feces and is often met with irritable condition of the bowel. It is frequently met with in calves and foals. There are two forms of affection, one being infective and other due to dietetic causes. The former con­dition is spread by contaminated foods, dirty udders, dirty suckling pails and infective houses.

The dietetic form is due to sour milk and im­proper artificial feeding. In calves, it may be due to suckling cows with mastitis. A sudden change in the food of the mother is sometimes respon­sible for diarrhea in suckling calves.

Symptoms:

This form of diarrhea is usually very offensive in odour, at first yellow and then grayish in colour. The feces stick about the tail, perineum and thigh and often cause excoriations. The appetite is capricious and there is great fall­ing off in condition. The temperature is elevated to 2° to 3° F (in °C too) above normal and the condition progresses, the extremities become very cold and calf become anemic with pendulous abdomen and hollow flanks. The eyes become sunken and hide bound condition is set up and temperature becomes sub-normal. The infective form is much more serious.

Treatment:

If the animal is still suckling, examine the mammary gland of the mother and see if it is diseased or not. If not suckling, special attention must be paid to suckling pails which must be scalded before and after use. The patient must be put into a warm well-ventilated box and provided with a clean bedding which should be kept dry and frequently changed.

Sulfonamide treatment should be resorted to Sulfathalidimide, Sulfaguanidine are good drugs. Tetracycline may also be given. Before starting treatment, a dose of castor oil may be given to remove indigestible material from the alimentary tract. A mixture of Mag. Carb. together with chlorodyne, pulv. opii, pulv. Catechu and Creta prep, may be given twice daily.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 21. Dysentery:

This is a condition in which blood is dis­charged with the feces with or without diarrhea. In reality, dysentery is a symptom rather than a disease itself. It may occur as the result of ulcer­ation of the intestine and inflammation of the bowels. Dysentery is most commonly met with in Coccidiosis and in specific diseases, such as Rinderpest and Anthrax in Cattle, Purpura hemorrhagica in horse, and Distemper in dogs.

Treatment:

This must depend to some extent upon the disease of which it is a symptom. The dysentery itself may be controlled by the admin­istration of Chlorodyne or Tanoform or Iron salts. Demulcents should also be given, such as Linseed gruel or starch gruel to large animals, white of egg and milk to smaller animals.

Peritonitis:

It is most common in sporadic form in horses. It is uncommon in the pig but it is not infrequent in the dog and cat. In cattle, it is chiefly seen in Tuberculosis. The disease may be acute or chronic, diffused or localised. Peritonitis is normally sec­ondary to wound, that is of the Traumatic form or, in contagious diseases—to infection elsewhere. It is rarely primary.

Etiology:

Causes are in almost all, if not in all cases, due to pathogenic organisms. In the acute form, these organisms enter though a wound or injury which may be accidental or surgical affecting either the abdominal wall as from Castration, Laparotomy or a surgical wound in the vagina or from streaking, Traumatic gastritis, Puerperal peritonitis, External injuries (Castration, laparotomy etc.) Parasites—Liver flukes, Strongylus Oedenatatus, chronic septic infection (T.B.; Necrobacillosis, Anthrax, Hogcholera, Navel-ill, Septicemia).

A simple punc­ture of the abdominal wall is seldom followed by peritonitis. Wounds and injuries to the abdominal viscera, rupture or damage to the bowel wall may occur during rectal examination. Wrong service, foreign bodies, Tympany Gastro-enteritis, rup­ture of the bladder or Cystitis, rupture of the uterus or metritis or rupture of abscesses in the liver, spleen etc. are followed by peritonitis.

Chronic forms of peritonitis may ‘result from infection through the blood or lymph stream as in Tuberculosis, Strangles or Glanders. Sometimes, it is due to parasites as Liver flukes. Evidence of local peritonitis in sometimes found is adult horses without any symptom being shown—this is chronic and the peritoneum is thickened.

Symptoms:

The acute form is Traumatic that is usually preceded by a wound, injury or disease of the abdominal wall or organs, that is, it is usually secondary. The symptoms of acute peritonitis appear usually within 1 to 4 days. It is very painful.

In Horse:

Appears dull, not inclined to feed or drink, often stands with the back arched and the limb well under the body, seldom lies down. The abdomen is tucked up at first and important symptom is the increase in frequency of respira­tion. They are blowing and costal. The pulse is frequent, small and wiry.

The mucous membranes are injected and the temperature rises. The horse sometimes paws the ground, looks back at the flanks, draws back its ears, paddles with the hind limbs and the expression is very anxious. The feces are passed sometimes with difficulty and there may be a tendency to Tympany. The animal frequently puts itself in a position and then re­frains. Rectal examination is painful.

Percussion does not yield very good results. On auscultation of the abdomen in the early stages, friction sounds may be heard but rarely. As the exudate increases in quantity, the abdomen becomes distended spe­cially in the lower portion and the animal resents percussion. The condition is invariably fatal. Death may occur in a few hours but more com­monly in 2 to 7 days. Towards the end, there is marked weakness, the pulse is small and thready and the temperature is subnormal.

In Dog:

Often remains down, sometimes vomits. The movements are cramped and uncer­tain. The back is arched. There is usually thirst and the temperature is raised.

In Cattle and Sheep:

Fever, loss of appetite and rumination, dullness, some increase in respi­ration. The abdominal wall is rigid and distended from tympany. There is grunting and grinding of teeth, constipation. Recovery is rare. In the localised forms, the symptoms are not so marked and some local areas of tenderness may be noted on the abdomen. The disease may be diffused.

Chronic Peritonitis:

It may give rise to no characteristic symp­toms. In Tuberculosis in cattle, the grapes may be felt on Rumen and adjacent organs on rectal ex­amination. In the dog, the symptoms resemble those of Ascites.

Digestive Organ: Disease # 22. Lesions:

The peritoneum is congested and draughty and contains variable quantity of exudate up to 10 gallons in the horse, 1 to -2 litres gallons in dogs. The exudate may be fibrin­ous or sero-fibrinous. It may be striking and adhesions often occur between viscera and ab­dominal walls. Sometimes it is purulent as in Strangles.

Treatment:

It is not of much use in large animals. The antiseptic treatment of wounds in the early stages may arrest extension of the dis­ease. Theoretically, in small animals, laparotomy may be tried and the peritoneum mopped out with normal saline and a drainage tube left in. The animal should be covered under high dose of Antibiotic treatment. The diet should be fluid, milk or gruel.