Читать книгу The Dog's Medical Dictionary - Alfred Joseph Sewell - Страница 51

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Symptoms: In the dog the stones are generally small, varying in size from a millet seed to a pea, though occasionally one does find a large one. In bitches the stone is generally not discovered until it has become a good size, and set up irritation of the bladder. In the dog, when the stones are small they, as a rule, do not seem to do any harm or cause inconvenience until one or more escape from the bladder, pass into the urinary passage or urethra, and become lodged in the canal just behind the bone in the penis where the passage is smallest. If the stone is quite round—which, fortunately, is not always the case—it acts like a cork in a bottle, and the dog is unable to pass any water. He stands or stoops like a bitch, and keeps straining; but nothing comes away, except, perhaps, a single drop occasionally of blood-stained urine. If the stone happens to be not quite round, then he is able to pass a small quantity of highly-coloured water by great effort. To ascertain for certain if these symptoms are the result of gravel or stone, a small sound or catheter should be passed; and if there is any blockage in the passage it is easily ascertained, for in that case it will be impossible to pass the instrument for more than a few inches instead of from 6 to 24 inches, according to the size of the dog; and besides, the hard piece of gravel or small stone will be felt. In some cases when the stone is not quite round the instrument will pass to the side of it, and then one can easily feel the grating of the stone against the instrument as it passes, more especially as it is withdrawn.

Treatment: Medicines are of little use, though a sedative like hyoscyamus will sometimes relieve the spasm of the parts, and enable the patient to pass a little water when the passage is not completely blocked; when it is, the stone may sometimes be pushed back to where the passage is larger, and thus enable the dog to relieve himself; but in all these cases arrangements should be immediately made for an operation, which is the only cure.

In bitches the symptoms of a calculus in the bladder are somewhat similar to those shown by the male: she is constantly straining to micturate, even after the bladder is emptied of water; the urine is high-coloured and smells strong, and often a few drops of blood are passed at the end of micturition, or the water may be blood-stained.

Treatment: Operation. Dogs once suffering from calculi are always liable to a recurrence. This may sometimes be prevented by giving occasionally a course of the following:—

Bicarbonate of Potash,	2 drachms.
Boro-citrate of Magnesia,	2 ounces.
Mix.

Doses: From sufficient to cover a sixpence to one teaspoonful[1] twice a day with food or given in water, and continued for a long time. Avoid meat as much as possible with the food.