REPORT OF THE CLINIC FOR SMALL ANIMALS

July 1, 1921, to June 30, 1922

H. J. MILKS AND H. C. STEPHENSON

Department of Materia Medica and Small Animal Clinic

The small animal clinic has had a prosperous year. The increased number and variety of cases have given abundant material for instruction in the diseases of small animals.

Distemper has been more severe during the past year than at any time during the previous ten years. The mortality has been high and we have been unable to find anything that would influence it for the better. The different sera and bacterins did not give any benefit nor did any of the other lauded lines of treatment. All forms of the disease were encountered but there seemed to be a great tendency toward the pulmonary and nervous types with frequent complications of the two in the same patient. Several dogs recovered from the pulmonary form only to go into the nervous and die within a few days in convulsions, while others passed through an apparently mild attack and, when all danger was thought past, went into convulsions and died or reached such a hopeless condition within a few days that they had to be destroyed. There were few cases of paralysis but many of the choreic and epileptiform types.

Some interesting eye cases were seen. A few of the more important are described under the head of case reports following the tabulated report of the clinic.

to us.

A white and tan mongrel setter, male, 11 months old. The owner stated that the dog was all right on the 21st. He noticed that the dog could not see well on the 22nd, and was entirely blind the 23rd, the day he was brought This animal was kept chained so that an injury was not probable. He had been feeling well and there was no history of illness of any sort. Examination. The animal was in good spirits and condition but absolutely blind so far as could be determined. Temperature 103.5°F., respiration and pulse little if any disturbed. The pupils were widely dilated, did not respond to light and there was no evidence that the animal could detect a strong light thrown on the retina. Upon examination with a retinoscope, everything appeared clear and nothing abnormal could be seen except some possible congestion of the retinal vessels.

Diagnosis. Amaurosis, due probably to distemper. This last statement was based on the prevalence of distemper and the age of the dog. The dog was kept under observation for a few days. He developed typical symptoms of distemper within two or three days, from which he died, on February 8,

1922.

Autopsy. The eyes were normal, so far as could be seen. The humors and lens were clear. The optic nerves were atrophied. There appeared to be a small amount of exudate at the optic chiasma.

Histological examination.— Marchi method showed degeneration of the optic nerve.

This case was interesting because blindness developed before any other symptoms of distemper.

AMAUROSIS IN A CAT.

CASE No. 50557.

February 20, 1922.

This animal was returned to the clinic after recovering from a severe case of pneumonia. The owner stated that the animal was in good condition and appeared well but that she was blind. An examination showed the condition of the eyes exactly like the case described above. An opportunity for autopsy was not available.

AMAUROSIS IN AN ALBINO COLLIE.

A white collie puppy, about three months old, said by the owner to have been blind from birth. The owner also stated that he had understood that it was the usual thing to expect one blind puppy in a litter of white collies. Examination.- The dog was in good spirits and condition but absolutely blind. He could hear and smell and depended upon these senses to get around. Both pupils were widely dilated, did not respond to light and strong light thrown upon the retina did not cause any discomfort. The interiors of the eyes were clear, the tapetum as bright as in any dog, and the only things that could be differentiated from the normal were the dilated pupils and the fact that he was absolutely blind.

A poor prognosis was given and the dog destroyed. On autopsy the blindwas found to be due to hypoplasia of all the structure of the eye (microphthalmia).

ness

PANNUS.

June 5, 1922.

A middle aged beagle bitch. The owner throught she had injured her eyes in the bushes while hunting. He first noticed what he described as a film several weeks before and that in spite of his treatment this growth had increased, both in area and thickness.

Examination.- The animal was blind. The entire corneas of each eye, with the exception of a small fringe on the periphery about one-sixteenth inch wide, was covered by a whitish opaque growth. This growth was shiny, rough, denser and thicker toward the center of each cornea. Some parts appeared but loosely attached to the underlying cornea. Several tortuous vessels extended superficially through the cornea into the growth. The left eye was a little worse than the right. Trichiasis, entropium or granular lids could not be distinguished.

Treatment. The eyes were anesthetised by two instillations of a few drops of a 1 per cent. solution of butyn into the conjunctival sac at 5 minute intervals, and an attempt made to currette or cut off the growth. Due to the closeness of the attachment of the growth to the cornea we could remove not more than one-third of it in this manner.

From June 7 to 11 warm boric acid packs were applied for intervals of 15 minutes, two or three times a day, followed by massage with an ointment containing 1 per cent. of yellow oxide of mercury and 5 per cent. of 1:1,000 solution of adrenalin chloride. By the 11th, both corneas had begun to clear at the upper peripheries and the animal was able to see enough to get around. Beginning with June 12, treatment consisted of dusting the eyes with dionin powder and massage with 5 per cent. yellow oxide of mercury ointment on alternate days. June 29, both corneas had cleared, especially in the upper half. The improvement had been so constant that it appeared as though but a slight opacity would be left.