Constitutional Diseases Found in Animals

List of three major constitutional diseases found in animals:- 1. Rheumatism 2. Monday Morning Disease 3. Purpura Haemorrhagica.

Constitutional Disease # 1. Rheumatism:

This is a inflammatory affec­tion tending to localise itself in the joint muscles, tendons and fascia in which the important fea­tures are — the condition is not due to an injury, has marked tendency to change from place to place and to disappear and return again. It is met within all animals but is more common in dogs and pigs.

Etiology:

It is unknown. Possibly, some of the cases are due to infection with such organ­isms as streptococci. In most cases, no organisms have been found. It has also been attributed to some toxic agent, possibly produced by organ­isms in the alimentary tract which when absorbed, cause irritation and inflammation of some of these structures involved in rheumatism.

Origi­nally, it was thought to be due to production of Lactic acid—either in excess in muscles or in alimentary—canal causing decrease in alkalinity of blood with deposition of lime salts in the tissues. That view has not been substantiated and there is no evidence that there is a decrease in alkalinity of blood.

Whatever the exciting cause, it is well known that disease is liable to arise more under certain conditions, such as cold, damp floors, cold draught, badly kept stables, in chills after exertion, which is more common in winter. Some animals appear to be more liable to the affection and it has been suggested that there may be a hereditary tendency.

Symptoms:

Rheumatism has been divided into:

(1) Muscular — involving muscles and ten­dons.

(2) Articular and further into —

(a) Acute,

(b) Sub-acute and

(c) Chronic.

Acute Rheumatism:

Corresponding to rheu­matic fever in human subject. It is commonly noted in young pigs, occasionally in dogs. Symp­toms appear rapidly and the animal is greatly depressed and very stiff and also finds difficulty in rising and moving. The dog may cry out even before it is touched. Temperature is very high and there are the usual indications of fever; constipa­tion is common.

Some of the joints and tendons become hot, painful and swollen and usually tends. In the muscular form the muscles appear firm but are very painful. These symptoms may disappear from the affected joints or muscles after a few days or reappear in some other part of the body or becomes chronic. Death is chiefly liable to occur when the heart is involved and in acute attack (Rheumatic endocarditis).

Sub. Acute Rheumatism:

The subacute form appears in all animals. Temperature is not so high and systemic disturbance is not so great as in acute form. The joints, tendons, tendon sheaths or muscles may become inflamed. If the disease per­sists, the animal loses condition. Usually, it disap­pears after a time or may become chronic.

Chronic form:

The chronic form in dog is called Kennel lameness and is local in its effects. No marked systemic disturbance is observed. The animal is stiff and it$ back arched and lame. The dog may cry out when it is touched or ap­proached. In muscular rheumatism, or other defi­nite lesions may be observed but the muscles after a time become slightly atrophied.

Some­times different terms are used regarding parts involved:

Pleurodynia – When side of the chest in­volved

Dorsodynia – When back is involved

Lumbago – When loins are involved and

Sciatica – When hind limbs are in­volved.

In particular rheumatism, some joints and ten­don sheaths are swollen and tense but are not very painful. There is no pus formation or evi­dence or history of an injury. Joints commonly affected are hock, knee and fellocks but any of the other joints (stifle and hip) may become involved. The affected animals lie down a good deal and have difficulty in rising.

The intensity of the symptoms vary from time to time and are increased in cold wet weather and lameness be­comes less marked on exercise. When the disease is prolonged, the affected joint become greatly swollen and, in the later stages, ankylosis may occur.

Diagnosis:

It is made from the change in the nature of inflammatory lesions affecting the muscles, joints or sheaths in which there is no evidence of an injury or sprain and the changes vary in intensity and may disappear altogether at times.

Lesions of rheumatism:

Those of inflamma­tion of parts affected and may be either acute or chronic without suppuration. In the blood, there are no marked changes. In the muscular form, the muscles may show hyperaemia, serous exudation and discolouration of the muscle fibres and in old standing cases, an increase in the intramuscular connective tissue with atrophy of the muscles.

In particular rheumatism, the first change is that of a serous synovitis. In chronic cases, there may be very little—if any—fluid in the joint but the con­nective tissue around the joints are greatly thick­ened, the articular cartilages are ulcerated, ends of bones enlarged and, around the particular area, osteophytes may form.

Treatment:

Keep the animal warm with clothing and in a dry, airy house without draught and with a good bed. Give first a laxative and an easily digestible laxative diet, not too rich in pro­tein. In the dog, avoid meat. Analgesic drugs may be given in acute cases to give relief.

To the affected joints or parts apply liniments and mas­sage. Cotton wool bandages or crepe bandages are useful for affected joints or tendons. In old standing cases, blisters or counter-irritants are used. Electro-therapy is also used. Preventive measures include — avoid chills, exposure, damp, cold wet clothes and over-fatigue.

Constitutional Disease # 2. Monday Morning Disease:

Synonym:

Sporadic lymphangitis;

Weed; Bigleg.

It is an inflammation of the lymph vessels of one of the limbs—usually the hind limbs in the horse—most commonly in heavy horses. The dis­ease occurs under similar conditions to myoglobinuria except that they develop before the animal has left the stable. The disease is confined to equines and most common in heavy horses. The existing cause is not known.

There are two theories regarding causative:

(1) The disease is due to some infection such as Staphylococci which enters the tissue through some abrasions or wound in the leg, e.g. cracked heels or thrush thence the infection propagates along lymph stream and the inflammation begins fist at the nearst lymph glands and extend down­wards.

(2) The disease is due to some toxic prod­ucts formed in the alimentary canal which are absorbed and act as irritants in the lymph vessels, furthest away from the centre of circulation where circulation is most sluggish. The predisposing causes are well-known. The disease appears in working horses kept in the stable for a day or two at rest and on a working diet, hence the disease commonly appears at the weekend or during short holidays.

Symptoms:

Commence while the animal is still in the stable after a few days rest. It may be noticed that the animal is not feeding so well, sometimes shivering, blowing or sweating and showing symptoms of fever. The temperature is raised to 104° to 106°F and when the horse is brought out is found to be very lame on one limb and most commonly the hind limb. The lameness may be so great that if the pace is forced, the horse carries the limb.

The inguinal or brachial gland depending upon the leg first affected. The swelling appearing along the inner side of the thigh and leg, then diffusely downwards to the coronet on both sides. The swelling is usually diffuse, hot, tense and painful. Abscess formation is very unusual. The pulse is full and bounding and there is tendency to constipation.

Course:

During the acute course, the animal remains on its feet. It seldom lies down and if it does, it has difficulty in rising. The fever and the acute symptoms subside in a few days. The lame­ness disappears but the swelling may either re­main or completely disappear after a time. This disease is often recurrent and leads to permanent thickening of the limb.

Diagnosis:

This is made from the conditions under which the disease appears. The acute, dif­fuse, painful swelling of one limb and its lymph glands and fever. In these ways, the condition is distinguished from injuries and Oedema of limbs.

Treatment:

The affected animal requires en­ergetic treatment. Penicillin or other antibiotics should be administered parenterally to control the infection. A sedative to ease the pain and hot fomentation and massage of the leg to remove the Oedema fluid are also advised. Give a full dose of purgative and then follow with diuretics.

Give laxative in easily assimilated diet. Straw bandage is good, begin at fetlock and finish above hock. After purgative has acted, give working exercise twice daily for one hour. When the lameness disappears, animal should be put to work as soon as possible even though the swelling remains. In chronic cases, where swelling remains, apply Io­dine preparation to limbs.

Prevention:

(1) Reduce the diet when the animal is at rest for a day or two and give branmash on Saturday night.

(2) Give slight laxatives or diuretics or alternatives during that period. Mag Sulph and Pot. Nitras.

(3) Keep the animal on exercise during rest­ing days.

Constitutional Disease # 3. Purpura Haemorrhagica:

Synonym:

Petechial fever, Anasarcous fever, Putrid fever.

It is a disease of horses which occurs com­monly as a squeal to Strangles or contagious diseases in which the chief symptoms are blood extravasations into the mucous membranes and peculiar swelling on the dependent parts of the body. The disease is not uncommon and is con­fined to the horse but a similar disease has been described in cattle and goats.

Etiology:

It is not definitely known. Gener­ally, the disease appears in single cases as a sequel to such contagious diseases as Strangles, Influenza and contagious pneumonia but in some cases the only condition preceding is an abscess, wound or some necrotic lesion. The disease may appear under various conditions but it has been associated with dirt and contaminated water.

Probably, the changes in the disease are due to the action of toxins such as those of streptococci equi in damaging the walls of some of the capil­laries and making them more permeable or caus­ing their dilatation through stimulation of vessel dilator nerve. That explanation has also been given for the evidence of swelling, i.e. blood passes into the tissues and causes the swellings.

There is definite change in the blood picture. At the beginning, there is a gradual decrease of the RBCs induced by severe haemorrhagic oedema of the skin and mucous membrane. The RBCs may sink to 3 million and there is corresponding de­crease in haemoglobin. Later there are regenera­tive changes shown by an increase in the blood platelets.

At the onset, the leucocytes and neutro­phils increase, the number of leucocytes may be as high as 40,000 in comparisons with a normal of 8,000. The lymphocytes diminish in number and eosinophils disappear. This disease has not been artificially transmitted or reproduced and is, there­fore, not a contagious disease.

Symptoms:

At first, there are peculiar swell­ings which develop on various parts of the body particularly under the chest and abdomen, limbs and head. These swellings often develop very rapidly and sometimes disappear also very rap­idly. They are not painful, are fairly tense and are sharply marked off on the side nearest the heart e.g. on the limbs, they extend from coronet to near the elbow or Stifle and at the upper part are so well defined that it would almost appear as if a piece of string had been tied around the limb.

The swellings vary in their distribution in individual cases, but in severe cases, all the sides noted may be involved. On the limbs, they may efface the position of joints and the animal may be unable to flex the limb properly owing to restriction in movement of the joints.

Sometimes, swellings are so great that the skin over them becomes tense and serous fluid oozes from the surface on to the hairs, specially at the bends of the joints. The condition is most severe when the head is affected and then the swelling involves the lower portion of the face including the lips and nostrils and, occasionally, the eyes.

The swell­ing of the lips interferes with the mastication of food, and when the nostrils are seriously involved, there is considerable dyspnoea and asphyxia may even be threatened.

Sometimes, there is a blood stained discharge from the nostril due to haemorrhage from nasal mucosa. These haemorrhages can readily be seen on the nasal septum, occasionally from the con­junctiva, buccal mucosa and even the vulva. They vary in size, from a barely grain to a 25-paise bit an they are at first red in colour.

They may disa­ppear very rapidly but, in severe cases, the mu­cosa over them becomes necrotic and gangrenous and brownish and stinking discharge issues from the nostrils. The appetite varies a good deal but is always decreased when gangrene or necrosis of the nasal mucosa sets in. The temperature is never very high, usually 102° (39°C) to 103°F (39.5°C) unless complications set in.

In slight cases, there are only a few slight swellings and petechiae on the nasal mucosa and the symptoms disappear within 48 hours or a few days. The mortality rate is about 50%. In an average case, which recovers, improvement takes place in about 1 or 2 weeks, but the animal does not become normal in less than 4 to 8 weeks. Occasionally, the swellings disappear rapidly from one part of the body but may recur again. Occasionally, Urticaria like swellings develop on the surface of the body.

Complications include:

(1) Pneumonia (Broncho-pneumonia is one of the common causes of death).

(2) Pharyngitis.

(3) Sloughing of the skin over the extensive swellings. The skin involved becomes hard and parchment—like and suppuration occurs under­neath after which the part of the skin becomes detached.

(4) Colic — It is a bad sign because the bowels are involved, even perforation and intus­susception of the bowels may take place.

(5) Death may occur from extravasation into the brain. After recovery, the period of convales­cence should be long. In a few cases, recurrences have been noted.

Diagnosis:

It is made from the nature of the swellings, painless, fairly tense and sharply marked off and by the haemorrhages from the mucosa, particularly the nasal mucosa.

Treatment:

Put the animal in a well-ventilated box provided with short bedding. No ban­dage should be applied to the limbs and the rugs should be applied loosely. The head collar should be removed. Diet as in fever. Direct blood trans­fusion is the most effective treatment for purpura. It supplies the deficiency in blood platelets on which the coagulation depends. Antistreptococci serum is highly recommended. Adrenaline has been widely used.

Acriflavin is administered in the vein (75 ml. of a 1: 500) aqueous solution every 24 hours – on the theory that calcium has an anaphylactic action. Calcium gluconate may be given intravenously (150 ml to 200 ml of 10% solution) daily in severe attacks and every second day in mild form. One tea-spoonful of Lugol’s solution may be given daily in drink­ing water.