Symptoms

The initiatory stage of this disease is peculiar in the dog. The skin of the scrotum, at first sore, swollen, and red, becomes covered with minute pimples, that soon break, and give exit to a thin serous fluid; this fluid concretes into thin scales which cover a moist surface underneath. When the scales are thrown off, this moist surface, fringed by a red border, is exposed to view. The part affected is tender to the touch, and the general health is more or less deranged. In unfavourable cases, after the disappearance of the skin-disease, other symptoms appear sooner or later. The skin becomes blunted of its sensibility, hard, dense, and thick; it inflames; a sore forms. This ulceration gradually extends, and in the same proportion the general system becomes affected. In some cases, the disease may not go beyond hypertrophy of the skin, - a condition that may remain stationary; but it generally progresses until the scrotum is involved in malignant ulceration, and the dog is worn out by pain. The ulceration appears to be readily induced by repeated local irritation, such as occurs when the dog drags his hind-parts along the ground.

This disease, as far as its symptoms are concerned, is not unlike that form of cancer which attacks the scrotum of chimney-sweeps especially.

The proper name for it is Epithelioma. The identity or non-identity of the two diseases can be determined only by a microscopical examination of their morbid products.

Treatment

In the first stage, the most appropriate treatment consists in the administration of Hydrastis Canad. night and morning, and in the local application of the infusion * of the same drag twice or thrice a-day.

Mercurius iod. is another remedy that is often productive of good results. Both of these medicines should be given in grain-doses of the first trituration night and morning.

If the disease should become malignant, as it often does in spite of any kind of treatment, the owner of the dog should obtain the opinion of a competent veterinary surgeon respecting the propriety of removing the morbid product by surgical means.