Produced by Don Kostuch
[Transcriber's Notes]
Here are the definitions of some unfamiliar (to me) words.
Aloin
Intensely bitter, crystalline, water-soluble powder obtained from aloe,
used chiefly as a purgative.
Anise
Annual, aromatic Mediterranean herb (Pimpinella anisum) cultivated for
its fruit and the oil obtained from it; used to flavor foods, liqueurs,
and candies.
Arecoline
Toxic alkaloid obtained from the seeds of the areca, used in veterinary
medicine to kill and expel intestinal worms.
Asafoetida (Asafetida)
Fetid gum resin of various Asian plants of the genus Ferula (especially
F. assafoetida, F. foetida, or F. narthex) occurring in the form of
tears and dark-colored masses, having a strong odor and taste. Formerly
used in medicine as an antispasmodic and a general prophylactic against
disease.
Bismuth Subnitrate
White bismuth-containing powder Bi5O(OH)9(NO3)4 used in treating
gastrointestinal disorders.
Bistoury
Long, narrow-bladed knife used to open abscesses or to slit sinuses and
fistulas.
Boracic Acid
Also called boric acid or orthoboric acid. H3BO3.
Used in medicine in aqueous [water] solution as a mild antiseptic.
Caeca
Large blind pouch forming the beginning of the large intestine.
Calomel
Mercurous chloride, Hg2Cl2. White, tasteless powder, used as a purgative
and fungicide.
Cantharides
Also called Spanish fly. Preparation of powdered blister beetles (the
Spanish fly), used medicinally as a counterirritant, diuretic, and
aphrodisiac.
Camphor
Whitish, translucent, crystalline, pleasant-odored terpene ketone,
C10H16O, obtained from the camphor tree. Used in medicine as a
counter-irritant for infections and to treat pain and itching.
Carbolic Acid
Called phenol, hydroxybenzene, oxybenzene, phenylic acid.
White, crystalline, water-soluble, poisonous mass, C6H5OH
Used chiefly as a disinfectant and antiseptic.
Cascara Sagrada
Bark of the cascara [buckthorn (Rhamnus purshiana) native to northwest
North America], used as a cathartic or laxative.
Catechu
Several astringent substances obtained from tropical plants, including
Acacia catechu and A. suma; used in medicine, dyeing, tanning, etc.
Chloral Hydrate
Colorless crystalline compound, CCl3CH(OH)2, used as a sedative.
Cloaca
Common cavity into which the intestinal, urinary, and generative canals
open in birds, reptiles, amphibians and many fishes.
Creosote
Colorless to yellowish oily liquid containing phenols and creosols,
obtained by the destructive distillation of wood tar, especially from
the wood of a beech, and formerly used as an expectorant in treating
chronic bronchitis.
Crepitating
Crackling or popping sound.
Drench
Administer medicine to an animal by force.
Dropsical
Edematous; swollen with an excessive accumulation of fluid.
Extravasation
To force the flow of (blood or lymph) from a vessel out into surrounding
tissue.
Fenugreek
Trigonella foenum-graecum; Plant of the legume family, cultivated for
forage and for its mucilaginous seeds used in medicine.
Fomenting
Application of warm liquid, ointments, etc., to the surface of the body.
Fowler's Solution
Aqueous solution of potassium arsenite used in medicine to treat some
diseases of the blood or skin.
Frog
Triangular mass of elastic, horny substance in the middle of the sole of
the foot of a horse.
Gentian
Rhizome [root-like subterranean stem] and roots of a yellow-flowered
gentian (Gentiana lutea) of southern Europe used as a tonic and
stomachic [beneficial to the stomach].
Glauber's salt,
Sodium sulfate decahydrate, Na2SO4.10H2O; also called mirabilite; used
in medicine as a mild laxative.
Iodoform
Triiodomethane. Yellowish, crystalline, water-insoluble solid, CHI3.
Analogous to chloroform, used as an antiseptic.
Methylene blue
Heterocyclic (ring structure with atoms besides carbon, such as sulfur,
oxygen, nitrogen,) aromatic chemical compound with the molecular
formula: C16H18ClN3S.
Middlings
Coarsely ground wheat mixed with bran.
Nitrate of Potash
Potassium nitrate, a mineral source of nitrogen. KNO3.
Also called saltpetre.
Nux Vomica
Orangelike fruit of an East Indian tree, Strychnos nux-vomica, of the
logania family, containing strychnine, used in medicine.
Origanum
Aromatic plants, including the sweet marjoram (O. Marjorana) and the
wild marjoram (O. vulgare).
Pastern
Part of the foot of a horse, cow, etc., between the fetlock and the
hoof.
Petechial
Small purplish spot on a body surface, such as the skin or a mucous
membrane, caused by a minute hemorrhage.
Physic
Medicine that purges; cathartic; laxative.
Poultice
Soft, moist mass of cloth, bread, meal, herbs, etc., applied hot as a
medicament to the body.
Probang
Long, slender, elastic rod with a sponge at the end, to be introduced
into the esophagus or larynx to remove foreign bodies or introduce
medication.
Quassia
Shrub or small tree, Quassia amara, of tropical America, having wood
with a bitter taste. Also called bitterwood.
A prepared form of the heartwood of these trees, used as an insecticide
and in medicine as a tonic to dispel intestinal worms.
Santonin
Colorless crystalline compound, C15H18O3, from wormwood, especially
santonica; used to destroy or eliminate parasitic worms.
Shoat (shote)
Young pig just after weaning.
Singletree
Crossbar, pivoted at the middle, to which the traces of a harness are
fastened for pulling a cart, carriage, plow, etc.
Sugar of Lead (lead acetate)
White, crystalline, water-soluble, poisonous solid, Pb(C2H3O2)2.3H2O;
formerly used in medicine as an astringent.
Sweet Oil
Vegetable oil used as food; especially olive or rape (Brassica napus)
oil.
Tannic Acid
Lustrous, yellow-brown, amorphous tannin, having the chemical
composition C76H52O46. Derived from the bark and fruit of many plants;
used as an astringent [contracts the tissues or canals of the body].
Thrifty
Thriving physically; growing vigorously.
Tincture
Solution of alcohol or of alcohol and water.
Vent
Anal or excretory opening of birds and reptiles.
[End Transcriber's Notes]
The Veterinarian
Chas. J. Korinek, V.S.
Compliments of
Central Lumber Co.
Lumber and Building Material
Of Every Description
General Office, 846 McKnight Building
Minneapolis, Minn.
STATE OF OREGON
TO ALL TO WHOM THESE PRESENTS SHALL COME--GREETINGS
Know Ye, That reposing special trust and confidence in the capacity, and
fidelity of Charles J. Korinek, of Salem, Oregon, we, Geo. E.
Chamberline, Governor, F. W. Benson, Secretary of State, and W. H.
Downing, President of the State Board of Agriculture, the Oregon
Domestic Animal Commission, in the name and by the authority of the
statute of the State of Oregon, do by these presence APPOINT AND
COMMISSION him, the said C. J. Korinek Veterinary Surgeon for the State
of Oregon for Term Ending July 1, 1909.
In Testimony Whereof, we have caused the Great Seal of the State to be
affixed at the City of Salem, Oregon, this 2nd day of July in the year
of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and seven.
Signed Geo. E. Chamberline, Governor.
Signed F. W. Benson, Secretary, of State.
Signed W. H. Downing, State Treasurer
[Seal of the State of Oregon]
THE VETERINARIAN
DR. CHAS. J. KORINEK
Graduate of Ontario Veterinary College of University of Toronto.
Ex-State Veterinarian of Oregon, Ex-President
Oregon State Veterinary Medical Board
Hon. Member Ontario Veterinary Medical Association
FOURTH EDITION
PUBLISHED BY
THE GERLACH-BARKLOW CO.
JOLIET, ILLINOIS, U. S. A.
and Toronto, Canada
1917
COPYRIGHTED 1915
BY
CHAS. J. KORINEK, V. S.
BRITISH COPYRIGHTS SECURED
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
FOREWORD
This treatise on the diseases of domestic animals has been written with
the primary purpose of placing in the hands of stock owners, a book of
practical worth; hence, all technical language or terms, as used by the
professional veterinarian, have been eliminated and only such language
used as all may read and understand.
The treatment suggested in each case is one I have used and found
efficient in my many years of practice.
If my readers will study and follow these directions carefully, they
will save themselves much unnecessary loss. My confidence in this
accomplishment is my reward for my labor in behalf of our dumb
friends--the domestic animals.
THE AUTHOR
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I DISEASES OF THE HORSE
CHAPTER II DISEASES OF CATTLE
CHAPTER III DISEASES OF SWINE
CHAPTER IV DISEASES OF SHEEP AND GOATS
CHAPTER V DISEASES OF POULTRY
CHAPTER VI MISCELLANEOUS
ILLUSTRATIONS
POINTS OF HORSE
HACKNEY STALLION
CLYDESDALE STALLION
ARABIAN HORSES
BELGIAN STALLION
SADDLE STALLION
PERCHERON STALLIONS
POINTS OF DAIRY COW
DAIRY HERD
GALLOWAY BULL
JERSEY COW
HEREFORD BULL
GUERNSEY COW
SHORTHORN BULL
AYRSHIRE COWS
HOLSTEIN COW
POINTS OF HOG
CHESTER WHITES
DUROC BOAR
POLAND CHINA BOAR
BERKSHIRE BOAR
POINTS OF SHEEP
DELAINE MERINO RAM AND EWES
SHROPSHIRE RAM
COTSWOLD EWES
WHITE PLYMOUTH ROCKS
BUFF ORPINGTON HEN
PLYMOUTH ROCK COCK
WHITE LEGHORN HEN
COLUMBIAN WYANDOTTE COCK
DISEASES OF THE HORSE
Causes, Symptoms and Treatments
[Illustration: Photograph of horse with numbers referring to
the parts named below.]
LOCATION OF PARTS OF THE HORSE
1. Mouth
2. Nostrils
3. Nose
4. Face
5. Eyes
6. Forehead
7. Ears
8. Poll
9. Throat latch
10. Jaw
11. Chin
12. Windpipe
13. Neck
14. Crest
15. Withers
16. Shoulder bed
17. Chest
18. Shoulders
19. Forearm
20. Knees
21. Cannon
22. Fetlocks
23. Pasterns
24. Feet
25. Feather
25-1/2. Elbow
26. Flank
27. Heart Girth
28. Back
29. Loin
30. Hip bone
31. Coupling
32. Ribs
33. Belly
34. Rear Flank
35. Stifle
36. Thigh
37. Buttocks
38. Croup
39. Tail
40. Quarters
41. Gaskin or Lower Thigh
42. Hocks
CHAPTER I
ABORTION IN MARES
CAUSE: Quality and quantity of food, poorly lighted, ventilated or
drained stables, mare falling or slipping, sprains, kicks, hard, fast
work or eating poisonous vegetation.
SYMPTOMS: Mare will show signs of colic, the outer portion of the womb
will be swollen, and if the colicky symptoms continue there will be a
watery discharge and the membranes covering the foetus or foal will
become noticeable. The animal strains when lying down or getting up.
TREATMENT: Place the animal in comfortable quarters and blanket if
chilly. When colicky pains are present treat the same as for spasmodic
colic. To stop the straining and labor pains, give Tincture Opii one
ounce, placing in gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun every two
hours. One to two doses, however, are generally sufficient as the mare
will either abort or the dangerous period will have passed. Keep the
animal quiet and feed good nutritious food and pure water with chill
taken off in small quantities but often. Disinfect the mare's quarters
thoroughly. A good general tonic should be used in this condition, one
that will strengthen and assist nature to throw off impurities from the
blood, such as Sodium Hyposulphite, eight ounces; Potassi Iodide, one
ounce. Make into eight powders and give one powder two or three times a
day in drinking water.
ABSCESS
CAUSE: Bruises and injuries. Abscesses are also seen in complications
with various diseases, perhaps the most common being distemper,
laryngitis, etc.
SYMPTOMS: Symptoms will vary, of course, according to the development of
the disease. It may not be noticed at first, but upon careful
examination small tortuous lines will be observed running from the point
of irritation. In many cases a swelling is noticed which is hot, painful
and throbbing and enlarges rapidly. In two or three days the soreness
and heat gradually subside, but the abscess continues to grow. The hair
falls from the affected parts and in a short time the abscess
discharges, and the cavity gradually fills up and heals by granulation.
TREATMENT: In all cases hasten the repairing process as much as possible
by applying hot water packs or hot bran, flaxseed or vegetable
poultices. It is common with veterinarians to lance an abscess as soon
as possible, but this requires skill and practice. I could not advise
stockowners to perform this operation, as it requires exact knowledge of
anatomy. It will usually be found a safe plan to encourage the full
ripening of an abscess and allow it to open of its own accord, as it
will heal much better and quicker and you take no chances of infection
with an instrument. When opened do not squeeze the abscess to any
extent, but press gently with clean hands or cloth, to remove the clot,
and after this simply keep open by washing the abscess with a three per
cent Carbolic Acid solution or Bichloride of Mercury, one part to one
thousand parts of water. When an animal has abscesses it is well to give
the following blood purifiers or internal antiseptics: Hyposulphite of
Soda, eight ounces; Potassi Iodide, one ounce. Mix well and make into
eight powders and give one powder twice daily in drinking water, or
place in gelatin capsule and administer with capsule gun. This
prescription will prevent the absorption of impurities from the abscess
into the blood.
ANEMIA
CAUSE: Insufficient quality and quantity of food, insanitary
surroundings, overwork, lack of exercise, drains on the system from
acute or chronic diseases, worms; and can also be brought about by
excessive heat, cold or pressure and lessening of the calibre of the
arteries, poisons in the blood, suppurating wounds, repeated purging or
bleedings.
SYMPTOMS: The visible mucous membranes of the nose, eyes and mouth are
pale and sometimes have a yellow appearance. There is weakness,
temperature of the body is lower than normal; pulse weak, legs cold to
the feet, cold sweats are often present, breathing is quickened,
especially in its last stages, animals tire easily, appetite and
digestion become poor, swelling of the legs and the under surface of the
abdomen, sheath and udder; the skin becomes rough and dry.
TREATMENT: Remove the cause if possible in its first stages, or when
first noticed. Give a physic of Calomel, two scruples; Aloin, two drams;
Pulv. Gentian, two drams; Ginger, two drams. Place in gelatin capsule
and give at one dose with capsule gun. Also, administer the following:
Arsenious Acid, one dram; Ferri Sulphate, three ounces; Pulv. Gentian,
three ounces; Pulv. Fenugreek Seed, three ounces, and Pulv. Anise Seed,
three ounces. Mix well and make into twenty powders. Give one powder
three times a day in feed, or place in gelatin capsule and give with
capsule gun. Endeavor to build up the condition of the animal by the
proper quantity and quality of food. Give pure water to drink, also
provide sanitary conditions, as pure air, sunlight if possible. Turn out
to grass when the weather is favorable. This treatment should be
continued until the animal shows sign of improvement. However, the
administration of physics should be given with great care so as not to
produce superpurgation of the bowels (scours), as physics in this
condition would tend to weaken the animal.
It is to be borne in mind that pure water and nourishing food play a
very important part in the treatment of Anemia.
APHTHAE
(Sore mouth and tongue--Pustular Stomatitis)
CAUSE: Superficial eruptions of the mucous membranes of the mouth and
tongue. Frequently seen during convalescence of intermittent fever. This
condition may also follow diseases of the digestive system, as
Indigestion, etc., due to the blood absorbing toxic materials which
break out in the form of pustules about the mouth and the whole
alimentary canal (stomach and intestines).
SYMPTOMS: The appetite is impaired, the mouth hot, the pulse not much
affected as a rule, the temperature is slightly elevated, the animal is
unable to masticate, and small vesicles appear and eventually terminate
into pustules and burst and discharge a small amount of pus at the parts
where the sores are the deepest.
TREATMENT: Remove the cause if possible. Feed clean, soft food that is
easily digested, as hot wheat bran mashes and steamed rolled oats,
vegetables, etc. For a mouth-wash dissolve the following: One dram of
Copper Sulphate, one dram of Chlorate of Potash, one dram of Boracic
Acid in clean hot water, and syringe out the mouth two or three times a
day. To the drinking water add one ounce of Hyposulphite of Soda twice a
day. Where the appetite is impaired, administer the following: Pulv. Nux
Vomica, Pulv. Gentian Root, Pulv. Iron, Pulv. Nitrate of Potash each two
ounces. Mix and make into sixteen capsules and give one capsule three
times a day with capsule gun.
AZOTURIA
CAUSE: This disease is usually due to work after a period of idleness,
during which the animal has been liberally fed. It is found principally
among highly-fed draft horses, and never in animals which are regularly
worked. Light breeds of horses are also susceptible to this disease.
SYMPTOMS: Attack is sudden and usually appears when the horse has
traveled a short distance after having been stabled for a few days. The
characteristic symptoms of this disease in an animal are: Excitability
without apparent cause; actions seem to indicate injury of the hind
quarters or loins. Animal has a peculiar goose-rumped look, owing to the
muscles over the quarters being violently contracted, and are hard on
pressure. One hind limb is generally advanced in front of the other, and
on attempting to put weight on it, the hind quarters will drop until at
times the hocks almost touch the ground. Sometimes a front leg is
affected. The breathing is hurried. Animal is bathed in sweat, and is in
such agony that it will seize almost anything with its teeth. Although
the pulse is hard and frequent, the internal temperature, even in severe
cases, seldom rises to any marked extent. The urine is dark-red to
dirty-brown color. Owing to the stoppage of the worm-like movement of
the bowels, there is generally constipation and retention of the urine.
Sometimes the symptoms are milder than here described. In other cases
the animal soon falls to the ground and continues to struggle in a
delirious, half-paralyzed state until he dies. Sometimes this disease is
mistaken for colic or acute indigestion, but it can be readily
distinguished by the color of the urine.
TREATMENT: At the first symptom, stop and blanket the animal and let
stand from one to three hours. Then move to the nearest shelter, keeping
the animal as quiet and comfortable, as possible, as excitement
aggravates the disease. Give Aloin, two drams; Ginger, two drams; in
capsule, and administer with capsule gun. Also, give the following
prescription: Potassi Nitrate, eight ounces; Sodii Bicarbonate, eight
ounces; Potassi Iodide, one and one-half ounces. Mix well and make into
thirty-two powders. Give one powder in drinking water every four hours,
or in capsule, and give with capsule gun. Injections of soap and warm
water per rectum are beneficial. Immerse a blanket in hot water and
place over loins, then covering with a dry blanket, or, if this is
impossible, apply the following liniment: Aqua Ammonia Fort., two
ounces; Turpentine, two ounces; Sweet Oil, four ounces, and rub in like
a shampoo over the loins. It may be necessary to draw off the urine,
which is sometimes retained, and it is best to secure the services of a
skilled veterinarian if, such is the case. Allow the animal to drink
often, though in small quantities, of pure water with the chill taken
off. If he is unable to stand on his feet it is well to turn him from
side to side every six hours. It is also advisable to fill bags with hay
and place against his shoulders to prevent him from lying flat on his
side, as this may cause congestion of the lungs. Avoid drenching--it is
dangerous. Should the animal show signs of uneasiness, give one ounce of
Potassi Bromide in the drinking water every four hours until the
excitement has subsided.
BARRENNESS
(Failure to Breed)
CAUSE: Contraction of the neck of the womb, growths on or in the
ovaries, Whites or Leucorrhea. The first is the only form of barrenness
which responds readily to treatment.
SYMPTOMS: A mare may come in heat normally, or stay in heat continually,
or not come in heat at all.
TREATMENT: Wash the hands in some antiseptic solution, such as Carbolic
Acid or Bichloride of Mercury and see that the finger-nails are smooth.
Grease the hand and arm with vaseline and proceed to dilate the neck of
the womb. It may be difficult at first to insert the finger, but the
opening will gradually enlarge. Work slowly and carefully until three
fingers may be inserted. Breeding should follow about three hours after
the womb has been dilated.
BLEEDING AFTER CASTRATION
If bleeding is from the little artery in the back portion of cord, it
will generally stop of its own accord, but if it should continue to
bleed for thirty minutes, I throw clean, cold water against the part.
When bleeding is from the large artery in front of the cord, it is
considered dangerous. The artery should be tied with a silk thread if
possible, or twisted with a pair of forceps. Occasionally the artery
cannot be found, in which case the hole in the scrotum should be plugged
with a clean cloth saturated with Tincture of Iron, which will clot the
blood and thus close the artery.
BLOOD POISONING
(Septicaemia or Pyemia)
CAUSE: By the popular term, "Blood Poison," is meant a state of
constitutional disturbance brought on by the entrance of putrid
products--usually from a wound--into the blood. As a rule some pressure
or inoculation is necessary for the introduction of poison into the
circulation; hence, the necessity of free drainage and thorough
disinfection of the wound, and the only hopeful cases are those in which
by this means the supply of poison may be cut short.
SYMPTOMS: It is introduced through any wound or abrasion, whether due to
injury, disease or by an operation. Signs of septic poison are heat,
pain and swelling.
TREATMENT: It is necessary to see that the wound has good drainage, and
wash with Carbolic Acid, one tablespoonful to one pint of distilled
water or Bichloride of Mercury perhaps is the best in an infected wound.
Apply one part to one thousand parts water. Also, give internally,
Potassi Iodide, one ounce; Sodii Hyposulphite, eight ounces. Make into
eight powders and give one powder two or three times a day in their
drinking water or in capsule, and give with capsule gun. This is an
intestinal antiseptic which is very valuable in the treatment of Blood
Poisoning. Feed soft, laxative food and green grass, if possible.
BONE SPAVIN
CAUSE: Sprains of the hock from falling, slipping, jumping, pulling,
traveling on uneven roads, falling through bridges, etc.
Since Spavin is due to causes which come into existence after birth, it
cannot be regarded as an hereditary disease. Hereditary predisposition,
however, is largely accountable for its appearance. In the first place,
the process of evolution in the horse, which is a single-toed animal,
descended from a five-toed ancestor, predisposes him to suffer from
union of the bones of the hock, just as it predisposes him to splints.
The weaker the bones of the hock in comparison to the weight of the body
the more inclined will the animal naturally be to contract Spavin.
SYMPTOMS: Spasmodic catching up of the spavined limb, the moment the
heel of the foot touches the ground, something after the manner of
string-halt. At times the stiffness can be observed only when the animal
is pushed from one side of the stall to the other. Spavin may often be
detected when riding a horse down a steep hill from the fact that he
drags the toe.
The time of all others when a spavined horse will be apt to show his
lameness will be the day following a hard day's work, and when he makes
his first move from the stable in the morning is the proper moment for
examination. Therefore, you should be prepared to form judgment quickly
in these cases, for the longer the animal is trotted up and down the
less lame will he generally become.
We may have a visible sign of Spavin, swelling and hardness of the part,
without lameness. If there be heat and tenderness on pressure, lameness
will almost always be present. A careful comparison should be made of
the hocks.
TREATMENT: An important factor in treating Spavin is keeping the animal
quiet. This can be accomplished by placing the animal in a very narrow
stall, carrying his feed and drinking water for a month or six weeks,
and apply the following ointment: Red Iodide of Mercury, two drams;
Pulverized Cantharides, three drams; Turpentine, thirty minims; Pine
Tar, two drams; lard, two ounces. Mix well and rub in well for twenty
minutes every forty-eight hours until three applications have been
applied. Repeat this treatment again in two weeks, and grease well with
lard.
To cure a bone spavin it is necessary to unite two or more bones of the
hock, and a fractured bone cannot unite if moved frequently. The same
thing exists in bone spavin as in a fractured bone, only we have no
ragged edges like that of a fractured bone to unite; therefore, keep the
animal quiet. The younger the animal the easier the spavin is to treat,
because the bones hardened with age contain more mineral matter and less
flexible animal matter. While treating the animal, feed food that is
easily digested.
BOG SPAVIN
CAUSE: Faulty conformation, slipping, falling through a bridge or
culvert; large loosely built draft horses are prone to this blemish. Bog
Spavin is hereditary, and you should, therefore, select a good type of
animal for breeding purposes.
SYMPTOMS: A puffy swelling located in front and on the inside of the
hock, varying from the size of a walnut to that of a man's fist. It very
seldom causes lameness, but is a serious disfigurement and blemish.
TREATMENT: Treatment is not satisfactory unless taken in its first
stages and when the animal is young. If there is heat, pain and
swelling, apply cold water or ice packs until the inflammation has left
the parts. Then use the following prescription: Tincture of Iodine, two
ounces; Gum Camphor, two ounces; Gasolene, one pint. Mix and shake well
before applying with a nail or tooth brush twice a week.
I may add that I have derived some wonderful results in treatment of Bog
Spavin with the above mentioned prescription in both young and old
animals, and perhaps it will be well to use it on both young and old
animals in both acute and chronic forms of Bog Spavin.
BOTS
(Gastrophilis)
Effect of Bots on the Health of Horses
Although the presence of bots inside of a horse can be of no possible
advantage to him, their presence, when in small numbers, as a rule
produce very little or no ill effect in the horse, but if their number
be large they cannot help being a source of debility and irritation. In
practically all cases they produce indigestion, especially among young
horses, also loss of condition, colic and even death.
CAUSE: By the bot flies, which lay their eggs during the autumn on the
skin and hair of the horses. These eggs on becoming hatched (in from 20
to 25 days) produce small worms which irritate the skin by their
movements and thus cause the horse to lick them off and to take them
into his mouth, with the result that they gain access to various parts
of the intestinal canal. The bot having selected its place of
residence, attaches itself to the membranes lining the stomach and
intestines, and derives its sustenance during its stay from the wound
made by its hooks. In the summer the larva, after living inside the
horse for about ten months, quits its hold and is expelled with the
feces. Having concealed itself near the surface of the ground it becomes
changed into a chrysalis from which the gadfly issues after an inactive
existence of from thirty to forty days. The female fly becomes
impregnated, lays her eggs on those parts of the horse from which they
can be most easily licked off, and thus completes her cycle of
existence.
SYMPTOMS: Membranes about the eyes and mouth are very pale, as though
the animal had lost a large quantity of blood; they will also be subject
to colicky attacks, hair faded, dull, rough appearance, appetite poor
and manifests a pot belly.
PREVENTION: The best means of prevention are spraying your horses with
the following fly repellant: Crude Carbolic Acid, 10%; Oil of Tar, 25%;
Crude Oil, 65%. Mix thoroughly. This prevents the gadfly from depositing
her eggs on the animals.
TREATMENT: Withhold all food for twenty-four hours, then administer Oil
of Turpentine, one ounce; place in a gelatin capsule and give with
capsule gun. Follow this in six hours with a physic consisting of Aloin,
two drams; Ginger, two drams. Place in a gelatin capsule and give with
capsule gun. Repeat the above treatment in a week or ten days to insure
the expulsion of Bots that might have escaped the first treatment.
[Illustration: Photograph of horse.]
HACKNEY STALLION BAGTHORP SULTAN, FIRST INTERNATIONAL SHOW.
Owned by Henry Fairfax of Virginia.
BRONCHITIS
CAUSE: It may be the result of debility, constitutional diseases,
inhalation of impure air, smoke, or gases. Sometimes brought on by
drenching by the escape of liquid into the windpipe; remember, a horse
cannot breathe through his mouth. It may also be caused by sudden chill,
foreign bodies in windpipe, micro organisms, or it may be associated
with influenza, glanders, lung fever, etc.
SYMPTOMS: Sore throat, loss of appetite, thirst, animal appears dull,
membranes of the mouth, eyes and nose are reddened; urine is scanty and
highly colored; cough dry and husky. After two or three days the cough
becomes looser and, a frothy, sticky mucus of a yellowish color is
present. This gradually becomes pus-like, after which the animal seems
somewhat relieved. In the first stages the pulse is soft and weak, but
frequently the temperature is high, ranging from 105 to 106 degrees F.;
the breathing is quick and more or less difficult.
TREATMENT: Place the horse in a clean, comfortable, well ventilated
stall, exclude drafts, blanket if the weather is chilly. Also, hand rub
the legs and bandage them. Inhalations from steam of hot water and
Turpentine are beneficial. Also administer Chlorate of Potassi, two
ounces; Nitrate of Potash, two ounces; Tannic Acid, one ounce. Mix this
with a pint of black-strap molasses and give about one tablespoonful
well back on the tongue with a wooden paddle every six hours. In severe
attacks of Bronchitis it is well to apply a liniment consisting of
Turpentine, Aqua-Ammonia Fort., and raw Linseed Oil, each four ounces;
mix well and apply to the throat and down the windpipe once or twice a
day. The animal should be fed on soft food, such as hot bran mashes,
grass, carrots, kale, apples or steamed rolled oats. After the acute
symptoms of the disease disappear, give Pulverized Gentian Root, one
ounce; Nux Vomica, two ounces; Nitrate of Potash, three ounces;
Pulverized Fenugreek Seed, six ounces. Mix and give one tablespoonful
three times a day in the feed or in a gelatin capsule and administer
with a capsule gun.
CAPPED KNEE
CAUSE: Bruises from pawing or striking objects with the knee, falling on
the ground, etc., are perhaps the most common causes.
SYMPTOMS: It may be a simple bruise, or it may be a severe wound. There
is always swelling, heat and pain present. The joint becomes stiff and
interferes with the movement of the leg. Under careful treatment the
swelling and enlargement disappear.
TREATMENT: Relieve the inflammation and clean the wound by fomenting
with hot water, to which add a few drops of Carbolic Acid. If the wound
is very large, trim off the ragged edges with a pair of scissors and
apply the following: Boracic Acid, two ounces; Iodoform, one ounce;
Tannic Acid, one ounce. Powder finely, mix and apply two or three times
a day. If the skin is not broken, apply cold water or ice packs until
the inflammation has subsided; then use the following: Tincture of
Iodine, one ounce; Camphor, two ounces, and Gasolene, eight ounces.
Apply with nail or toothbrush every thirty-six hours until the
enlargement has disappeared.
CAPPED HOCK
CAUSE: Some horses have the habit of rubbing or striking their hocks
against the partition of their stalls. May also be produced by kicks
from other horses, or hocks may be bruised by the singletree.
SYMPTOMS: An enlargement at the point of the hock, which may run up
along the tendons and muscles of the leg. Repeated injuries cause the
hock to enlarge and become flabby, and in some cases it contains a
bloody serum or pus.
TREATMENT: Do not attempt to lance the puffy swelling on the point of
the hock, as you may produce an open joint, which is very difficult to
treat, and chances are that you would lose the animal.
The treatment that I would recommend is to find out the true cause and
remove it. When the puffy swelling is swollen, hot and painful, apply
cold water or ice packs. When the heat and pain have subsided apply the
following: Tincture of Iodine, two ounces; Gum Camphor, two ounces,
dissolved in one pint of Gasolene. Shake the contents of the bottle
before using each time and apply with a nail or toothbrush every
forty-eight hours. This is very penetrating and will remove the
enlargement or absorb fluids that might have accumulated from the result
of the bruise.
CHOKING
This term applies to obstruction of the gullet as well as that of the
windpipe.
CAUSE: Too rapid eating, by which pieces of carrots or other roots, or a
quantity of dry food become lodged in the gullet. Although obstructions
of the windpipe caused while drenching, or food entering the lungs, will
kill an animal in a very short time, obstructions in the gullet may not
prove fatal for several days.
TREATMENT: No time should be lost in attempting to remove the
obstruction from the gullet. It may be dislodged by gently manipulating
the gullet. If unsuccessful in dislodging the obstruction in this
manner, secure the services of a competent veterinarian. He will use a
probang, an instrument made for this purpose, or inject Sweet or Olive
Oil into the gullet with a hypodermic syringe, or give hypodermic
injections of Arecoline. In administering drenches with the object of
dislodging obstructions in the gullet, you must remember that the
liquids used are apt to go the wrong way, that is to say, enter the
lungs, and give rise to lung complications, as lung fever, bronchitis,
etc. Obstructions of solid substance in the windpipe generally cause
death very shortly. When liquids enter the lungs, death is not so apt to
occur, as the animal may live several days, and sometimes even get well.
They should be treated the same as for lung fever.
CRACKED HEELS
CAUSE: There is little doubt in my mind that ammonia, which is so
plentifully found in ill-kept stables, is the chief cause of cracked
heels. The action of ammonia on the skin renders it soft and pulpy, and
diminishes its strength by separating the layers of which it is
composed.
SYMPTOMS: When inflammation is set up in the part, the secretion of
natural oil is interfered with and cracks usually occur in the place
where the skin becomes wrinkled when the pastern joint is bent. The
discharge from cracked heels has an offensive smell. In early stages
there is extreme heat and swelling, there is pain and lameness, which
usually disappear as the case becomes chronic.
TREATMENT: Keep the affected parts clean as possible, if there is
extreme inflammation present. Apply hot poultice made from bran or
flaxseed meal. When the inflammation subsides, apply Zinc Ointment twice
daily. Before applying each application of ointment, wash with Warm
Water and Castile Soap. Feed carrots, green grass, if possible, also hot
bran mashes or steam rolled oats each morning. Sometimes it is well to
give a physic, and I would recommend Aloin, one and one-half drams;
Ginger, two drams. A physic has very good effect in reducing the
swelling of the legs.
COFFIN-JOINT LAMENESS
(Navicular Disease)
CAUSE: Driving young animals on hard roads. Always found in the front
feet, owing no doubt to the fact the front feet support largely the
weight of the body.
SYMPTOMS: The symptoms are very hard to detect. As a rule the animal
will point the affected foot when at rest even before there is any
lameness present. While at work he apparently goes sound, but when
placed in the stable, or when stopped on hard ground, one foot will be
set out in front of the other and resting on the toe. It will be noticed
that the animal takes a few lame steps and then goes well again. Again
he may be lame for a day, or he may leave the stable in the morning
apparently well and sound and go lame during the day. In the course of
time he will develop a severe case of lameness, which may last for five
or six days. These spells are intermittent and finally he becomes
permanently lame, and the more he is driven the greater the lameness,
and he steps short, wears the toe of the shoe, stumbles, falls on his
knees when the road is rough. Sometimes both front feet are affected and
the shoulders will be stiff. When put to work he sweats from pain; there
will be extreme heat about the foot, and he will flinch from pressure.
Comparatively few recoveries are made from this disease.
TREATMENT: First remove the shoe. If the foot is inflamed, poultice with
hot bran or flaxseed meal. After the inflammation disappears, clean the
foot well, clip the hair from around the top of the hoof and use the
following: Red Iodide of Mercury, two drams; Pulverized Cantharides,
four drams; Turpentine, thirty drops; Lard, two ounces. Mix well and
apply every forty-eight hours, rubbing in well for twenty minutes each
time. After three or four applications have been applied, turn the
animal out to pasture. Repeat this treatment again in a month or so.
Animals affected with this disease should be put to slow and easy work
on soft ground, and carefully shod. This disease is unsatisfactorily
treated and only a few cases recover when the best care is taken.
CORNS
CAUSE: Dry feet, increased pressure from ill fitting shoes, or high
heeled shoes, which tend to contract the heels and produce corns. Wide
flat feet are predisposed to bruises which terminate in corns.
SYMPTOMS: Lameness, or as the old saying goes, "The animal will go
tenderfooted." When standing the animal is generally very restless, they
paw their bedding behind them at night. Tapping or pressure on the foot
will assist in locating a corn.
TREATMENT: Discover the true cause of the corn and remove it if
possible. Take away all pressure from over the corn and turn the animal
out in some damp pasture. If this cannot be done, put on a flat "bar"
shoe, packing the sole of the foot with Pine Tar and Oakum; then place a
leather between the foot and shoe. Repeat this application every two
weeks, as this will keep the sole soft and flexible, and with proper
shoeing your animal will be relieved of corns.
Frequently coffin-joint lameness or navicular disease is mistaken for
corns.
[Illustration: Photograph of horse.]
CLYDESDALE STALLION SIR EVERARD (5353).
Sire of Famous Baron's Pride (9122), who earned $300,000.00 in the Stud,
who Sired Baron O'Buchlyvie, who was sold for $45,000.00, the Highest
Price ever paid for a Draft Stallion.
CONSTIPATION
CAUSE: Indigestible foods, irregular feeding, lack of, or too much,
exercise, insufficient secretion of digestive materials, strictures,
ruptures, paralysis, worms, folding and twisting of the intestines,
which frequently occurs in old age.
SYMPTOMS: The animal cannot expel the contents of the intestines, which
frequently causes colicky pains. Death from this form of constipation is
generally due to rupture of the intestines, when due to indigestible
foods or irregular feeding. Lack of, or too much, exercise seldom
produces death, although the animal may not pass any fecal matter for a
week.
TREATMENT: Give a capsule containing Aloin, two drams, and Pulverized
Ginger, two drams, every eighteen hours until the animal has a movement
of the bowels. Then give the following tonic: Pulverized Nux Vomica, two
ounces; Pulverized Gentian Root, two ounces; Pulverized Fenugreek Seed,
four ounces. Mix well and give one tablespoonful in feed three times a
day. If the animal refuses to eat it in the feed, place one
tablespoonful in gelatin capsule and administer with capsule gun. This
will stimulate the worm-like movement of the bowels and strengthen the
heart action.
Give the animal all the water it will drink. If the water is cold, take
the chill off by warming or adding warm water. If the animal will eat,
feed food that is easily digested, such as grass, carrots, turnips,
potatoes and apples, but do not feed too large a quantity at one time.
Hot bran mashes or steamed rolled oats are very nourishing and easily
digested. Rectal injections of Soap and Turpentine in small quantities,
added to warm water, are very beneficial, and I would recommend their
use. It is advisable to elevate the animal's hind parts when giving
rectal injections, as compelling the animal to stand with its head lower
than its hind parts will cause the animal to retain the injection much
longer, consequently it does its intended work much better.
If due to worms, fast the animal for twenty-four hours and give
Barbadoes Aloes, three drams; Calomel, one dram; Ferri Sulphate, two
drams; Antimony Tartrate, two drams. Place in gelatin capsule and give
with capsule gun, This dose should be repeated in ten days to insure the
expulsion of newly hatched worms.
COLD
(Nasal Catarrh)
CAUSE: Atmospheric changes common in the spring and fall; animal allowed
to chill when standing in a draft, or driven when the system is in a
poor condition. It is also produced by inhaling irritating gases, smoke,
drenching through the nose, dusty hay or grain that contains infectious
matter.
SYMPTOMS: Animal is stupid, does not take food very freely, hair stands
and looks dusty, throat becomes sore, pulse is not greatly affected.
There may be a slight rise of temperature, say 101 to 103 degrees F.
After a day or two there will be a discharge of mucus from the nostrils
which may be offensive to the smell. There is generally an increased
flow of urine. The breathing is not much affected.
TREATMENT: Make the animal as comfortable as possible by placing in a
clean stall with pure air, but avoid drafts. Blanket if the weather is
chilly and give the following prescription: Chloride of Potash, two
ounces; Nitrate of Potash, four ounces. Mix these well in a pint of Pine
Tar and place about one tablespoonful of the mixture as far back on the
tongue as possible every six hours. Relief is very certain if this
treatment is given in the first stages. If not it will become chronic
and terminate into nasal gleet, or lung complications.
COUGH
(Acute and Chronic)
As a cough is a symptom of various diseases, these in addition to the
cough should be treated.
KINDS OF COUGH: Many writers give several different varieties, but for
sake of convenience I will divide them into two forms, namely: Acute and
Chronic.
CAUSE: Acute Coughs are generally due to sudden exposure to cold, drafts
and are the forerunning symptom of a disease of the organs of breathing.
Chronic Coughs are associated with, and often a result of, sore throat,
lung fever, pleurisy, bronchitis, broken wind, influenza, nasal gleet,
catarrh, glanders, heaves and distemper.
TREATMENT: Under each disease of which a cough is a symptom, I have also
prescribed to include its suppression. The following prescription is
reasonable in price, yet very effective in all forms of cough: Tannic
Acid, one ounce; Potassi Chlorate, four ounces; Potassi Nitrate, four
ounces. Powder well and mix with Black Strap Molasses, one pint; placing
container retaining the above in hot water assists in dissolving. When
this is thoroughly mixed add Pine Tar one pint, and place one
tablespoonful well back on the tongue with a wooden paddle every three
or four hours, according to the severity of the cough.
Sometimes a liniment applied to the throat and windpipe has a good
effect, and I would recommend the following on account of its
penetrating qualities: Aqua Ammonia Fort., two ounces; Turpentine, two
ounces; Raw Linseed Oil, four ounces. Mix and apply twice daily, shaking
the contents of the bottle well before using.
COLT CONSTIPATION
CAUSE: Improper digestion of its mother's milk, especially when
overheated or not allowed to nurse enough.
SYMPTOMS: The colt appears stupid; does not care to move about, but lies
flat on either side and shows signs of great pain.
TREATMENT: Give two tablespoonfuls of Cascara Sagrada. Great care must
be exercised in administering the medicine to place it well back on the
tongue; do not hold the nose high or some of the liquid may enter the
lungs; it is much better to waste some of the medicine. One of the most
important factors in the treatment of Colt Constipation is rectal
injections; they relieve temperature, gases, and pain, promoting the
worm-like action of the bowels and liquefying their contents.
COLT DIARRHOEA
CAUSE: Specific infection, the action of which is favored by insanitary
conditions, irregular feeding, or permitting the colt to nurse when the
mother is overheated or out of condition.
SYMPTOMS: Frequent watery discharges, sometimes tinged with blood, and
as the disease progresses the colt shows signs of great pain. If not
treated promptly, the disease will terminate fatally in the course of
six or ten days.
TREATMENT: Determine the exact cause, if possible, and remove it. If the
colt has not been weaned, attention should at once be given the mare,
and if anything is wrong with her, it may be best to take the little
patient away from its mother and feed it on cow's milk sweetened with
sugar. Give two tablespoonfuls of Castor Oil on the tongue; this will
remove the irritant within the bowels. The following prescription is a
very reliable remedy: Protan, three ounces; Pulv. Ginger, four drams;
Zinc Sulphocarbolates, four grains. Mix and make into twelve powders;
give one powder on the tongue every four hours, effecting a cure within
a few days. Do not pull the tongue, or hold the head too high. Permit
the animal to swallow slowly. Remember that sanitary surroundings are
essential in the treatment of all diseases.
CURB
CAUSE: Faulty conformation of the hind legs; that is to say, if an
animal has crooked legs, a slight sprain from slipping or jumping will
produce Curb. In cases where an animal has well proportioned limbs, and
is afflicted with Curb, it is caused by a rupture of the small ligament
or cord situated just back of the hock.
SYMPTOMS: A swelling will be noticed on the back part of the hock. At
first the animal is lame and the enlargement is hot and painful. After a
few days' rest the inflammation will partially subside and the
enlargement can be plainly seen. When the animal is walked about he may
be very lame at the start, but this will disappear as he is moved.
TREATMENT: When the Curb is hot and painful, it is well to apply ice
packs or cold water to the part. When the inflammation subsides, apply
Red Iodide of Mercury, two drams; Lard, two ounces. Mix and rub in well
for twenty minutes; repeat every forty-eight hours until three
applications are applied. If the Curb is of long standing it is more
difficult to treat, in which case the above treatment should be repeated
again in two or three months. Do not use the animal in drawing heavy
loads, or drive on slippery roads, for six months. Give the blister time
to strengthen the ruptured tendons. A high-heeled shoe is often
valuable in relieving tendons of their tension.
[Illustration: Photographs of two horses.]
The Famous Team of Arabian Horses.
Owned by Dr. C. J. Korinek.
DIARRHOEA
CAUSE: Sudden change of food, frozen food, soft food, unwholesome food,
stagnant water, or drinking large quantities of water at one time,
purgative medicines, or it may be associated with blood diseases, lung
and intestinal affections, or produced by micro-organisms. Many horses,
particularly slack loined, slight, "washy" animals, purge if worked or
excited, as may be observed among race horses when taken to a race
course. Diarrhoea may also be due to worms, or it may be merely an
effort on the part of nature to expel some irritant matter from the
bowels or from the blood, in which case it should on no account be
prematurely checked.
SYMPTOMS: Frequent loose evacuations of the intestines, with or without
pronounced abdominal pain; generally, loss of appetite, animal looks
gaunt and the hair rough.
TREATMENT: Keep the animal quiet, comfortably stabled and warmly
blanketed. Give pure water to drink, often, but in small quantities. If
the animal will eat, feed moderately on clean food, as rolled oats and
dry bran. Also, give the following prescription: Protan, three ounces;
Zinc Sulphocarbolates, ten grains; Creosote, one dram; Powdered Ginger,
two ounces; Powdered Gum Catechu, six drams; Powdered Gum Camphor,
one-half dram. Mix and make eight powders. Place one powder in gelatin
capsule and give with capsule gun, or the same sized dose dissolved in a
pint of water and used as a drench. However, be very careful when
drenching an animal. It is dangerous. This prescription will not only
check the diarrhoea, but will tone the muscular fibres of the intestines
which aid in throwing off these irritant matters from the system. If the
horse shows colicky pains, administer the same treatment as that
recommended for colic. It is well to give the following treatment in the
convalescing stages of diarrhoea: Pulv. Gentian Root, four ounces; Ferri
Sulphate, four ounces; Pulv. Nux Vomica, four ounces; Pulv. Fenugreek
Seed, eight ounces. Mix and give one heaping tablespoonful three times
daily in feed. This facilitates digestion by stimulating the flow of
gastric juices.
DISTEMPER
CAUSE: Distemper is placed among the germ diseases, and is produced by
the Streptococcus of Schutz. It is contagious and a number of animals in
the same stable may become affected at the same time. It is supposed to
attack an animal but once, but it may be contracted a second time. May
occur at any time of the year.
SYMPTOMS: The animal will first appear dull, and show loss of appetite;
and the hair will look dull and rough. There will be a watery discharge
from the nose, and in a day or so a lump will appear between the jaws;
the animal keeps his head in a peculiar position; saliva runs from its
mouth; the pulse will be a little faster than normal. The breathing will
become more rapid and the lump between the jaws will get larger. This
lump, or tumor, may form in other parts of the body, on the shoulder, in
the groin, lungs or intestines. It usually causes death if it cannot be
absorbed. This is called irregular distemper. A determined effort should
be made to draw the lump, or tumor, to a head as soon as possible.
TREATMENT: Place the horse in a clean, well-ventilated and lighted
stall, excluding all drafts, blanket the animal, hand rub the legs and
bandage them; give inhalations of steam from Hot Water and Turpentine. A
good method for heating water for this purpose is to place hot stones or
bricks in the water and Turpentine. This will relieve the hard
breathing. Remember a horse cannot breathe through his mouth, therefore,
liquid drenches are dangerous. A paste made from Potassi Chlorate, two
ounces; Potassi Nitrate, two ounces, dissolved in a pint of warm
molasses and given well back on the tongue in tablespoonful doses every
two or three hours is very beneficial. A liniment made from equal parts
of Aqua Ammonia Fort., Turpentine and Sweet Oil should be applied, every
morning over the enlargement that appears in the region of the throat.
If the enlargement fails to come to a head, secure the services of an
accomplished veterinarian, who will use a clean instrument for lancing
purposes.
After an attack of distemper your horse is generally run down in
condition. Give the following: Potassi Nitrate, four ounces; Pulv.
Gentian Root, four ounces; Pulv. Anise Seed, eight ounces. Make into
thirty-two powders and give one powder three times daily in feed.
DROPSY
(Of the Belly, Chest, Sheath, Udder and Legs)
CAUSE: Poor circulation; kidneys not working properly; lack of exercise;
diseases of the lungs, liver, heart, womb or sheath. Mares heavy with
foal often have dropsical swellings.
SYMPTOMS: Swelling seldom contains fluid, although sometimes a sticky
serum oozes through the skin; fingers pressed against the swollen parts
leave impressions.
TREATMENT: Avoid giving physics in this condition when possible,
especially to mares with foal. Feed laxative food, as hot bran mashes,
green grass, carrots, potatoes, etc.; also the following mixture:
Potassi Iodide, two ounces; Potassi Nitrate, four ounces; Chloride of
Potash, two ounces. Mix and make into sixteen powders. Place one powder
in their drinking water three times a day. Exercise the animal as much
as possible and you will derive good results from this treatment within
a week or so.
I may add that in the above affection it is a bad practice to apply hot
applications, as the chances are it would produce a sloughing of the
skin.
ECZEMA
CAUSE: Anything that interferes with the healthy action of the skin, as
checked sweating, irritation from dirty blankets or harness, or from
accumulation of dirt on the skin through want of grooming, errors in
feeding, overheat, or by infection. In some cases the cause seems to be
constitutional; in others, local. Though the disease is not parasitic in
character, it is probable that when once contracted the diseased parts
may be become infected.
SYMPTOMS: Slight dryness and eruptions that may affect the head, ears,
neck, shoulders, flanks, inside of thighs and root of the tail, followed
by vesicles or pimples which burst and discharge, or the contents may be
absorbed. The animal will rub against the stall, manger, or any other
object he can reach, until the parts are very sore, or if worked, he
will rub himself violently when unharnessed.
TREATMENT: Give Fowler's Solution of Arsenic, one tablespoonful morning
and night on their feed; also give a physic consisting of two drams of
Aloin and two drams of Pulverized Ginger in gelatin capsule. Give at one
dose. One physic is all that is necessary to cool out the blood, which
will assist materially in treating Eczema. Also, apply Zinc Ointment
twice daily over the vesicles or pimples which will appear on the skin.
Also, feed easily digested food if possible, such as carrots, apples,
grass, hot bran mashes and steamed rolled oats, and keep the animal
clean and groom carefully with clean combs and brushes.
EYE DISEASES
CONJUNCTIVITIS, or Inflammation of the superficial structure of the eye.
CAUSE: Direct or indirect injury to the eye, as a blow from a whip,
dust, sand or chaff in the eye, or it may be due to extreme cold, heat,
or foul air.
Inflammation of the Membrane of Nictitans
The membrane of nictation is an accessory eyelid common to all domestic
animals, the purpose of which is to remove foreign substances from the
eye in much the same manner as we use the hand.
SYMPTOMS: Conjunctivitis and inflammation of the membranes of nictitans
are very much the same. A partial or complete closure of the eye, and a
watery discharge due to overstimulation of the lachrymal glands, the
fluid being secreted so abundantly that it is impossible for the tear
duct to carry it away; hence, there will be a continuous overflow of
tears down the horse's face. The formation of a film or scum over the
eye need not cause alarm if the eye shows no sign of puncture.
TREATMENT: Examine the eye carefully and remove any foreign body with
clean cloth or feather and apply the following: Yellow Oxide of Mercury,
three grains; Lanolin, one ounce. Mix well together and apply to the eye
three or four times daily. Avoid the use of liquid medicines, as they
are hard to apply, and the animal throws them out by shaking the head.
FISTULOUS WITHERS
CAUSE: Fistulous Withers are seen mostly in horses that have a thick
neck as well as those that are very high in the withers, or among saddle
horses, those that are very low on the withers, the saddle here riding
forward and bruising the parts. They are often caused by ill-fitting
collars or saddles, by direct injury from blows, and from the horse
rolling upon rough, sharp stones. In this location, the ulcer of the
skin or a simple abscess, if not properly and punctually treated, may
terminate into Fistula. The pus burrows and finds lodgment deep down
between the muscles, and escapes only when the sinuses become surcharged
when, during motion of the muscles, the pus is forced to the surface.
SYMPTOMS: These of course will vary according to the progress made by
the Fistula. Following an injury we may often notice soreness or
stiffness of the front legs, and upon careful examination of the withers
we will see small tortuous lines running from the point of irritation
downwards and backwards over the region of the shoulder. The stiffness
of the limbs may disappear at this time, and heat and soreness of the
parts may become less noticeable, but the swelling of the shoulders
continues to enlarge. The swelling may often have the form of a running
ulcer, or its contents may dry up and leave a tumor, which gradually
develops the common characteristic of a fistulous tumor. When the
enlargement has an opening, we should carefully examine the pus cavity,
as upon this condition will wholly depend our treatment.
TREATMENT: Keep the animal as quiet as possible, as any movements of the
limbs cause the pus to spread between the lines of the muscles and form
larger abscesses or tumors. When the bone becomes diseased, it is very
difficult to effect a cure, especially where the pus burrows back of the
Scapula (Shoulder Blade). In case the abscess is newly formed, and close
to the surface, syringing out with a solution made from Bichloride of
Mercury, five grains to one ounce of water, generally causes the white
fibrous tissue to slough away and the parts to heal rapidly. If the
abscess is deep, and the bones become diseased, the pus will have a very
offensive odor, and I would recommend the services of a competent
Veterinarian to remove all diseased portions of bone or muscle.
FILARIAE
(Thread-like Worm)
CAUSE: Drinking stagnant water, or eating hay gathered from swamps or
marshy land. When full grown, the worm measures from two to six inches
in length; the tail is more or less curved. They are found in the lung
cavity, the heart sac, and the intestinal cavity, from which they
sometimes descend into the sac containing the testicles. Animals said to
have a snake in the eye have been exhibited as curiosities; in all cases
the simulated snake was nothing more than the Filariae.
SYMPTOMS: Colicky spells; poor appetite, indigestion, pot-belly, rough
coat; swelling of the sheath, legs, and the lower surface of the belly.
TREATMENT: Prevention is the only treatment, for when the worms once
enter the digestive canal, it is impossible to remove them.
FOUNDER
CAUSE: Overeating or drinking--in fact, any irritation of the stomach or
intestines is liable to be followed by Founder, owing to the similarity
in the sensitive structure of the foot, skin, and mucous membranes.
Horses with weak feet are predisposed to Founder, but it may also occur
in strong-footed animals. Founder is also produced by driving an animal
on a hot summer day and then placing in the stable where the sweat is
suddenly checked by drafts, etc.
SYMPTOMS: The horse is stiff, and moves with great difficulty; he will
generally, though not always, remain standing. Throws weight upon the
heel of the foot to relieve the toe, and if an effort is made to back
him he will drag his feet. Excessive heat is present at the top of the
hoof, and a throbbing of the arteries may be felt. When the fore feet
only are affected, the horse will relieve them of as much weight as
possible when walking by placing the hind feet well under the body,
which results in a peculiar jumping motion. Founder may occur in all
four feet, but the fore feet are more often affected than the hind ones.
Mares sometimes founder after giving birth to a colt, due to
inflammation of the womb; symptoms correspond to those of common
Founder. Founder may be mistaken for disease of the lungs or kidneys,
owing to the standing position and arched back. Veterinarians have been
known to mistake it for lung fever; the services of such men are
dangerous and should be avoided.
TREATMENT: In all cases of Founder, administer Potassi Iodide, one
ounce; Soda Bicarbonate, four ounces; Potassi Nitrate, four ounces. Mix
and give one tablespoonful in drinking water every six hours. If the
animal will not take it in its water, place in gelatin capsule and give
with capsule gun.
Find out the true cause of the disease, if possible, and perhaps a
physic will be indicated, containing Aloin, two drams; Ginger, two
drams; place it in a capsule and give with capsule gun. If desired
results are not obtained in eighteen hours, repeat the dose until there
is an action of the bowels. Founder following excessive irritation of
the stomach and intestines, or mares heavy with foal, should not receive
physics. Feed food that is easily digested, as carrots, kale, apples,
potatoes, hot bran mashes, or steamed rolled oats, etc.
It is well to elevate the hind quarters and give rectal injections of
Warm Water and Glycerine. Stand in mud or water, or apply bags
containing mud, bran or ice; in fact, anything that will have a cool,
moist effect on the feet.
After the inflammation of the feet has subsided, and the animal walks
fairly well, you should apply a blister containing Red Iodide of
Mercury, two drams; Lard, two ounces, around the top of the hoofs, and
rub in well twice forty-eight hours apart. In some cases of Founder it
is recommended to bleed the animal in the foot. If this is attempted,
good disinfectants should be used, as lock-jaw might follow.
GALLS
CAUSE: Injuries from ill-fitting collars, saddles, harness, hobbles and
scalping-boots.
TREATMENT: Remove the cause. Never wash a Gall with water, as this
prevents its healing, nor use oils or salves, as they accumulate dirt,
dust and germs, which may cause infection. The following application
makes a very valuable dressing for Galls: Boracic Acid, one ounce; Corn
Starch, one ounce; Tannic Acid, one-half ounce; Iodoform, one dram.
Powder finely and place in sifter-top can. Dust on Gall before going to
work and on retiring. This heals and refreshes the Galls and wounds by
forming a smooth surface over the part, which permits it to heal while
the horse works.
GREASE HEEL
CAUSE: Parasitic fungi invading cracked heels.
SYMPTOMS: Offensive discharge from the glands under the skin, and if not
properly treated, red spots will appear, and the yellow discharge will
form a hard crust sticking to the roots of the hair.
TREATMENT: Cleanliness is one of the most important measures. Also, good
nourishing food. If the skin is swollen and tender, poultice with hot
Flaxseed Meal or bran. After the swelling and tenderness have abated,
wash well with good Castile Soap and Warm Water. Dry with clean cloth
and apply the following mixture: Calomel, one dram; Iodoform, one dram;
Boracic Acid, one ounce. Mix well and apply two to three times a day.
Feed green grass, carrots, kale, apples, or potatoes if possible, also
feed hot bran mashes. In all cases of Grease Heel give the following
physic: Aloin, two drams; Pulv. Ginger, two drams. Place in a capsule
and give with capsule gun. A physic has a very good effect on the blood,
which assists materially in healing the cracks and nodules that appear
in Grease Heel.
[Illustration: Photograph of horse.]
BELGIAN STALLION BELVEDERE, FIRST PRIZE WINNER.
Owned by Crawford & Griffin, Newton, Iowa.
GLANDERS OR FARCY
CAUSE: Due to a specific germ called the Bacillus Malleii, or Bacillus
of Glanders. Glanders, or Farcy, is very contagious, and is
transmissible to man as well as animals. Cattle and sheep alone are
immune. The disease may be contracted at watering troughs, stables,
horseshoeing shops, in boats, trains and by harness, bits, curry combs,
bedding, pails, etc., as well as by direct contact with a diseased
animal.
SYMPTOMS: Animal does not thrive although the appetite is good at times;
loss of flesh, and is subject to sweats, the hair looks rough, the
temperature increasing slightly, perhaps two degrees, a cough is
generally present. Legs and abdomen are swollen; discharge from the
nose, sometimes tinged with blood and very sticky, the membranes of the
nose look dusty, and ulcers or spots are visible if closely examined.
The glands under the back of the ears and between the jaws are hard,
lumpy and swollen.
In addition to the above symptoms, Farcy affects the skin by producing
swellings, or nodules, varying from the size of a pea to that of a
hickory nut (called Farcy buds, or Farcy buttons), which are found
inside of the hind legs under the abdomen, on the side of the chest;
shoulder and neck, also around the nose, lips and face. Generally there
is a discharge of greenish-yellow pus, which is very sticky.
Glanders, or Farcy, may be mistaken for nasal catarrh, nasal gleet,
ulcerated teeth, nettle rash, lymphangitis, distemper, etc. Fortunately,
this dreaded disease is not very prevalent in this country, as every
precaution has been taken to stamp it out.
NO TREATMENT: If at any time you have reason to think one of your
animals has the disease, or even a neighbor's, or a transient horse,
exhibits the symptoms, it is your duty to report the fact to the State
Veterinarian at once. You will do this if you have your own welfare and
that of your neighborhood at heart.
HEAVES
(Emphysema of the Lungs)
CAUSE: Fast or heavy work. It may follow Lung Fever or Pleurisy, or the
animal may inherit weakness in the walls of the air-cells of the lungs.
A very common cause is feeding dusty or dirty hay, or bulky food. Horses
that are accustomed to eating ravenously are often victims of Heaves.
SYMPTOMS: Disease may develop slowly or rapidly. When the animal is at
rest, the air is taken into the lungs in a more or less normal manner,
but is expelled by two distinct efforts, the abdominal muscles aiding
the lungs in expiration, as may be seen by the heaving of the flank; the
movement of the ribs in breathing is scarcely noticeable in a heavy
horse. A healthy animal, when at rest, will throw the air from the lungs
in a single effort. The difficulty in breathing is constant and
increases in proportion to the amount of food in the stomach and
intestines. At the beginning of the attack there is a spasmodic cough,
which is more or less intermittent; this develops later into a short,
weak, suppressed cough, as if the animal lacked strength in his chest to
expel a full breath, often accompanied by expulsion of wind from the
anus, which is somewhat protruded.
TREATMENT: Feed good, nourishing food, but nothing that is of a bulky
nature. Feed more grain and less hay, which should be dampened with
water if dusty. Do not feed dusty, musty or bulky food, but give plenty
of potatoes, apples, kale and green grass. Have your druggist make you
up one quart of Fowler's Solution of Arsenic, omitting the Tincture of
Lavender. This is soothing to the organs of breathing, and should be
given two tablespoonfuls three times a day on the feed. After a week or
ten days you might increase the dose slightly. Although this will make
the horse work much better, do not give it with the hope of effecting a
complete cure, as very few cases recover fully from this disease.
HORSE DENTISTRY
This is a very important branch of Veterinary Science, although, if I
were to go into detail on the subject, it would require the writing of
an individual volume. This science requires considerable practice. The
price of special costly instruments would prohibit the average stockman
from doing his own dentistry.
My advice is to secure nothing but the services of a qualified
Veterinarian, who has had privileges of a thorough knowledge of
Veterinary Science.
The art of animal dentistry has been abused by the owners of stock
allowing the services of irresponsible men in the veterinary profession,
who do not look to the betterment of the animal's condition. The owner
of the animal, not being able to see the condition of the animal's teeth
for himself, is persuaded into having the animal's teeth worked on
regardless of whether it is needed or not. The quack or transient
Veterinarian will pull and crack healthy, sound teeth, and also lacerate
the poor animal's mouth. Be sure the Veterinarian employed for this
purpose is competent.
INFLUENZA
(Pink Eye-Epizootic Catarrh)
CAUSE: Influenza is a specific and infectious fever, which shows a
marked tendency to rapidly spread over a large area of country. It
generally appears suddenly, without, preliminary symptoms, and may
become fully developed in twenty-four hours.
SYMPTOMS: The usual symptoms are those of Catarrh, although the bowels,
lungs and brain complications may be present, either singly or combined.
It always gives rise to great weakness. The distinguishing
characteristics of Influenza from Distemper, Sore Throat, and other
diseases affecting the organs of breathing, are the suddenness of the
attack, rise of temperature, varying from 103 to 106 degrees F., pulse
feeble and fast, and a pinkish, swollen appearance of the inside of the
eyelids. The animal is dull, in some cases almost unconscious. Sometimes
the legs are very stiff and swollen, and there is great difficulty in
moving about.
TREATMENT: Place the affected animal in a clean, well ventilated stall,
avoid drafts, give pure water to drink with chill taken off, in small
quantities but often. Blanket if the weather is chilly, hand rub the
legs and bandage, give Quinine, two drams, in a gelatin capsule with
capsule gun every four hours. In addition to the above, administer the
treatment recommended for Acute and Chronic Coughs.
Feed good, nutritious food that has a laxative effect on the bowels, as
it is dangerous to give horses physic with this disease. Hot bran
mashes, steamed rolled oats and vegetables are very beneficial.
LAMPAS
CAUSE: In young horses it is commonly caused by cutting teeth. In older
animals it is usually due to indigestion.
SYMPTOMS: A puffy swelling and redness of the gums. The animal may have
difficulty in eating.
TREATMENT: In young animals, when cutting teeth, let nature take its
course, but when an animal is five years or over, place two drams of
Aloin, and two drams of Pulv. Ginger, in a gelatin capsule and
administer with capsule gun. Then tone up the digestive organs by mixing
one ounce of Pulv. Gentian Root, one ounce of Pulv. Nux Vomica, four
ounces of Bicarbonate of Soda. Make into eight powders and give one
powder in feed twice daily, or place in gelatin capsule and administer
with capsule gun.
LEECHES
(Haemopis)
The leeches which suck the blood of the horse may be divided into two
classes, the external parasites which attach themselves to the skin of
the legs and adjacent parts of the horse, and the Haemopis Sanguisuga,
and others of this class, which, not being able to penetrate the skin,
endeavor to enter the mouth or nostrils of the horse when he is drinking
or grazing in wet and leech-infected pastures. They sometimes cling to
the mucous membrane of the eyes. The horse leech, which lives in the
water, usually gains access to the mouth and nostrils of the animal,
when young and not more than one-tenth of an inch long. They rarely go
beyond the air and food passages, generally fastening themselves to the
walls of the windpipe and gullet, where they cling till the animal dies
from loss of blood or suffocation. They often cause bleeding from the
mouth and nostrils, and may be seen by close examination.
TREATMENT: Endeavor to build up the condition of the animal with
suitable food. Also feed liberal quantities of stock salt. Where the
leeches cling tightly to the mucous membranes of the mouth and nostrils,
it is well to cause the horse to inhale the vapor from hot water
containing turpentine.
LOCK-JAW
(Tetanus)
CAUSE: The bacilli of Tetanus are widely distributed and can be found in
practically every part of the globe. Their favorite place of production,
however, is in barn yards and marshy ground. They are frequently
swallowed by stock along with forage, and can often be found in recently
expelled feces. The most favorable temperature for their development is
about 70 degrees F. They act by means of extremely virulent poisons
which they produce, and which causes the terrible symptoms that are
characteristic of the disease.
SYMPTOMS: The muscles of expression are usually the first brought under
the continual spasm of tetanus, and when thus affected give the face of
the animal a pinched and drawn-in appearance. The other muscles of the
head and those of the neck are next attacked. The mouth is closed, the
nose poked out, the head elevated. The muscles of breathing, and those
of the limbs, become contracted so that the neck is hollowed, and the
tail is raised, the horse stands with outstretched limbs. The animal
shows great stiffness or rigidity in attempted movements. The eyes are
sunken, and when startled or excited, the breathing is quickened and the
flanks have a wrinkled or corrugated appearance. Death may quickly occur
from continuous spasms of the muscles of the throat. Another sign is the
flying up of the accessory eyelid when the animal is excited.
TREATMENT: If noticed in its first stages, and if the animal is able to
eat, secure the services of an accomplished Veterinarian and insist on
the use of fresh vaccine. This disease is almost impossible to cure, and
about ninety per cent die.
LUNG FEVER
(Pneumonia)