Part 6

TREATMENT.—Withhold all food for twenty-four hours, then place the following drugs in a gelatin capsule: Calomel, two drams, Barbadoes Aloes, three drams; Ferri Sulphate, two drams. Give with capsule gun. Also place the following tonic in their feed: Pulv. Quassia, one ounce; Ferri Sulphate, two ounces; Pulv. Anise Seed, two ounces. Mix and make sixteen powders. Give one powder two or three times a day in the feed.

RHEUMATISM.

CAUSE.—Exposure to cold rains, drafts, lying on damp ground when the blood is in poor condition. Also due to over-stimulating food.

SYMPTOMS.—Lameness, swelling or soreness which may shift from one place to another, then finally locate in or near one of the joints of the limbs.

TREATMENT.—Take away all grains and feed laxative foods such as potatoes, carrots, apples, kale and good hay. If the weather is warm turn out to pasture, but confine in warm stable at night. It is advisable to give a physic, as Aloin, two drams; Gentian, one dram; Ginger, one dram. Place in gelatin capsule and give at one dose with capsule gun, as its action on the blood has a very good effect. When the swellings are painful, apply Camphorated Liniment once or twice daily. Also, administer the following tonic: Potassi Iodide, one ounce; Nitrate of Potash, two ounces; Chlorate of Potash, two ounces; Pulv. Gentian Root, one ounce; Ferri Sulphate, one ounce; Pulv. Anise Seed, four ounces. Mix well and make into twenty powders. Give one powder three times a day in bran or place in capsule and give with capsule gun.

RING BONE.

CAUSE.—Faulty conformation—a narrow or straight pastern joint is considered faulty. Be very careful in selecting a sire when breeding, as faulty conformation is hereditary. Ringbone may also result when young animals are put to work on hard roads, or running in stony pastures sometimes produces Ringbone before the bones have become properly hardened. Other causes are injury to tendons or ligaments, bruised joints, blows, calking, or picking up a nail.

SYMPTOMS.—Lameness will manifest itself when the horse first starts out in the morning; this may become less noticeable or even disappear temporarily as the animal works. They gradually grow lamer and examination will disclose an enlargement at or around the top of the hoof. This may appear in one or more feet, but the front feet are more often affected.

TREATMENT.—If the Ringbone is very much inflamed, reduce the heat by applying cold water or ice packs to the part. Clip off all hair from around the top of the hoof and rub in well for twenty minutes the following: Red Iodide of Mercury, two drams; Pulv. Cantharides, two drams; Turpentine, one dram; Pine Tar, two drams, and mix in two ounces of Lard. Apply the ointment every two days for a week and repeat same treatment in two weeks. Keeping the animal as quiet as possible will hasten its recovery. If the animal is comparatively young, recovery is certain, although the enlargement may never disappear.

ROUND WORM.

(_Ascaris Megalcephala_)

Resembles the Earth Worm somewhat in shape, yellowish-white in color, stiff and elastic. When full grown, it varies in length from six to sixteen inches. These worms are usually found in the small intestines, although they sometimes invade the stomach, and when numerous seriously disturb the animal’s health.

SYMPTOMS.—The animal’s general health is affected as is evident from the morbid state of his appetite, rough coat, pot-belly, liability to colic and slight diarrhoea. Some of these worms are often expelled with the feces. As they increase in number, they block up the small intestines, giving rise to colic, and may in time kill the horse. They sometimes cause perforation of the bowels.

TREATMENT.—Withhold all food from eighteen to twenty-four hours, then administer the following: Ferri Sulphate, two drams; Antimony Tartrate, two drams; Pulv. Quassia, two drams. Place in gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun. Follow this from six to eight hours with Aloin, two drams; Ginger, two drams, and give as above directed. It is a good plan to repeat the above treatment in ten days to insure the removal of any worms which may have survived the first treatment.

SCROTAL RUPTURE.

(_Inguinal Hernia_)

CAUSE.—Abnormal size of the upper ring through which a part of the intestines or its connecting membrane descends into and through the canal leading from the abdomen to the scrotal cavity. There is little danger of strangulation from this form of rupture which may occur at birth and disappear with age. A careful examination should therefore be made of the scrotum before castration.

SYMPTOMS.—In most cases, this condition is easily detected. The scrotum will be somewhat enlarged. Sometimes the intestines will become strangulated and colicky symptoms appear. When a young male colt shows signs of colic, examine him for Scrotal Rupture.

TREATMENT.—The trouble usually disappears with age although in some cases it is well to operate. Where colicky symptoms are present, roll the colt on its back, manipulating the scrotum. Diet carefully.

SHOE BOIL.

CAUSE.—Injuries, bruises or pressure when lying on a rough floor. Sharp heeled shoes and kicks also have a tendency to produce it.

SYMPTOMS.—A hot painful swelling of the Elbow joint when first noticed. When neglected, it takes on a white fibrous or callous growth.

TREATMENT.—First remove the cause. Do not lance the enlargement; let it come to a head of its own accord, by applying Red Iodide of Mercury, two drams; Pulv. Cantharides, three drams; Lard, two ounces. Mix well together and apply twice a week. When the swelling is hot and painful it is well to apply cold water or ice packs before applying the above mentioned prescription.

SPLINTS.

CAUSE.—This disease is chiefly produced by trotting or running on hard ground, etc. It is evident that horses with high knee action and heavy bodies are more liable to this disease. Jumping is also a common cause of splints, but the more accustomed a horse is to jumping the less liable he is to throw splints, because practice teaches the animal to regulate his movements so as to more or less diminish the disagreeable if not actually painful effect of concussion.

SYMPTOMS.—A splint is detected by grasping the horse’s leg with the fingers upon one side and the thumb upon the other, and tracing the inner and outer splint bones from their heads downward to their tapering extremities. Any actual enlargement will at once arrest the hand; any rising or irregularity will create suspicion and lead to close examination. Horses, especially young ones which have lately been put to work, not infrequently develop splints before any swelling appears. For this reason, in examining a case of obscure lameness, particularly if the animal is young, do not fail to look for the sign of splint lameness, namely; that the lameness is abnormally greater at a trot than at a walk and that the animal usually fails to bend the knees freely and grows worse with exercise. The last mentioned condition is also present with corns, but an examination of the foot will determine the question of their existence. In young horses splints are sometimes mistaken for coffin-joint lameness or navicular disease. To avoid this error, it should be remembered that, when brought on by navicular disease, the action of the limb improves with exercise; also that horses of five years of age or less very rarely suffer from coffin-joint disease. Some horses, owing to unusual development of the inner splint bones of the fore legs may appear to have splints, although careful examination may prove both limbs to be free from any bony deposit. When deciding such a point, note if the two inner splint bones are of the same size. Any swelling perceptible in a limb recently affected with splint-lameness is usually attended by heat and pain.

TREATMENT.—If there is heat present, foment with hot or cold water; when heat has subsided, apply the following ointment: Red Iodide of Mercury, two drams; Turpentine, twenty drops; Lard two ounces, and mix. Apply every forty-eight hours until three applications have been applied. Rub in for twenty minutes each time.

During this treatment use the horse for slow work on soft roads, etc. As a rule the splints will not disappear at once, but gradually. I may add that common splints are not considered an unsoundness.

SPASMODIC COLIC.

CAUSE.—Horses seem to be predisposed to this form of colic on account of the great length of their intestines which are apt to be telescoped, twisted or their circular muscular fibers spasmodically contracted. Perhaps the principal cause is a change of food, sudden change of temperature, constipation, drinking cold or too large a quantity of water, especially if the animal is warm; overloading the stomach with frozen or mouldy food. Worms frequently produce colic.

SYMPTOMS.—If the animal is tied it will become uneasy, paw, point its nose to the flank, twitch the tail, lie down and get up frequently. If the animal is loose it will walk around, paw, kick at its belly with the hind feet, make attempts to lie down, roll on its back and remain in that position for a while. The pulse increases with the pain, temperature rises from one-half to one degree, breathing labored and fast, the animal sweats in spots, there may be diarrhoea present, but this does not frequently occur.

Unfavorable symptoms of spasmodic colic are cold legs to the feet, points of the ears cold, trembling of the muscles, cold sweats, mucous membranes of the nose, mouth and eyes have a dark color due to the congestion.

TREATMENT.—In all cases of spasmodic colic, except where there is diarrhoea present or mares heavily in foal, give Aloin, two drams; Ginger, two drams. Place in gelatine capsule and give with capsule gun. It is advisable to give rectal injection of Warm Water and Glycerine. They are soothing and cooling to the intestinal canal. Also give the following prescription: Pulv. Nux Vomica, four ounces; Carbonate of Ammonia, four ounces; Asafoetida, four ounces. Make into six powders; place one powder in gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun every two hours until relieved. The former prescription removes the cause as it is a physic. The latter contains medicines blended so as to counteract the spasmodic contractions of the bowels. It is also a heart stimulant, just what is needed in colic to keep up the animal’s vitality. Beware of colic remedies that are given in drop doses. They contain drugs to relieve the pain only and do not remove the cause. When their effects are worn off, the disease has progressed; the animal’s heart action has been weakened and chances are that the animal will die. If drenching is resorted to, it must be done with great precaution. Remember a horse cannot breathe through its mouth.

SIDE BONES.

CAUSE.—The chief causes of Side Bones are: Deprivation of frog pressure, injuries, high heeled shoes, the use of which is almost entirely confined to draft horses. A high heeled shoe prevents the frog from resting on the ground which is its natural support.

SYMPTOMS.—Enlargement just above the hoof, usually affecting the front feet, or may affect only one side of one of the feet. The pain which produces the lameness is due to pressure on the soft tissues between the newly formed side bone and the hoof. Sometimes the enlargement has a tendency to spread the hoof. In such a case the lameness is not so severe.

TREATMENT.—Clip the hair from over the Side Bone and rasp the foot below the enlargement, so that the hoof will be flexible on pressure from the fingers. Then apply the following to both the enlargement and the rasped surface of the hoof: Red Iodide of Mercury, two drams; Pulv. Cantharides, four drams. Mix well in two ounces of Lard and apply every forty-eight hours until three applications have been applied.

If you must work the animal, put it to some easy work where it has soft ground to walk upon.

STAGGERS.

(_Forage Poisoning—Inflammation of the Brain_)

(_Cerebral Meningitis_)

CAUSE.—Certain plants or stagnant water are most commonly instrumental in producing staggers; frequently seen in the early autumn months when the grass in the pastures becomes dry and certain forage remains green which contains toxic principles. These plants are ravenously eaten by horses on account of being green and tender. This is one of the common causes of the disease, although moldy, indigestible or highly nitrogenous foods are frequently productive of staggers. This form of staggers is not contagious, although what produces staggers in one horse will also produce it in another. In this way several horses may become affected with staggers at the same time. Inflammation of the brain may occur as a complication of some infectious or digestive disease. Other causes are blows on the head, tumors in or on the brain, which naturally cause the animal to stagger, as the brain controls the horse’s power of locomotion.

SYMPTOMS.—These vary to a certain extent, but a careful observer will detect some trouble connected with the nervous system, as the animal walking unsteadily, stepping high and keeping the legs spread apart, bracing itself to keep from falling. There is also great depression, dullness and sleepiness with little or no inclination to move about. The head may be placed against a wall or fence and the legs kept moving as if the horse were trying to walk. As the disease progresses and no attempts are made to relieve it, they will become fractious, nervous, easily excited, pawing and eventually fall, keeping the feet moving as if walking, throwing their heads about in a delirious manner and eventually death follows. The horse as a rule eats and drinks ravenously when the first signs of staggers are noticed, but in its latter stages the tongue and gullet become paralyzed and although the animal attempts to eat and drink he cannot swallow. The pulse varies. It is strong, but subnormal when the first symptoms of staggers are noticed, that is to say, it is as slow as twenty to twenty-five beats per minute. As the disease progresses, however, it becomes weaker and faster. Constipation frequently accompanies this disease, also paleness tinged with yellow about the mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes. In many instances I believe that the poisonous forage eaten by horses depresses the heart action to such an extent that it results in the brain not receiving the proper blood supply, causing dizziness or staggers.

TREATMENT.—Place the animal in a clean, dark stall, keeping the surroundings as quiet as possible. In its first stages it is easily treated, but as the horse becomes easily excited and his swallowing becomes difficult, treatment becomes more difficult. When the first signs are noticed, administer a physic as: Aloin, two or three drams; Ginger, two or three drams, according to the size of the animal. Place in gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun. This physic removes the irritant from the intestines and prevents its absorption into the blood. Also administer the following: Bromide of Potassium, twelve ounces; Nitrate of Potash, four ounces; Iodide of Potash, three ounces. Make into twenty-four capsules and give one capsule every four hours.

My method of administering medicine to animals places me in a position to treat them and compel them to take the medicine even though paralysis may exist. When animals will eat, feed food that is easily digested, as hot wheat bran mashes, steamed rolled oats and vegetables and give small quantities, but not often, of clean fresh water. It is necessary to give stimulants and tonics as soon as they are on the road to recovery, as Pulv. Nux Vomica, four ounces; Pulv. Gentian Root, four ounces; Sulphate of Iron, two ounces. Make into sixteen capsules and give one capsule three times daily.

STIFLE JOINT LAMENESS.

(_Dislocation of the Patella_)

Although dislocations are infrequent, this is the most common form which occurs in the horse.

CAUSE.—Young loose jointed horses are predisposed to dislocation of the stifle on account of the comparative want of strength of their ligaments. They are much more liable to this accident than older horses, especially if they are in poor health or in rough hilly pastures; the nature of which would naturally make them susceptible to this injury, which, however, may take place as a result of accident at any age. Young horses that suffer, off and on from dislocation, often lose their liability with increasing strength and age. This dislocation may be partial or complete. In the former instance and the most common is where the patella, or the little stifle bone that glides in the groove composed of the lower hip and upper thigh bones, has become partially dislocated or removed from its natural position.

SYMPTOMS.—When the dislocation is complete the affected limb is drawn forward, while the foot from the pastern down is drawn backward, and the animal may throw weight on it when made to move, which is accomplished with great difficulty. When the dislocation is partial, the symptoms are about the same as mentioned, only the limb is less rigid. If the horse is moved, the stifle makes a clicking sound. In this form both limbs may be affected.

TREATMENT.—In partial dislocation, the stifle bone may be replaced by drawing the leg forward, and with the hand pressing in on the stifle. In complete dislocation, tie a rope around the pastern of the affected leg, then draw the rope through a collar placed around the horse’s neck and draw forward as far as possible and tie. Then press with both hands inward. After the stifle is placed back into position use the following liniment: Aqua Ammonia Fort., four ounces; Oil of Turpentine, four ounces; Raw Linseed Oil, four ounces. Mix and apply well over the stifle joint once or twice a day for two or three days. Feed nourishing food and put the animal to slow, easy work or turn out to good pasture.

In chronic cases of Stifle Joint Lameness, treatment is of no value, therefore, care for the animal as soon as the catch in the walk or lameness appears.

STRING-HALT.

_Cause._—Several theories have been put forth as to the cause of String-Halt which is generally supposed to be a nervous disease; a condition opposite to paralysis. The exact cause of this disease is hard to determine, but it is likely to occur in highly nervous horses. It sometimes follows an injury which may have irritated the nerves in some way. I believe that castration causes it in many instances, due to the severe struggle when being thrown, or pulling down severely on the spermatic cord when removing the testicle.

SYMPTOMS.—Spasmodic contraction of one or both limbs. This sign varies, as sometimes it is very violent, while in others it may be so slight that it is hard to detect when stepping the horse forward, but on backing or turning the horse around the signs are easily noticed. All symptoms are better marked in the winter than in the summer, as some show it in the winter that do not show it in the summer at all.

TREATMENT.—The feeding of laxative foods that are easily digested relieves String-Halt in many instances.

SORE THROAT.

(_Pharyngitis—Laryngitis_)

CAUSE.—Exposure to cold weather or rain when the animal is not accustomed to it; drenching with irritating medicines or inhaling irritating smoke or gases.

SYMPTOMS.—At first the animal generally chills, the legs and ears are cold, but eventually they become very warm as the temperature increases, coughing, grinding of the teeth, saliva oozing from the mouth; the animal will hold its head in a stiff straight position, moving it as little as possible. There will be great difficulty in masticating and swallowing, as the food will come from the mouth in the form of wads, and as this soreness of the throat progresses food will also come from the nostrils. This is a bad sign, as extensive inflammation is no doubt present. Water, also, runs through the nostrils freely when the animal attempts to drink, due to the swollen condition of the throat. The animal forces the water back into the mouth, but is unable to swallow and hence the water gushes out through the nostrils. The animal evinces great pain when pressure is applied from the outside and he breathes with great difficulty. Although the pulse is not much affected at this stage, the temperature is elevated from one to two degrees above normal. The urine becomes scanty and highly colored, the eyes congested and discharging. Eventually the throat becomes greatly swollen and abscesses may form and discharge. As a rule constipation is associated with this disease.

TREATMENT.—Mild attacks of sore throat are easily treated, but when serious cases develop, treatment is unsuccessful. Place the animal in a clean, comfortable stall; permit as much fresh air as possible, but avoid all drafts. If the weather is chilly, blanket the animal, hand rub the legs and bandage with woolen cloths or bandages. Administer a mixture made from Chlorate of Potash, three ounces; Nitrate of Potash, three ounces; Tannic Acid, one-half ounce; Molasses, one-half pint; Pine Tar, one-half pint. Mix well and place about one tablespoonful on the tongue every two hours in severe cases; in mild attacks, give less frequently. When they will eat, feed food that is easily digested, as hot wheat bran mashes and steamed rolled oats containing two or three ounces of pure ground flaxseed. It is always necessary to apply strong liniments to the throat, as they relieve inflammation and stimulate the formation of an abscess. The following liniment will be found very beneficial: Aqua Ammonia Fort., four ounces; Oil of Turpentine, four ounces; Sweet Oil, six ounces; shake well and apply two or three times daily. If the swelling is extreme between the jaws, so as to interfere with the animal’s breathing, it is well to lance the abscess if a soft spot can be found. Just cut through the skin with a knife; then use a clean blunt instrument to locate the pus cavity. Otherwise, severe hemorrhage may be produced.

SURFEIT.

(_Nettle-Rash—Urtecaria_)

CAUSE.—The usual cause of Surfeit is supposed to be due to a character of food consumed which upsets the animal’s digestive organs, the skin being continuous with the mucous membranes lining the intestinal canal. A disturbance of one structure is readily communicated to the other. Apparently, owing to the extremely dry nature of the forage during the greater part of the year, horses in the United States frequently suffer from Surfeit.

SYMPTOMS.—Surfeit is a term applied to an eruption of small irregular humps or boils which are more or less painful to the touch and which break out suddenly as a rule on the horse’s body and neck, and in rare cases on the legs. A favorite seat of Surfeit is the parts covered with the harness or saddle and along the neck and withers. Surfeit is very troublesome and annoys both the horse and driver, especially when the horse perspires, as he will rub violently when coming in contact with any object.

TREATMENT.—Give two to four ounces of Epsom Salts in hot wheat bran mashes every morning. Feed as much sloppy food as possible, vegetables, etc. Avoid feeding dry woody hay, as it irritates the intestines and aggravates the disease.

SWEENEY.

(_Atrophy_)