The Veterinarian Part 12

CAUSE: Inhaling irritating gases or foreign bodies. It is commonly seen after drenching from liquid escaping into the windpipe instead of going down the gullet. Animals exposed to cold, wet weather when not accustomed to it frequently develop Bronchitis.

SYMPTOMS: Loss of appet.i.te, chilling, temperature elevated two or three degrees above normal; ears and legs cold, nose hot and dry, breathing short and labored, painful coughing, slight discharge from the nostrils and saliva oozing from the mouth. If the ear is placed over the lower portion of the neck, a crepitating sound can be heard.

TREATMENT: Place the animal in a clean, comfortable stall where there is pure air and light but no drafts. Clothe the body if the weather is cold. Hand rub the legs and bandage with woolen cloths. Give inhalations of steam from Hot Water and Pine Tar for twenty minutes two or three times a day. Also administer Nux Vomica, four ounces; Ginger, four ounces; Nitrate of Potash, four ounces. Make into sixteen capsules and give one capsule every four hours. Applications of the following liniment are of some value: Aqua Ammonia Fort., three ounces; Oil of Turpentine, three ounces; Sweet Oil, six ounces. Apply over the region of the windpipe the full length of the neck.

CALF SCOURS

(Cholera--White Scours--b.l.o.o.d.y Flux)

CAUSE: It is produced by a specific germ and is communicated by direct or indirect contact with the germ which may gain entrance into the blood by the umbilical cord at or shortly after birth or through the digestive ca.n.a.l by drinking milk or eating food contaminated with the disease-producing germ. The more common means of spreading the disease is through pails, drinking troughs, etc.

SYMPTOMS: One of the most deadly forms of Diarrhoea. This usually appears a few days after birth, although in some cases it takes several days for it to develop. Every sign of Diarrhoea is present, as frequent pa.s.sages of feces of a yellowish-white color, frothy and very offensive in odor. The calf is very dull, weak, back arched, hair rough, eyes gla.s.sy and sunken back in their sockets, belly retracted, breathing short and fast. The calf finally lies flat on the side, head resting on the floor or ground with a temperature generally below normal. The calf finally becomes unconscious and death follows.

TREATMENT: Give Protan, three ounces; Zinc Sulphocarbolates, eight grains; Gum Catechu, powdered, two ounces; Ginger, one ounce; Beechwood Creosote, one dram. Make into eight capsules and give one capsule every two hours until relieved. When the calf will take its feed, if not nursing its mother, see that the milk is pure and the utensil containing it thoroughly scalded with hot water. Keep the animal in clean, sanitary quarters, as quiet as possible for a few days, and if the disease is not too far advanced a good recovery will follow.

CALVING

Signs of Normal Calving are firmness and enlargement of the udder, extending well forward following the milk veins. The teats as a rule discharge a thin milky fluid, relaxation of the muscles on each side of the croup or the base of the tail. The outer surface of the womb becomes swollen and inflamed, discharging sticky, stringy, transparent mucus.

The cow becomes uneasy, stops eating, and if in a pasture becomes separated from the rest of the herd; will lie down and get up alternately as if in great agony. When birth pains start, the back is arched, and a severe straining follows the contraction of the abdominal muscles. The membranes covering the foetus will be the first to make their appearance, engorged with a fluid from the womb. This is commonly known as the water bag, which eventually bursts and the two fore feet can be seen, and, as the animal continues to strain, the nose and head will be next to be seen. When the calf's shoulders are exposed, the cow as a rule rises suddenly to her feet and the entire calf is expelled, also the membranes surrounding it, but the membranes next to the womb, as a general rule, remain longer and sometimes require artificial a.s.sistance to remove them. (See Retention of the Afterbirth.) Destroy the foetal membranes by burning or burying them deeply. Do not permit the cow to eat them. Wash the calf's navel with Bichloride of Mercury, one part to one thousand parts water, once or twice a day until the navel is thoroughly dry, as an infection may follow, producing Joint Ill or Scours, from which death may result.

ABNORMAL CALVING: This is a condition where the foetus is not normally presented, as that just described. Their feet may be presented in a normal manner, but the head and neck twisted back or to one side, or the head and one fore foot may be presented normally, while the other fore foot is doubled back, or there may be a breech presentation as the rump of a foetus with both hind feet thrown close to its body. This is a very difficult presentation, especially if in a young animal. A foetus abnormally presented requires good judgment and cleanliness, also lubrication of the walls of the womb with unsalted Lard, Cotton or Sweet Oil. Endeavor to place the foetus in as near a normal position as possible before any force is used in its delivery, although where both hind feet are presented, it is advisable to remove it in this position.

The hands and ropes should be clean and washed with a five per cent solution of Carbolic Acid. It is not only dangerous to the animal, but to the operator as well, if proper antiseptic precautions are not practiced.

s.p.a.ce does not permit me going into details on various foetal presentations nor does it permit me to explain the exact methods or operations I would use in each particular case. Nevertheless, good judgment and cleanliness are important. Do not hurry. Take your time, and you will be successful in most cases.

When the foetus is removed, and the afterbirth does not come away within twelve or eighteen hours, remove it. (See Retention of Afterbirth, which will describe its means of attachment and its removal.)

CASTING THE WITHERS

(Eversion of the Womb)

CAUSE: Failure of the womb to contract after Calving. If the womb contracts naturally and the afterbirth expelled, the cavity of the womb is nearly closed and the neck of the womb becomes so narrow that the hand cannot be inserted. When the womb fails to contract, one or both horns of the womb become so relaxed that they fall into the cavity causing straining and contraction of the abdominal muscles, forcing the womb out gradually until the organ is turned inside out. The womb can be easily distinguished from the other membranes on account of the presence of sixty to eighty mushroom-like bodies (cotyledons) two to four inches in diameter attached to the walls of the womb by a narrow neck. The womb when hanging out becomes engorged with blood and inflamed until it is as large as a grain sack, very dark in color, tears and bleeds with the slightest touch. Later it becomes lacerated and gangrenous.

SYMPTOMS: At first, the general health is not very much interfered with, but the inflammation which is marked by an elevation in temperature becomes very noticeable, accompanied by severe straining and exhaustion.

The animal lies down, but continues to strain until death, unless relief is afforded the animal at once.

TREATMENT: Great care must be exercised. The parts of the womb coming in contact with the cow's hips, tail or floors must be thoroughly washed with a five per cent solution of Carbolic Acid, using a soft cloth or sponge to remove dirt, clots, etc. Place the cow in a position so as to have her hind quarters much higher than the head, and then endeavor to replace the womb. After washing as stated above, bandage the tail with a clean cloth; have an a.s.sistant hold up the womb and the operator use gentle manipulation and pressure with clean hands; this perhaps is the best method of replacing the womb. Then follow by flushing out the womb with a weak Carbolic Acid solution and luke warm water. This has a tendency to straighten out the horns of the uterus and prevent infection. If the cow continues to strain, give Pota.s.sium Bromide in ounce doses every two or three hours in her drinking water, or place in capsule and give with capsule gun.

Sometimes stimulants and tonics are necessary and the following will be found very effective: Pulv. Nux Vomica, four ounces; Pulv. Gentian Root, four ounces; Pulv. Ferri Sulphate, four ounces. Make into sixteen capsules and give one capsule every six hours with capsule gun.

It is well to compel the animal to stand or lie with the hind parts elevated, until the signs of straining have ceased.

CATARACT OF THE EYE

CAUSE: Is due to deep seated inflammation of the eye produced by an injury or weakened condition of the optic nerve.

SYMPTOMS: If the pupil of one of the eyes appears larger than the other it is well to make a careful examination, as this is the first sign of Cataract. If such a condition is neglected, partial or complete blindness will follow and a white, pearly deposit can be seen on the lens of the eye.

TREATMENT: Very unsatisfactory unless treated carefully when the first signs are noticed. Place the animal in a darkened stable. Feed clean, sloppy food and it may be necessary to give a physic consisting of two drams of Aloin, two drams of Pulv. Ginger, placed in a capsule and given with capsule gun. The following ointment, Yellow Oxide of Mercury, four grains; Lanolin, one ounce, should be mixed well and applied to the eye two or three times a day.

CATARRH

CAUSE: Ill ventilated stables, inhalations of irritating gases or sudden exposure to cold, wet weather, after being accustomed to warm stables.

Most commonly seen in the Spring or Fall.

SYMPTOMS: Chilling and temperature elevated one or two degrees, pulse not much affected, breathing hurried to some extent, sneezing, coughing, dullness and the appet.i.te is slightly impaired. In the first stages the nostrils are very dry and considerably inflamed, but in the course of a few days the fever subsides and a profuse discharge from the nose is observed.

TREATMENT: Place the animal in dry, well ventilated stall, blanket well and supply a good quality and quant.i.ty of bedding. Give inhalations from steam and hot water and Pine Tar. If the animal is constipated, give rectal injections of Soap and Warm Water two or three times a day. Also administer Pota.s.sium Nitrate, Pulv. Nux Vomica, each four ounces; Capsic.u.m, two ounces, and Pulv. Ginger two ounces. Make into twenty-four capsules and give one capsule three or four times a day. This should not be neglected, as neglected Catarrh is liable to be followed by Laryngitis, Bronchitis, Pneumonia, Pleurisy or other diseases of the organs of breathing, which are very serious and sometimes cause the death of the animal.

CHAPPED TEATS

CAUSE: Anything that tends to irritate them. A sudden chilling of the teat in cold weather after the calf has just let it go, or after the operation of milking with wet hands or from an animal wading through deep water or tall wet gra.s.s. Also filth or irritants coming in contact with teats when lying down.

TREATMENT: Remove the cause if possible and dry the teats well after each milking and apply Zinc Oxide ointment. Feed laxative food that is easily digested, as it has a very good effect on the blood, consequently it promotes the healing of wounds.

CHOKING

(Obstruction of the Esophagus)

CAUSE: An obstruction of the Esophagus (gullet) produced by an animal attempting to swallow apples, potatoes, roots, dry grain, etc.

SYMPTOMS: A stringy discharge of saliva from the mouth, violent coughing, wrenching of the head and neck. The animal will bloat very quickly if the Esophagus or gullet is completely obstructed.

TREATMENT: The obstruction as a rule is easily located, and as quickly as possible withdraw the obstruction by inserting the hand and extracting the object. Do not attempt to push the object down into the stomach, except as a last resort, as there is a great deal of danger of rupturing the Esophagus or gullet. Push the object upward by gentle manipulation from the outside. If this fails, a smooth piece of hose about eight or nine feet long, well greased with Lard, b.u.t.ter or Oil, should be pa.s.sed down the Esophagus or gullet. A block of wood about two inches in diameter with a hole bored through the center just a little larger than the hose, placed in the mouth, will prevent the animal from biting the hose, and make the operation easier.

When the animal is bloated severely, puncture with a knife about four or five inches from the point of the hip downward and forward.

CHRONIC DYSENTERY

(Bacterial Dysentery--Jones Disease)

CAUSE: Acid-fast Bacillus resembling the Tubercular Bacillus that invade the intestines by the way of the animal drinking water or eating food containing the Acid-fast Bacteria.