The Veterinarian Part 5

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 quant.i.ties 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 cla.s.ses, 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 cla.s.s, 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 pa.s.sages, 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 quant.i.ties 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

(Teta.n.u.s)

CAUSE: The bacilli of Teta.n.u.s 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 teta.n.u.s, 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)

CAUSE: Predisposition is largely accountable for this disease, which is more common to young horses than old; also, changes of temperature, introduction of foreign bodies or liquids into the trachea (windpipe) and the bronchial tubes, inhalation of smoke or irritating gases, excitement, exposure to cold after clipping, turning out to pasture from a warm stable, or injury to chest or ribs from being struck with a pole, etc.

SYMPTOMS: Dullness in spirit; animal usually shivers or trembles; when this ceases the temperature rises to perhaps 103 to 106 degrees F., pulse increases to sixty or ninety per minute, full and bounding; breathing short and labored and abnormally quick, increasing to perhaps fifty inspirations per minute, whereas in health it does not exceed twelve or thirteen per minute. A cough is also likely to be present, and the animals remain standing until they are on the road to recovery, or until death takes place. Other symptoms are constipation, feces covered with mucus or slime; urination frequent, scanty and dark in color; appet.i.te poor, but thirst great; the eyes look gla.s.sy and the membranes have an inflamed appearance. It is a good sign if the animal looks about freely. When the critical stage is past the temperature and pulse gradually fall, the appet.i.te returns and the urine becomes more abundant, and takes on its natural color, the cough loosens, and the discharge from the lungs is profuse, and of a yellowish color, and the breathing becomes normal.

TREATMENT: Good care is of the utmost importance. Place the horse in a comfortable, well ventilated stall, being careful to exclude drafts.

Hand rub and bandage the legs with woolen cloth. Blanket the animal, give plenty of bedding and keep pure water before him at all times.

Internally administer Quinine, two ounces; Iodide of Ammonia, two ounces; Ammonia Bicarbonate, two ounces. Mix well and make into sixteen powders. Place powder in gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun every four hours. It is quite necessary that the above remedy should be placed in capsule, as drugs of this nature tend to irritate the throat. Do not give physics, as it is much safer to give laxative food, as hot bran mashes, steam rolled oats or some vegetables, in fact anything the animal will eat, i.e., that has food values. It is advisable to apply over the chest the following liniment; Aqua Ammonia Fort., four ounces; Turpentine, four ounces; Raw Linseed Oil, four ounces. Mix and shake well before applying each time over the chest cavity.

In case the animal is constipated, give rectal injections of soap and warm water containing a few drops of Turpentine.

MANGE

(Scabies)

CAUSE: Mange is a contagious disease, produced by the presence of a small parasite that varies in length from a fiftieth to a hundredth of an inch, according to the species, of which there are three: Sarcoptes, which generally affects the withers; Symbiotes Communis, affecting the legs, and the Psoroptes Communis, which affects horses about the root of the tail and mane. The latter is the one most commonly found affecting horses. They multiply rapidly and are spread from diseased to healthy horses by their bodies coming in contact with one another, or by corrals, stables, railroad cars, etc., recently occupied by mangy horses.

SYMPTOMS: The mange mite attacks the skin and produces a thickness of its outer surface, covering it with crusts and scabs, with a consequent loss of hair. Intense itching accompanies the disease, and affected horses continually bite and rub themselves.

Psoroptic Mange commences at the root of the tail, or at the roots of the mane on the neck or withers, and gradually spreads over the back, up to the head, over the sides, and finally affects the entire body. In cases of long standing the skin becomes ulcerated, the animal becomes greatly weakened, emaciated and finally dies.

TREATMENT: When a large number of horses are affected (in one locality) it is best to prepare a vat and dip them, under the supervision of the United States Bureau of Animal Industry. When just a few horses become affected, the following has proven very effective: Sulphur, eight ounces; Oil of Tar, eight ounces; Sweet Oil, two quarts. Mix and apply liberally to the parts affected. A few applications are generally sufficient to eradicate the disease.

MONDAY MORNING DISEASE

(Lymphangitis)

CAUSE: This ailment is common with hard working horses, and is caused by confining them in the stable and allowing their usual amount of food.

More nutriment is consumed than can be taken up by the system, which causes an irritation. It is frequently found in certain stables on Monday morning, hence its name--Monday Morning Disease.

SYMPTOMS: Swelling and lameness, most usually affecting the hind leg inside of the thigh and extending down the leg in a hard ridge. It will pit on pressure, and cause intense pain; the horse will have difficulty in extending the limb forward, the swelling may surround the leg entirely. Pulse will be fifty to sixty per minute, temperature 102 to 104 degrees F., breathing will be faster than normal. The animal has great thirst, but the appet.i.te is very poor; usually remains standing; if he lies down will have great difficulty in getting up.

TREATMENT: In this particular disease apply hot fomentations to the affected limb or limbs, for one hour, then rub dry and apply Camphorated Liniment. Give Nitrate Pota.s.si, Chlorate of Pota.s.si, Iodide Pota.s.si, each four ounces. Mix and make into thirty-two powders. Give one powder three times a day in drinking water or in a gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun.

In most cases it is advisable to give a physic: Aloin, two drams; Pulv.

Gentian Root, one dram; Ginger, one dram. Place in gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun.

MUD FEVER

CAUSE: Horses driven over muddy roads during the day and exposed to freezing weather at night, or driving them over muddy roads, then washing the limbs and not drying them properly, often produces a superficial inflammation of the legs.