232 



The Diseases of Animals 



seriously and permanently lame. In a majority of 

 cases, spavins can be treated successfully, the lameness 

 will disappear, and the horse can perform ordinary 

 labor with little, if any, inconvenience. 



Occult spavins, when there is no visible bony bunch, 

 are difficult to remedy. After the joint is well knit 

 together and the lameness disappears, the exostosis, or 

 bunch, will usually be absorbed and disappear. A light 

 blister, rubbed on occasionally, will assist in remov- 

 ing it. 



Bog -spavin is a very different dis- 

 ease and is separately treated near 

 the end of this Chapter (page 238). 



RING-BONE 



This name is applied to the same 

 condition as a spavin, except that it 

 occurs on the pastern -joint, rarely 

 the coffin -joint, on any one of the 

 four legs. There is inflammation of 



the joint, followed by eXOStOsis, and Fig. 45. Ring-bone on bones 



usually by anchylosis, or welding to- of the *> astern ^ int - 

 gether of the large and small pastern -bones. In many 

 cases there is no "ring" of bone around the joint, only 

 a bony bunch at one or on both sides of the joint. Figs. 

 45 and 46. The predisposing causes of ring-bone are 

 long, oblique or very short straight pasterns. There 

 may be, also, an hereditary tendency to the disease. 

 The exciting causes are practically the same as those of 

 ispavins, sprains, injuries and concussion. Ring-bone 



