DR. LEGEAR'S STOCK BOOK. 237 



NAIL IN THE FOOT. 



This is a very common occurrence, and though trivial as it 

 seems, at times causes very serious trouble. Unless it penetrates 

 through the sole or frog it never causes any inconvenience. If 

 the nail penetrates the coffin-joint, or injures the bone or ten- 

 don, very serious symptoms are presented. When the joint is 

 injured it causes the most painful and serious injury to which 

 the foot is liable. Sometimes a nail enters the foot one or two 

 inches and very little lameness is shown afterwards. 



Symptoms. It is by no means a very easy thing in all cases to 

 detect a nail in a horse's foot, hence a very close and thorough 

 examination should be made in all cases, or mistakes in diagnosis 

 will be very liable to occur. We have known cases where a horse 

 had a nail in his foot, and the owner would blister his hip or 

 shoulders, thinking he had hip or shoulder lameness. In a ma- 

 jority of cases the nail comes out of itself, which is one reason 

 why we are liable to think the soreness wasn't in the foot. Heat 

 may be felt in the foot above the hoof. In all cases of suspected 

 foot lameness the foot should be gently tapped with a light ham- 

 mer, and if there is much soreness in the foot the horse will 

 flinch and show signs of pain. It is by the hole closing up after 

 the nail comes out, and the matter that forms not being able to 

 escape, that causes the severe pain and lameness. Other objects, 

 such as screws, broken glass, tacks, etc., may penetrate the foot 

 and cause the same trouble that a nail does. Lockjaw is very 

 frequently caused by nails penetrating the feet of horses; the 

 nails being dirty and rusty, carry the germs of the disease into 

 the foot, where they get into the circulation. If by tapping the 

 foot, pain is evinced, the shoe should be taken off and the foot 

 pared down to discover a nail hole if possible. 



