SECTION XX. 



DISEASES OF RAMS AND 

 WETHERS. 



1. Gravel. 



Urinary calculi cause serious disturbances in 

 rams and wethers, due to the very small caliber 

 of the male urethra, which is only one-sixteenth 

 of an inch in diameter. It has been noticed that 

 the extensive feeding of sugar beets and mangels 

 will cause gravel, and many animals have been 

 lost from this disorder. 



Symptoms: The manifestations of this ailment 

 are very pronounced, though rather hard to dif- 

 ferentiate at the onset. There is sudden loss of 

 appetite; colicky symptoms, with an urinous odor 

 on the breath. Unless slaughtered, the animal 

 soon dies. 



Treatment: Prevention is chiefly to be sought. 

 Mixing a little sodium bicarbonate with the food 

 several times a week is beneficial. Withhold sugar 

 beets or mangels from male sheep. 



2. Hernia. 



Rupture in sheep usually is not diagnosed until 

 after death. It is a rather rare but fatal condition. 

 Only in valuable animals is an operation advis- 

 able. 



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