Nursing of Sick Animals. 159 



the eyeball into the socket; the nasal membrane is exam- 

 ined as follows: Hold the lower lip with one hand, with 

 the finger and thumb of the other dilate the nostril. The 

 attendant should note whether the muzzle is dry or moist, 

 the skin hot, dry, tight or harsh, whether shivering or 

 fevered, the patient will also be watched so as to note 

 whether he changes his position often, getting up or lying 

 down, pawing or retching (attempts at vomiting). The 

 condition of the feces and urine whether the former are 

 hard, dry, slimy or coated with mucus, whether worms 

 are seen in the feces will also be noted and reported to 

 the veterinarian, and while the work may seem onerous, 

 attention to details is very essential in the nursing and 

 treatment of veterinary patients. 



The reluctance to eat, absence from the feed trough, 

 hanging behind the flock or herd are all valuable indica- 

 tions to the careful stockman, even the eating of dirt or 

 drinking of dirty water (when clean is supplied) should 

 be looked into and the cause found. 



Symptoms are generally more or less plentiful and only 

 need cultivation of one's powers of observation to detect 

 them, consequently we should expect that the person 

 most frequently with animals in health should be the 

 readiest to detect any symptoms of ill-health, reasoning 

 still further, it is readily comprehended that the best 

 veterinarians will, after a good college training, come 

 from the ranks of the stockmen. 



Watering, in healthy animals, should take place before 

 feeding, slight quantities may be given after, this applies 

 more particularly to horses, animals at liberty will drink 

 as needed. The practice of refusing a drink to a warm 



