Nursing of Sick Animals. 161 



safe rule to never work a horse that misses a feed or two 

 until the cause is found and removed. The animal that 

 does not eat cannot reasonably be expected to work either 

 in the traces or making flesh and milk. 



Feeding Sick Animals. It must be borne in mind that 

 food or drink should not be forced on sick stock, that 

 what food is presented should be tempting, to be so it 

 must be fresh, all traces of the last offering having been 

 removed, in fact if an animal does not clean up its allow- 

 ance within a reasonable time the materials should be 

 removed so as to avoid tainting the feed box. The same 

 rule applies to the drinking water. 



Laxative food is indicated in sickness, with few excep- 

 tions, in fact those cases laid up on account of wounds 

 need laxative food and a reduction in quantity. Variety 

 counts for a great deal with the sick animal, for such pur- 

 poses boiled food, bran mashes, grass, carrots, potatoes, 

 small green wheat, oats, corn, etc., may be used in limited 

 quantities. Milk and eggs are also of value, but will 

 have to be given in a drench as a rule. The bran mash 

 should be made as follows: Scald a pail, throw out the 

 water, put in a gallon of bran and a tablespoonful of salt, 

 add two to three pints of boiling water, depending on the 

 consistency desired, mix well and cover up for 15 minutes, 

 when it may be placed before the patient. A tablespoon- 

 ful or two of powdered ginger added to a bran mash 

 makes a nice feed for a tired or over driven horse, and 

 should be given before oats are offered. Horses will 

 rarely burn themselves, they do not care for sloppy 

 mashes. To make linseed (flaxseed) tea take one pound 

 of the seed and boil in four to six quarts of water until 

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