BLOODY URINE. 123 



the thick character of the water, and the peculiar gait of the 

 horse. 



Eiit I wish it borne in mind that there are many things 

 which cause the horse's urine to become of a thick character, 

 and much changed in appearance. A little over-feeding, the 

 use of improj^er food, bad digestion, slight cold, and many 

 other trifling circumstances, may cause the water to become 

 thick and ropy, but with no appearance of ill health. There 

 can be no practice more evil than that of giving medicines to 

 correct the water, when the horse is not laboring under any 

 clearly-marked disease. 



If it is clear that a horse is laboring under genuine tliich 

 water, or Bright's disease, nothing better can be done than to 

 turn him on grass. In winter, roots may be given, with slip- 

 pery-elm water and flax-seed tea, in place of green food. But 

 avoid dosing your horses with medicines, to correct the water, 

 only in cases where there is unmistakable disease. Thick or 

 TO'py water is no evidence of disease, of itself 



BLOODY URINE. 



This disease is so named from the fact that there is blood 

 actually passed with the urine. The blood comes from some 

 portion of the urinary organs, but it is dif&cult to tell from 

 just what part. There is generally pain in passing the bloody 

 water, as shown by the uneasy motions of the horse. This 

 difficulty may result from strains, blows or falls, or the pas- 

 sage of stones. 



An appearance of blood in the urine may be ]3resent in some 

 other diseases of the urinary organs ; but if pure blood is act- 

 ually being passed, it will form a clot, if a portion of the water 

 passed is caught, and let get cold. Some diseases of the liver, 

 and diseases of a putrid character, may cause or give rise to 

 urine of a bloody appearance. 



Treatment. — If there is much pain, give the horse one ounce 

 tincture of opium, in one pint of warm water, as a drench. 



