296 THE VETERINARY SCIENCE. 



CHAPTER IX. 



DISEASES OF THE FEET— HOW TO DEHORN, 

 BLEED AND DRENCH. 



LAMINITIS (FOUNDER). 



This is inflammation of the sensitive structures of the foot, 

 or what is commonly called the quick of the foot. 



CS^USeS. — Are from overfeeding, overheating-, or from driving 

 a long distance on a hard, stony road. 



Symptoms. — The animal persists in lying down ; the feet are 

 hot and sometimes swollen around the top of the hoof and sore to 

 press on ; the animal is greedy to drink on account of being 

 feverish, but does not care to eat much, and if you force the 

 animal to move it just slides its feet along, seems very stiff and its 

 belly is all drawn up from trying to favor its feet. 



Treatment.— Keep the animal as quiet as possible, and 

 poultice the feet with hot linseed meal and bran — about half-and- 

 half. The way to do this is to take an old grain bag, cut 

 about a foot off the bottom of it and pack the hot poultice in the 

 bottom ; place the foot in it, and then tie it up around the fetlock 

 and foot so it cannot fall off. Do this to all the feet and change 

 the poultice twice a day; keep this up until the animal gets all 

 right. As well as this, give a pound and a half of Epsom salts 

 in a quart of luke warm water; also give a teaspoonful of saltpetre, 

 or nitrate of potash, in a mash night and morning. Sometimes, 

 if the weather is warm, by standing the animal in a stream of 

 water with a mucky bottom, for a few hours every day, will soon 

 bring them all right without anything else. 



SORENESS OF THE FEET FROM ANY CAUSE. 

 Treat just the same as you would for founder, by poultices 

 and keeping the animal quiet. If the toes are too long, cut them 

 off with a chisel and mallet. 



FOUL IN THE FOOT (FOOT-ROT). 

 This is an inflammation of the skin and parts between the 

 trotters or toes, and after this there are ulcers or small boils form 

 and break out all around the top of the foot and between the trot- 

 ters. The foot becomes very much swollen in some cases and 

 causes the trotters to spread wide apart. The animal suffers great 



