60 DOMESTIC ANIMALS, DAIRYING, ETC. 



joints eventually appear, the infection having become general. The 

 latter condition is termed pervious or persistent urachus. A ma- 

 jority of infected foals die. Recovery is seldom perfect. The colts 

 fail to thrive, or develop, perfectly and are apt to have chronic affec- 

 tions of the joints. Treatment of the disease can only be properly 

 conducted by a trained veterinarian and he may employ a special 

 serum with some degree of success, both as a preventive and curative 

 agent. 



Seventy-five per cent of the cases of this disease affect foals dur- 

 ing the first three weeks of life. Fat, flabby foals, with extra large 

 navel cords, often the get of overfed, pampered, underexercised stal- 

 lions, or from mares in like condition are especially prone to the 

 disease and are most likely to succumb. Foals that have small navel 

 cords and are lively at birth, soon on their feet and nursing, are much 

 less liable to attack. 



Stallions should be worked, or abundantly exercised, and so 

 fed and maintained as to insure virility, vigor, stamina, robust con- 

 stitution and the perfect health of every organ. Mares should be 

 similarly treated. Foals will then be likely to come into the world 

 healthy, lively and strong to resist disease. 



Symptoms of Navel and Joint Disease. A few days after birth 

 the foal is found to be weak, lame, feverish and with impaired appe- 

 tite. One joint, or another, is swollen, hot and painful. Usually 

 the attack affects the fetlock, hock, stifle, hip, knee, elbow or shoul- 

 der. Sometimes abscesses form at the poll, about the ribs, or along 

 the spinal column. The swellings rapidly increase in size and sev- 

 eral joints are affected at one time. There is swelling of the navel, 

 and pus oozes from one or more openings. Pus forms in quantities 

 in the affected joints. Diarrhoea usually comes on, or may be alter- 

 nated with constipation. Soon the foal is too weak to stand, loses 

 appetite entirely, and dies in a few days, or in two or three weeks, in 

 lingering cases. Often urine escapes from the navel, or the foal 

 passes bloody urine ; but the latter symptoms may, for a time at least, 

 be present without noticeable symptoms of pus infection. 



Management of the Pregnant Mare. The mare in foal should 

 be worked lightly or abundantly exercised every day. Exercise is 

 absolutely necessary. She should occupy a roomy box stall. Here 

 she will take some additional exercise and will not be afraid to lie 

 down. She will be less likely to become cast and escape having 

 stocked legs and dropsical swellings of the udder and abdomen. The 

 bedding should be kept clean and dry. 



Feed the mare sound, whole oats, bran and mixed or timothy 

 hay. Avoid moldy hay or silage, damaged grain, woody, weathered 

 fodder, dusty or rusty straw, or hay containing ergot. Keep preg- 

 nant mares out of corn stalk fields. Provide them with plenty of 

 pure, clean water. In working mares avoid jerking, severe pulling, 

 wading through deep mud, manure piles or snow drifts. Let the 

 work be light, easy and steady. Keep the bowels active by feeding 

 bran and a little flaxseed meal, carrots, or some sweet silage. 



The mare goes 48 weeks, or about 340 days with foal. As foal- 

 ing time approaches decrease the grain ration and increase laxative 



