478 DISEASES OF CATTLE, SHEEP, GOATS, ETC. 



the animal is generally unable to take food. Recovery usually takes 

 place in a few days. In the ulcerative form the gums become dark 

 red, spongy and bleed easily. In a short time a part dies, sloughs 

 out and a deep, ragged looking ulcer forms. The ulcer can be seen 

 on the lips and gums and may become quite extensive, the teeth 

 loosening, dropping out and perforations occurring in the lips. 

 Threads of saliva dribble from the mouth and the breath has a disa- 

 greeable odor. The lamb refuses to suckle, becomes weak and may 

 have a foetid diarrhea. This disease frequently results in death in 

 about one or two weeks and if recovery occurs it is very slow. The 

 lining membrane of the fourth stomach may be reddened and the 

 lungs inflamed and the seat of bloody exudations. 



Treatment. In simple stomatitis washing the mouth with anti- 

 septic and astringent washes once a day is all that is necessary. A 

 four per cent watery solution of boric acid can be used. Plenty of 

 this solution should be used and the mouth washed thoroughly. The 

 animal must be fed soft feeds and gruels. In the ulcerative form pre- 

 ventive measures are important. This consists in improving the hy- 

 gienic conditions and isolating the sick lambs. The quarters should 

 be cleaned and the floors and walls washed with a disinfectant. The 

 local treatment consists in removing the dead tissue from the ulcers, 

 washing the mouth with a two per cent watery solution of creolin 

 and touching the ulcers with lunar caustic. 



DEPRAVED APPETITE; WOOL EATING LAMBS. 



This disease is more common in lambs than in older animals. 

 The thriftiness of the lamb is interfered with and in a large per cent 

 of cases may prove fatal. The loss due to the injury to the fleeces is 

 of some importance from an economic point of view. 



Causes. By some it is considered to be due to a depraved sense 

 of taste and is classified as a nervous disease. In most cases it seems 

 to result from example and improper food, especially food deficient 

 in saline matter. Sheep shut up during the winter may get into the 

 habit of chewing each other's fleeces. Lambs are especially apt to 

 contract this habit when suckling ewes having long hair on the udder 

 that is soiled with urine and faeces. 



Symptoms. It may be some time before symptoms of unthrifti- 

 ness are manifested and outside of the loss to the fleece, no symptoms 

 are noticed. Finally the digestive tract becomes involved, due to the 

 irritation from the hair balls that accumulate in the stomach, diges- 

 tion is deranged and the sheep loose flesh. The animals are some- 

 times constipated or have a diarrhea. Death may be due to the small 

 hair balls drifting along and obstructing the openings from the dif- 

 ferent apartments of the stomach, or as a result of the inflammation 

 of the stomach and intestines. The course of tbe disease varies from 

 a few months to a year. 



Treatment. Avoid keeping sheep in too close quarters and 

 allow plenty of exercise. When the disease occurs on poor pasture a 

 change to a better one and a liberal allowance of salt will prevent it, 

 or a well balanced ration of grain can be added. The long wool on 

 the udder of ewes should be clipped off and if the lambs contract this 



