CHAPTER X. 

 DISEASES OF THE FEET. 



1. Laminitis (Founder). 



This is inflammation of the sensitive structures or what 

 is commonly called the quick of the foot. 



Causes. — Overfeeding, overheating, or driving a long dis- 

 tance on a hard, stony road may cause it. 



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. There is much thirst because of 

 being feverish, but little desire to eat much. If you force the 

 animal to move it merely 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. Pack the hot poultice in 

 this and place the foot in it. Tie it up around the fetlock and 

 foot so that it cannot fall off. Do this to each foot and change 

 the poultice twice a day. Keep this up until the animal gets 

 all right. Give a pound and a half of Epsom salts in a quart 

 of lukewarm water, and a teaspoonful of saltpetre, or nitrate 

 of potash, in a mash night and morning. Sometimes, if the 

 weather is warm, standing the animal in a stream of water 

 with a mucky bottom, for a few hours every day, soon brings 

 them all right without any other treatment. 



2. Soreness From Any Cause. 



Treat just the same as you would for founder, by poul- 

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

 cut them off with a chisel and mallet. 



3. Foul in the Foot (Foot-Rot). 



This is an inflammation of the skin and parts between 

 the trotters or toes. After this ulcers or small boils form 

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

 trotters. The foot becomes very much swollen in some cases 

 and causes the trotters to spread wide apart. The animal 



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