DISEASES AND TREATMENT OF SHEEP AND PIGS 495 



open up the cuts with your finger and allow the matter that 

 has formed in the bag to run out. This is one thing that 

 should never be neglected after castrating any animal. Use 

 butter upon the fingers when doing this. 



II. Castrating When the Bag is Ruptured. 



1. Ruptures are caused in young pigs by standing on 

 the hind feet with the front feet up on the front of the pen 

 when you go to feed them. In other cases it is noticed to 

 be present at birth. 



2. Rupture is present when the bag is enlarged by the 

 bowels coming out into it. When you catch the pig and 

 press on the enlargement, you can press the bowel back into 

 its place, but as soon as you let go it comes out again. 



3. Operate on a ruptured pig as follows: It is best to 

 castrate ruptured pigs when they are young — about five or 

 six weeks old. If a large boar, starve him for twenty-four 

 hours before operating, so that his bowels will be empty. 

 They then slip back to their place easier while castrating him. 

 Have help enough to hold the hind end of the pig well up 

 while you press the bowels back. This is easily done when 

 they are empty, rid his hind end being higher than his front 

 causes them to stay back better while operating on him. Take 

 the testicles out in the same manner as you would a pig that 

 was not ruptured, only make the cuts as small as you can. 

 After each testicle is out, sew up the cut with a needle and 

 thread (the same as used for sewing, up wounds). Put the 

 stitches in about one-quarter of an inch apart, so that the 

 bowels cannot slip out. 



If a small pig, let him run with the others, but if a large 

 pig, keep him in a quiet place and do not give him much to 

 eat for a few days until the cuts swell. The swelling keeps 

 the rupture back. Leave the stitches in until they rot out of 

 their own accord. 



III. Spaying. 



Be sure that hands, instruments, etc., are scrupulously 

 clean and thoroughly disinfected. 



It is best to operate through the left flank. ' 



Tie the sow to an inclined plank, the head to the lowest 



end. Make an incision in the left flank a little below and in 



front of the point of the hip, large enough to admit two 



fingers, care being taken not to injure the intestines. Insert 



