86 CAUSES, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT OF 



irritant, and the probability is that a piece of bone is the cause of the 

 irritation. Cut down and remove the particle of bone. Sometimes 

 there is a partial dislocation, and the animal may live for some time. 

 In such cases V7ry neck is the result. The spine or nerves sometimes 

 becomes injured from being halter-cast, and if you attempt to 

 straighten the neck, the animal falls down. 



Injuries to the Dorsal Vertebra.— Caries and anchylosis are not 

 uncommon. Anchylosis is most common in aged horses, especially 

 those used for heavy carting, and old military horses, from carrying 

 heavy weights. But we find it in young horses, and it may be the 

 result of an ossific diathesis. And if you have to cast an aged horse, 

 that has a tucked-up appearance, somewhat stiff in his movements, a 

 fracture is liable to be produced. There may be anchylosis of the 

 transverse or superior or spinous processes. It is not easily diagnosed, 

 but if you notice an old animal with a peculiar motion and hollow in 

 the back, and you find nothing the matter with the feet and limbs to 

 produce it, it is likely to be anchylosis. Nothing can be done for it. 

 The superior spinous processes may be fractured. The withers differ 

 in formation in different animals, some being high, and others low ; 

 and it is a good point to have good withers, but they may be so high 

 as to be objectionable. Injury is usually produced in a very simple 

 manner — by an ill-fitting saddle ; sometimes by a cart saddle, but 

 usually by a riding saddle, especially if the horse has high withers. 

 It may occur suddenly, and produce fistula of the withers. 



Symptoms. — There is an offensive discharge, characteristic of caries, 

 and it possesses active properties. If but a small portion of the bone 

 is affected, scrape with a bone spoon, or touch with hydrchloric or 

 sulphuric acid ; but if a greater portion is affected, you may use the 

 bone forceps, and take away a portion of it, or even use the bone saw. 

 So the treatment varies according to the extent of the injury. Frac- 

 tures sometimes occur in the bones of the withers, but not often, and 

 if produced, it is generally from rolling violently, or from external 

 injury. If the animal is kept quiet, reunion takes place quickly ; 

 but if allowed to run, or compelled to work, a large abscess may form 

 and caries take place. Remove the detached parts. It is not very 

 common, but may occur. There may be fracture of the bodies of the 

 dorsal vertebra. This is known as broken back It generally occurs 

 from severe injury, if from about the middle forward ; but if from 

 about the middle of the region backward, from muscular contraction. 

 If fracture of the dorsal vertebra occurs pretty well forward, you will 

 have paralysis of both hind and fore extremities; but if further back, 

 paralysis of the hind extremities only. You may possibly see some 

 motion in the tail, after there is complete paralysis of the other parts. 

 Fracture well back may occur in different ways — from getting the 

 hind legs in the mud and trying to get out ; from running away and 

 running against some obstacle ; or from being thrown for an opera- 

 tion — from the fall, or from struggling while on the ground. Symp- 

 toms vary. There is either partial or complete paralysis. There are 

 cases where there is slight paralysis and the animal recovers, if it is 

 a fracture without displacement. There is a kind of a straddling 

 action of the hind quarters, difficulty of getting up when down. Keep 

 the animal very quiet, and use slings — although some would object to 

 the use of slings — I would recommend them, but not unless the 

 animal is able to bear a part of his weight, for if he would throw his 

 entire weight on the slings it might cause separation of the parts. 

 If the case is severe, you are told that the animal has received some 



