l6o THE fARMER*S VETERINARIAN 



a veterinarian w^ho v^ill be able to advise v^hat is 

 best to do. 



FOOT PUNCTURE.— See Wounds and Their 

 Treatment. 



FOOT ROT IN SHEEP.— A chronic inflamma- 

 tion of the foot, marked by ulceration, softening of 

 the hoof, lameness, and the discharge of a sticky 

 material w^hich has a very fetid odor. It is a con- 

 tagious disease, and is produced by a germ that 

 lives in the soil and gains entrance to the feet 

 through wounds and surfaces chafed by barbed 



grasses and stones, or by 

 gritty clay, v^hich becomes 

 lodged between the toes and 

 hardens there. 



The first symptom is a 

 slight lameness. If the af- 

 fected foot be examined, 

 that part just above the 

 horny part of the cleft of 

 the foot, either in front or 

 FOOT ROT behind, will be found in- 



cia1ed"4?fh sheeT "rTs ^^med, feverish, and moist. 



sometimes so serious that ErosionS Or ulccrs SOOn 

 the entire hoof rots away. ,, , 



appear, generally on the 

 heel. These penetrate the foot and burrow 

 beneath the horny parts, causing fistulous tracts 

 from which exudes a foul-smelling pus possessing 

 an odor sufficiently characteristic to indicate the 

 disease in a flock, even without a close examination. 

 In time, the foot becomes greatly overgrown and 

 deformed, the hoofs increasing in length and curl- 

 ing upward. In bad cases, the suffering is so great 

 the animal lies down most of the time, but when 

 only the front feet are diseased, it will crawl 

 around on its knees. 



