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DISEASES OF FEET. 



The foot of a sheep is peculiarly liable to disease, from 

 the fact that the onter horn or crust is connected directly 

 by a vascular structure to the bone itself, which is unlike 

 the horse, the latter having the hoof connected by means of 

 laminae, so that in the horse the hoof can bear a vast 

 amount of concussion without injury. The hoof of a sheep's 

 foot grows from the underlying vascular surface, just as the 

 nails of the human foot. There is a small canal that opens 

 out on the front of the foot, about an inch above the fork 

 of the hoof. This canal leads backwards and downwards 

 to a gland which secretes mucus that overflows down be- 

 tween the toes, keeping them moist. Sometimes this canal 

 gets stopped up, and then ulceration ensues, making the 

 sheep lame until it bursts out and empties itself. This 

 canal is called the interdigital canal, and if the sheep i& 

 seen limping at any time, and no other cause can be detected 

 for it, it will be best to run a straw or knitting needle into 

 the canal. 



Foot-rot. But the most formidable disease of the foot 

 is the foot rot. Being contagious, unless it is promptly 

 checked, it will get all over the flock. It is most common 

 in sheep that run on wet pastures. The whole hoof is in- 

 volved, and unless it is soon cured the hoof comes off. 

 When sheep are observed limping, if, on examination, the 

 heel and between the toes are found full of blisters, it may 

 be known at once to be foot-rot. The feet are so painful 

 the sheep will be seen walking on their knees. Many 

 remedies are offered, but the first thing is to put them on 

 dry pastures so that remedies will adhere to the feet. As 

 soon as the disease is recognized, let all the dead or dry 

 parts be trimmed off, and then washed about twice a week 

 in carbolic acid soap, and after each washing wrap the foot 



