DISEASES OF THE FEET. 



229 



The whole body is usually affected. A 'vvound inflicted durino- 

 the progress of the disease will not heal readily. It occasionally 

 occurs in one foot only, and in sucli ease may he due to driving 

 the animal with the shoe oft', (lenerally the disease is confined 

 to the two fore feet, but it is not unusual to find all four feet 

 affected. A A^ery frequent cause of the disease is the drinking 

 of large quantities of water when heated by exercise. Standing 

 the animal in a draft after being heated by exercise is a fre- 

 quent cause. It is of greater occurrence during hot weather, 

 being seldom seen in winter. 



Symptoms. — In the acute form of laminitis, the symptoms are 



plain, and wlien once seen may readily be recognized afterward. 



The disease is ushered in 



by rigors, which quickly 



give place to pyrexia. 



The pulse varies from 



fifty to eighty beats per 



minute, which are full 



and bounding. As the 



fever increases, sweats 



bedew the body; the 



countenance bears an 



Fig. 62 — Acute Lanniutis. 

 a n X 1 o u s expression, 



which shows the awful agony of the animal. The urine is 

 voided in smaller quantities than usual, and is highly colored. 

 If all four feet are affected, he will stand with all of his feet 

 gathered together well up under the bcxly, and the back is 

 roached. If you attempt to back him, he offers all the resistance 

 in his power. He moves backwards with every manifestation of 

 severe pain, dragging the feet along on the ground, and often 

 giving vent to groans. The breathing is usually affected to a 

 considerable extent, being more or less accelerated, and greatly 

 resembling the breathing of pneumonia. On moving, the ani- 

 mal exhibits a strong tendency to stumble on even ground. He 

 makes great eft'ort to bring the heels to the ground first, keep- 



