94 The Care of Animals 



weight on the inflamed feet, and when forced to move 

 does so with a stiff and stilted movement. He can 

 hardly hobble along. When standing, he places the 

 front feet as far forward as possible, and draws the hind 

 feet well under the body, in order to take the weight 

 off the inflamed feet. This position causes the muscles 

 of the breast to relax, and, apparently, to disappear; but 

 as soon as the horse assumes the normal position the 

 muscles are seen. Laminitis may start with a chill, 

 followed by a rise of temperature, 108° to 104° F. 

 The pulse is full, bounding, and rather hard to the 

 touch. The affected parts are hot, and there is a 

 distinct throbbing of the arteries of the foot. In some 

 cases the horse may lie down and roll wdth pain, and 

 there may be severe diarrhoea. 



The shoes should be pulled off and the horse placed in 

 well -bedded quarters that will tempt him to lie down. 

 This position lessens the pain and favors recovery. 

 The affected feet should be wrapped with soft cloths 

 or packed with moss, and kept wet with cold water to 

 reduce the inflammation. A heaping tablespoc'uful of 

 saltpeter may be given three times daily as a drench. 

 In case the cold water does not relieve, try applications 

 of hot water for twenty minutes at a time, every two 

 hours. 



Chronic laminitis may develop from an acute form, 

 or it may gradually appear as the result of mild but 

 persistent irritation. It varies from cases that show 

 but a very slight soreness in the front feet, to those 

 in which locomotion is difficult. The causes are, in 

 general, the same as for acute laminitis. It is frequently 



