132 The Care of Animals 



Coughing or gagging while being drenched is an 

 indication that the patient is getting some of the medi- 

 cine into his lungs. Proceedings should be suspended 

 until the animal has recovered. 



When medicine for a horse is in the form of a ball 

 or pill, it is held in the tips of the three middle fingers 

 of the right hand, while the operator, standing in 

 front of the horse, grasps the tongue with the left 

 hand and draws it well forward, turning the tip upward 

 toward the roof of the mouth. At the same time the 

 ball in the right hand is inserted and pushed far back 

 over the bulge of the tongue, and both hands are quickly 

 withdrawn from the mouth. With a little practice, 

 balls can be administered readily. In giving pills to 

 dogs, the pill can be placed in a spoon containing 

 milk, water or other liquid, and poured into the back 

 part of the mouth, so that it can be taken at a single 

 swallow. 



It is almost impossible to drench a sheep in the 

 standing position without getting some of the fluid into 

 the lungs. The sheep should be set up on its rump 

 and held between the knees, the mouth opened with 

 the thumb and fingers of the left hand, while the 

 medicine is slowly poured into the mouth from the 

 bottle held in the right hand. The neck of the bottle 

 should be inserted in the corner of the mouth, pref- 

 erably on the right side. This is the only way to 

 prevent choking. Fig. 31. 



Hypodermic Medication. — Medicines are frequently 

 administered by injecting them beneath the skin. In 

 this method there is less liability of waste, and the 



