260 The Care of Animals 



If medicines fail to give relief, the only remedy is to 

 perform "rumenotomy" — that is, to cut into the paunch 

 and remove its contents through the incision. A skilled 

 surgeon should be employed. The animal should be 

 confined with the right side to the wall, and the inci- 

 sion made on the left side, half way between the point 

 of the hip and the last rib, extending downward five 

 or six inches. An incision is then made in the rumen, 

 a thin cloth being introduced into the wound, to pre- 

 vent the material from dropping into the abdominal 

 cavity. The contents of the rumen are then removed 

 with the hand, the parts washed clean, the rumen well 

 sewed up with catgut, the stitches close together, and 

 the skin and muscles then sewed. No food should be 

 allowed for twenty -four hours following the opera- 

 tion, and, after this, only milk and gruels for ten days. 

 Coarse food is likely to get into the wound and prevent 

 its healing. 



HOVEN, OR BLOATING IN CATTLE 



Hoven is a distension of the paunch, or rumen, with 

 gas. It is liable to occur when cattle are pastured on 

 clover or alfalfa, especially if the growth is rank, and 

 from eating frozen roots or pumpkins, but may occur on 

 other kinds of pasture. The tendency to produce bloat- 

 ing seems to be greater vv'hen the pastures are wet with 

 dew or rain, or when the food is frozen. Fermentation 

 proceeds rapidly, the gas does not all escape and soon 

 distends the rumen to a large size. 



Slight bloating often occurs when cattle are suffering 



