CHAPTER XXIII 



COMMON SURGICAL OPERATIONS 



Dehorning Cattle. — It is very often necessary to remove the 

 horns of cattle in order to prevent their injuring or worrying 

 certain individuals in the herd. This operation is of greatest 

 economic importance in dairy and feeding cattle. When first 

 practised, the dehorning of mature cattle was condemned by 

 some persons who deemed it an inhuman and unnecessary opera- 

 tion. It is surely a humane act to remove the horns of cattle that 

 are confined in small yards and pastures, and prevent them from 

 painfully, or seriously, injuring one another. 



In most localities there are men who are well equipped to 

 dehorn cattle, and able to perform this operation for a very 

 moderate fee. It is not advisable to attempt to dehorn a number 

 of adult cattle if the operator is not well equipped for the work. 

 Unless a well-con stnicted dehorning rack is available for con- 

 fining the animals, there is danger of injuring them and it is 

 very difficult to saw off the horn quickly and satisfactorily. 

 This increases the pain that the animal suffers, and horn stubs 

 soon develop. 



Good equipment, such as a chute, saw or clippers, is neces- 

 sary. A dehorning chute should be built of plank with a good 

 frame well bolted together, with stanchion and nose block for 

 confining the head. Most operators prefer a meat saw for cutting 

 off the horns. It is preferable to dehorning shears, as there is 

 danger of fracturing the frontal bone when removing the horns 

 of mature cattle. The best form of dehorning shears have a 

 wide V in the cutting edge. 



The operation is very simple. The horn should be cut off 

 at a point from one-quarter to one-half an inch below the hair 

 line or skin. If this is not practised, an irregiilar horn growth 



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