240 LAMENESS OF THE HORSE 



absent. In making examinations one must not be deceived 

 by the inconspicuous and seemingly insignificant exostosis which 

 has a broad base. In some eases of this kind, dealers style the 

 condition as "rough in the hock" when as a matter of fact, in 

 some instances, incurable spavin lameness develops. 



Treatment. — Many incipient cases of spavin yield to vesica- 

 tion and a protracted period of rest. Results depend primarily, 

 upon the nature of the affection. However, in every instance 

 if there is involvement of the tibial tarsal (astragalus) bone, 

 complete recovery is highly improbable. When the disease is 

 confined to the lower tarsal bones, lameness subsides as soon as 

 the degenerative changes are checked and ankylosis occurs. 



The use of the actual cautery when properly employed con- 

 stitutes an excellent method of treatment. The "auto-cautery" 

 when equipped with a point of about one-eighth of an inch in 

 diameter and about three-fourths of an inch in length is well 

 suited for this particular operation. Before deciding to cauter- 

 ize, it is necessary to ascertain the extent of area affected. The 

 nearness of the exostosis to the tibiotarsal articulation can be 

 definitely determined by palpation. The hair over the entire 

 surgical field is clipped and the cautery at white heat is pushed 

 through the overlying soft tissues and into the central part of 

 the exostosis. Care is taken to keep the cautery-point away from 

 the articular margin of the tibial tarsal bone about three-fourths 

 of an inch. No danger will result from cauterizing to a depth 

 of three-fourths of an inch in the average case. Two or three 

 (and not more) centrally located points for penetration with the 

 cautery are sufficient. Experience has shown that several (five 

 or six or more) punctures are not productive of good results. 

 When considerable cicatricial tissue is present, due to the action 

 of depilating vesicants or other chemicals, sloughing of tissue 

 is very apt to follow deep cauterization, if one is not careful to 

 keep the punctures at least one-half inch apart when three are 

 made. It is best, in such cases, to make but two deep penetra- 

 tions with the cautery but additional superficial punctures may 

 be made if kept about three-fourths of an inch distant and not 

 nearer than this to one another. Sloughing of tissue is not nec- 

 essarily productive of bad results but there is occasioned an open 



