6 SPECIAL CATTLE THERAPY 



one corner of the cow's mouth when the animal is 

 being drenched. This is erroneous. The tongue should 

 not be touched by the person giving the drench. The 

 free use of the tongue is necessary to properly per- 

 form the act of deglutition. The mouth of the bottle 

 used for drenching should rest against the roof of the 

 cow's mouth, just back of the dental pad, and should 

 then follow the movements of the tongue, up and down. 

 In other words, each time the cow swallows the mouth 

 opens wider and the tongue is drawn back towards 

 the pharynx; the bottle should follow in, keeping it 

 against the roof of the mouth and until the shoulder 

 of the bottle strikes the first molar. When the act of 

 deglutition is completed the tongue comes forward 

 again and the mouth closes ; the bottle is then allowed 

 to come forward again towards the region just back 

 of the dental pad. This is repeated at each deglutitory 

 act until the medicine has been entirely poured in. 

 When cattle are drenched in this manner the danger 

 of inhalation pneumonia from portions of the medica- 

 ment entering the larynx are nil. 



To jam the bottle into the corner of the cow's mouth 

 when drenching and hold it there until it is empty is 

 not the correct method and usually induces a fit of 

 coughing immediately after the drench. 



The hypodermatic administration of drugs does not 

 differ materially in cows from the same procedure in 

 horses. It is only necessary to use a heavier needle 

 and to select a place in the skin where it can be in- 

 serted easily. The top of the shoulder presents a good 

 area for the entrance of the hypodermic needle in 

 cows. The skin is loose enough here so that a fold 

 can be picked up, and it is not so tough here as in 

 other parts. Another point in selecting this region 

 lies in the fact that the veterinarian can get into such 



