IX] 



SURGICAL DISEASES AND CONFORMATION 



111 



around the fetlock ; most commonly at the back, 

 behind the bifurcation of the suspensory liga- 

 ment. (See P. 95z.) 



Cause. Overwork in older horses or weak- 

 ness in young. A very common cause is that of 

 suddenly stopping severe work, as in the case of 

 a racehorse. While at speed the synovia flows 

 rapidly around the joint ; the horse is suddenly 

 stopped, but the synovia continues to flow for a 

 while, which results in the pressure thereby pro- 

 duced stretching the synovial membrane and the 

 excess of synovia causing a swelling. As a rule, 

 no lameness results, but the puffs are unsightly. 



Treatment. Avoid sudden stoppages and de- 

 crease speed gradually ; adopt massage and 

 pressure bandage treatment. (See Sees. 209, 

 217-9.) The swellings are very liable to reappear. 



438. Bog Spavin. Consists of a soft, flabby 

 swelling on the inner side of the front of the 

 hock. (See P. 950.) It is in front of the true hock 

 joint, and therefore is considerably higher than a 

 bone spavin. It is caused by the distension of 

 the synovial membrane surrounding the hock 

 joint, i.e. that between the tibia and astragalus. 

 The cause is due to working when too young, too 

 severe work, or weakness. Unless bog spavin is 

 complicated with sprains of the ligaments of the 

 hock there is not much pain or heat. 



Treatment. Massage, pressure bandages and 

 rest. It often occurs accompanied by a thorough- 

 pin. 



439. Thoroughpin. This is a swelling just in 

 front of the point of the hock, and consists in 

 distension of the tarsal sheath, which surrounds 

 the perforans tendon (see P. 101), as it passes 

 through the hock. The synovia accumulates in 

 the space between the perforans tendon and the 

 synovial sheath. The swelling can be moved to 

 and fro from nearly one side of the hock to the 

 other. If unaccompanied by lameness it is not 

 serious. Cause and treatment same as bog 

 spavin. (See P. 96a.) 



440. Windgalls sometimes appear along the 

 course of the perforans tendon and are a disten- 

 sion of the bursse surrounding this tendon, which 

 are filled with synovia. These may appear at the 

 back of the hock and may be mistaken for capped 

 hock. Treatment is massage and pressure band- 

 ages and rest. Give potassium iodide internally, 

 to 1 dr. twice a day, and paint on liniment of 

 iodine for three or four days in aggravated cases 

 of any kind of synovial swelling. This will 

 stimulate absorption. In very bad cases it may 

 be necessary to blister. 



441. Enlargements caused by Serous Effusion. 

 These enlargements or cysts are not uncommon 

 at the point of the hock and elbow, known as 

 capped hock and elbow. They are caused by in- 

 juries ; as a rule, those of an external mechanical 

 nature. The serum inside, which is the fluid 

 portion of the blood, eventually turns to fibrous 

 tissue if the enlargement is not attended to. 



442. Capped Hock (see P. 95/*) .Caused by 

 kicking in the stable or by other blows. Some 

 nervous horses are liable to kick when left in the 

 dark, others kick when they hear mice or rats. 



Treatment. Removal of cause and massage. 

 If very bad, after inflammation has disappeared, 

 the swelling may be opened and kept open with 

 a seton for a while. Antiseptic precautions must 

 be taken. Blistering will assist in bad cases. In 

 long-standing cases the swelling may be removed 

 by a surgical operation. It seldom causes any 

 defect in action, but is generally unsightly. In 

 synovial capped hock use absorbent liniment of 

 iodine. 



443. Capped Elbow. An enlargement on back 

 of the elbow joint, point of ulna. Caused as a 

 rule by the horse lying on hard floor or lying on 

 the heel of the shoe when too long. Allowing too 

 short a rope at night may cause this. 



Treatment. Remove cause by giving plenty 

 of head rope and good bedding, and, if necessary, 

 shortening heels of shoe. Treatment must be 

 commenced directly the first sign is noticed. 

 Treat same way as for capped hock. (Sec. 442.) 

 In some cases, if it is large and loose, it can be 

 removed by a ligature, i.e. by tying aseptic gut 

 around its base, and gradually tightening it day 

 by day until the stasis produced in the circulation 

 causes the part to die and drop off. This is pain- 

 less, unless the ligature is tied too tightly at first. 

 Treat part then with antiseptics. 



444. Wounds. The antiseptic treatment of 

 wounds is dealt with in detail in Chapter XVII. 



Abscess. An abscess is a collection of pus in 

 a cavity, the result of internal or external injury. 

 In the horse most abscesses are those caused by 

 external injuries. The pus is produced by the 

 tissue becoming damaged and allowing pus- 

 producing organisms (which are present in 

 every part of the animal) to form pus. These 

 organisms (bacteria) have no action on healthy 

 tissue, but directly a tissue becomes damaged 

 they commence to work. If the damaged tissue 

 is exposed to the atmosphere the pus produced 

 is much greater unless antiseptic precautions are 

 at once taken. Even then considerable pus will 

 be formed. 



Symptoms. Tenderness, heat and throbbing 

 and later swelling. This swelling tends to 

 " point " in a few days. The part is hard at first 

 and as pus forms becomes soft and fluctuates. 



445. Treatment. If the abscess does not de- 

 crease in size, or is already large, it is useless and 

 wrong to try to arrest it. We must try to help 

 it to come to a head by hot fomentations, or 

 applications of antiphlogistine, etc. When it has 

 come to a head it may have to be lanced and 

 drainage allowed in order to free the pus. 



The wound must then be kept open for days, 

 and either filled or syringed out once daily with 

 an antiseptic solution until no more pus forms. 

 This will allow the wound to heal up from the 



