144 



MODERN HORSE MANAGEMENT 



[CHAP. 



foal too long, mare tired or hot when foal sucks. 

 Foal overfeeding, mare in bad health. 



Symptoms. Diarrhoea, faeces are fetid. May 

 be spells of pain. Loss of appetite. May grind 

 teeth. May be painful evacuations. 



Treatment. Linseed oil 2 oz., chloral hydrate 

 i dr., turps $ oz., for two- or three-weeks-old 

 foal ; double this for six- weeks-old foal. Later 

 give ammonium acetate, spirits ether nitrate and 

 spirits of camphor in milk and water. Do not 

 give gruel. A foal has a dose equal in size to 

 that of a large dog. A foal's stomach is very 

 delicate ; it is better to give too little, and to 

 repeat the dose. If much weakness, give a wine- 

 glass of port wine or whisky, in water. Hot 

 fomentations over abdomen, followed by friction. 

 When he starts to suck again, give foal very 

 little, and milk the mare by hand. Always milk 

 a little before foal sucks. Change mare's food, 

 and give her diuretics. 



548. CHRONIC INDIGESTION. 



Cause. Bad feeding, irregular meals, over- 

 feeding, and not sufficient exercise ; crib biting, 

 bad teeth, bolting food, worms, mouldy or un- 

 suitable food. 



Symptoms. Slow pulse, temperature may be 

 up or down. Capricious appetite, sometimes 

 eructations. Thirst, bowels irregular. Faeces 

 hard, fetid, and covered with mucus. If stomach 

 is acid, horse will lick wall. Elevates head and 

 turns up upper lip. 



Treatment. Give light, easily digested food 

 in small quantities five times a day. Examine 

 teeth ; give aloes ball after two or three days' 

 preparation on bran mashes. If digestion is 

 weak, give dilute hydrochloric acid 1 dr., and 

 pepsin. Afterwards give tonics, particularly nux 

 vomica. 



549. DIARRHOEA. Diarrhoea is an increased 

 amount or an increased fluidity of the faeces, due 

 to accelerated peristaltic action, excessive secre- 

 tions of glands, or prevention of absorption by 

 blood-vessels. 



Cause. Nervousness, irritants, worms, rough 

 food, bad water, irregular or bad feeding, 

 sudden change of food, potatoes, new hay or 

 oats. Horses with flat sides are more liable to 

 this than round-bellied horses. 



Symptoms. Excessive and liquid evacua- 

 tions. At first, no constitutional disturbance. 

 Later, may be colicky pains ; pulse may be 

 weak and rapid, and breathing quickened ; 

 thirst. Later, loss of appetite. If due to worms, 

 the diarrhoea will be persistent, coat unthrifty, 

 irregular appetite, worms in faeces. 



Treatment. Keep warm and comfortable, 

 and give linseed tea and warm gruel. Give no 

 cold water. If much pain, give opium, camphor 

 and spirits ether nitrate. If horse is not weak, a 

 pint of linseed oil will often stop the diarrhoea. 

 Do not check it at first, unless result of too 

 much medicine. When the pain is more easy, 



give astringents, such as tannic acid, lead acetate, 

 copper sulphate, catechu, chalk, etc. ; one pint 

 port wine is very good. If much continued pain, 

 apply hot fomentations over abdomen for two or 

 three hours. If much strain, give enema with 

 2 dr. opium in it. If due to over-purgation from 

 medicines, give at once : 



Dil. sulphuric acid 

 Catechu F.E. 

 Tr. opium 

 Tr. capsicum 

 Brandy 

 Water . 



1 dr. 



2 dr. 

 2 ozs. 



30 m. 

 12 ozs. 

 li pts. 



Give as a drench ; later, follow with intestinal 

 antiseptic, as salol, creolin. If due to feeding 

 potatoes, give an astringent. Rest comfortably, 

 and give light food, such as starch and flour 

 gruel. Small does of tincture of iron or gentian, 

 or nux vomica and raw eggs. Flour and water 

 is often sufficient to stop excessive purging. 



550. ENTERITIS. Inflammation of mucous 

 membrane lining the intestines, usually large 

 colon ; generally fatal. 



Cause. Weak and washy animals are pre- 

 disposed. Drastic purgatives, as croton oil. 

 Feeding on frozen turnip tops, coarse straw, 

 mouldy hay. Bad teeth. Eating sticks, sand, 

 weeds ; stagnant water ; exposure to cold when 

 heated, tired or weak. Bran and cold water ; 

 extra feed before hard work. Feeding when hot 

 or tired. May follow colic, diarrhoea or constipa- 

 tion. 



Symptoms. Dullness, pawing with alternate 

 forelegs, looking round at sides ; pulse quick, 

 temperature up, not fluctuating as in colic. Pain 

 continues, but less violent than colic. Evinces 

 pain if side is pressed, unlike colic. Later, lies 

 on back or sits on haunches ; paws with foreleg 

 continually ; wants to lie down, but appears to 

 be afraid to. Abdomen tense, cold sweat, 

 peculiar sighing. In last stage pulse is small and 

 wiry ; eye bloodshot, cornea glassy ; finally, 

 quiet, due to partial unconsciousness ; extremi- 

 ties cold, mouth cold ; may fall suddenly at this 

 stage. During attack any faeces passed are 

 generally hard. May try to urinate often ; urine 

 scanty and high-coloured. If diarrhoea, there is 

 less hope. 



Treatment. Give opium (to lessen peristal- 

 sis) 1 dr. and camphor 1 dr. This will also 

 soothe pain. Repeat in half-dose every two 

 hours. Backrake, and fill back bowel with 

 warm water every two or three hours. Apply 

 blankets soaked in boiling water over abdomen 

 every ten minutes. Keep warm and comfortable. 

 Give Fleming's tincture aconite, 10 to 15 minims, 

 every two hours, and 10-15 gr. calomel every 

 three hours. If much pain, give morphine 3 gr. 

 hypodermically. If very weak, give pt. port 

 wine. If horse wishes to ea-t, give handful 



