DISEASES OF YOUNG CALVES. 273 



/ 

 THE BLUE DISEASE CYANOSIS. 



Tliis appearing in the calf at birth is due to the orifice between the 

 two auricles of the heart (foramen ovale) remaining too open, allowing 

 the nonaerated (venous) blood to mix with the aerated (arterial) blood, 

 and it is beyond the reach of treatment. It is .recognized by the blue- 

 ness of the eyes, nose, mouth and other mucous membranes, the cold- 

 ness of the surface, and the extreme sensitiveness to cold. 



CONSTIPATION. 



At birth the bowels of the calf contain the meconium, a tenacious, 

 gluey, brownish-yellow material largely derived from the liver, which 

 must be expelled before they can start their functions normally. The 

 first milk of the cow (colostrum, beestings), rich in albumen and salts, 

 is nature's laxative to expel this now offensive material, and should 

 never be withheld from the calf. If, for lack of this, from the dry 

 feeding of the cow, or from any other cause, the calf is costive, strain- 

 ing violently without passage, lying down and rising as in colic, and 

 failing in appetite, no time should be lost in givin g relief by an ounce 

 dose of castor oil, assisting its action by injections of soapsuds or oil. 

 Whatever meconium is within reach of the linger should be carefully 

 removed. It is also important to give the cow a sloppy laxative diet. 



INDIGESTION. 



This may occur from many different causes, as costiveness, a too 

 liberal supply of milk; too rich milk; the furnishing of the milk of a 

 cow long after calving to a very young calf; allowing a calf to suck the 

 first milk of a cow that has been hunted, driven by road, shipped by 

 rail or otherwise violently excited ; allowing the calf too long time 

 between meals so that impelled by hunger it quickly overloads and 

 clogs the stomach; feeding from the pail milk that has been held over 

 in unwashed (unscalded) buckets, so that it is fermented and spoiled; 

 feeding the milk of cows kept on unwholesome food; keeping the calves 

 in cold, damp, dark, filthy or bad smelling pens; feeding the calves on 

 artificial mixtures containing too much starchy matters; or overfeed ing 

 the calves on artificial food that may be appropriate enough in smaller 

 amount. The licking of hair from themselves or others, and their for- 

 mation into balls in the stomach will cause obstinate indigestion in the 

 calf. 



The symptom* an* dullness, Indisposition to move, uneasiness, eructa- 

 tions of gas from the stomach, sour breath, entire loss of appetite, lying 

 down and rising as if in pain, fullness of the abdomen, which gives out 

 a drumlike sound when tapped with the lingers. The costiveness may 

 be marked at first, but HOOII it gives place to diarrhea, by which the 

 offensive matters may be carried off ami health restored. In other 

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