SPAVIN. 259 



towards the front of the joint, often causes severe lameness, and 

 is difficult, if not impossible, to be detected without feeling the 

 hock with the hand. 



When a horse is chronically lame from spavin, the muscles of 

 the affected limb tend to waste away considerably from inaction. 

 In severe lameness of the hind extremities, the animal evinces 

 great disinclination to lie down, on account of his knowledge of the 

 difficulty he will have in getting up ; and his condition suffers 

 proportionately. 



Horses do not often become permanently lame from spavin, 

 which is consequently a much less grave affection, as a rule, than 

 a sprain of a back tendon or of a suspensory ligament, laminitis, 

 navicular disease, and many other ailments. This disease, when 

 causing lameness, is far more intractable in old horses than in 

 young ones, because processes of repair are much more active in 

 the latter, than in the foTmer. 



TREATMENT.— .We should bear in mind that it is impossible 

 to cure a sjDavin, that is to say, we cannot restore the aft'ected 

 part to its normal condition. All we can do, is to hasten the 

 completion of the inflammation, and the consequent removal of the 

 lameness. 



In the very early stages of this lameness, w^ith or without heat 

 and swelling at the site of spavin, we may endeavour to subdue 

 the inflammation before any structural change takes place; the 

 best means being the administration of a dose of physic (aloes) ; 

 the application of warm fomentations; and rest. If the lameness 

 does not yield to these simple means, the best thing to do is to 

 fire (as recommended by Eberlein) into the centre of the enlarge- 

 ment with a pointed needle-shaped firing-iron, which can be got 

 from any veterinary instrument maker. It should be about the 

 thickness of a knitting-needle at the base, and about an inch in 

 length. It is best made of iron, as it requires to be rigid, in order 

 to perform its task properly. Iron-holders, with a knob at the 

 end to carry the needle, are the most convenient instruments to 

 use. The hair on the spavin should be shaved off, the part well 

 washed with carbolic soap and warm water, disinfected with an 

 .antiseptic solution (p. 67), and dried, preferably with a piece of 

 antiseptic cotton-wool. As a rule, there will be no need to cast the 

 horse, which can be tied up, one of his fore legs suspended 

 from a surcingle, and a twitch put on him. When placing 

 the iron in the fire, the needle should be kept uppermost, 

 so that it may not be injm^ed, and it should be brought to a white 

 heat. Two or three punctures well into the bone will be sufficient, 

 and care should be taken that neither the true hock joint nor any 



17* 



