90 SPECIAL EQUINE THERAPY 



attack of diabetes insipidus, a long rest is usually re- 

 quired before the customary well being is reestablished. 



DIABETES MELLITUS 



Diabetes mellitus may be described best as the ' ' sugar 

 disease. " It is characterized by an excess of grape sugar 

 in the blood, which excess is excreted in the urine in its 

 true state as grape sugar. Diabetes mellitus is much 

 more common in horses than is generally held to be the 

 fact. True, it is, comparatively speaking, a rare disease ; 

 but it appears frequently enough to make a knowledge 

 of its manifestations essential. 



The disease runs a slow, chronic course, lasting from a 

 few months to several years. While spontaneous recov- 

 ery is possible, the termination is nearly always fatal. 



The pathology is not really understood. Pancreatic 

 insufficiency is quite generally presumed to be a factor 

 in the causation. 



Symptoms. The first signs of diabetes mellitus are, 

 what describes it best, a "lack of pep." The horse does 

 not come up to his usual standard in condition and work- 

 ability. Signs of fatigue are common at ordinary exer- 

 tion. The animal perspires more easily than it should, 

 and usually the client says that "his feed does not seem 

 to do him any good," despite the fact that his appetite 

 does not seem to be interfered with. The condition may 

 remain unchanged for months. Tonics, or whatever else 

 may be given, do no appreciable good to the animal. As 

 the disease progresses, the horse loses in condition. The 

 appetite remains good, and very often becomes almost 

 ravenous. Thirst is almost constant; the horse accepts 

 every opportunity to indulge this sense. 



It is now noted that the animal is becoming "tender- 



