128 SPECIAL EQUINE THERAPY 



granulating soft tissue. Aside from the edematous swell- 

 ing in the coronary and pastern regions no other 

 symptoms are produced. 



If the condition is allowed to continue without appro- 

 priate treatment a "drop-sole" usually results, making 

 the horse unsound. 



Treatment. With a hoof knife and a curette the bot- 

 tom of the foot must be thoroughly cleaned up, removing 

 all degenerated parts of horn. The entire area is then 

 to be wiped over a number of times with sponges of cotton 

 so that it becomes perfectly dry. By means of a small 

 brush or cotton swabs the whole of the diseased area is 

 now thoroughly painted over with equal parts of formal- 

 dehyd and glycerin. The colt is then to be confined in 

 a dry stall. No bandages or dressings need to be applied. 



After three or four days the foot should be reexamined. 

 If there are any new areas of degeneration these must be 

 pared out, and the entire diseased section of the foot is 

 then treated again with formaldehyd and glycerin. This 

 performance is repeated every three or four days, and 

 must be continued until there is a good growth of new 

 horn beginning to appear. In mild cases one or two 

 treatments may suffice, while in more extensive lesions 

 seven or eight treatments may be required. 



An important feature in the handling of a case of foot- 

 rot in a colt is that of keeping the foot as dry as possible. 

 No washing of any kind must be employed and the colt 

 should stand in a perfectly dry stall until the disease is 

 under control. All the cleaning that is required must be 

 done with the hoof knife, curette, and wads of dry cotton 

 or oakum. With unruly colts it may become a difficult 

 matter to do this thoroughly unless they are first cast. If 

 there are good, reasons why the colt should not be cast 

 in any individual case, the paring and cleaning part of 

 the treatment can be omitted, and the formaldehyd and 



