260 DISEASES OF THE HORSE’S FOOT 
of laminitis, it may be almost totally disregarded. That 
a bad form of foot, either a flat-foot or a foot with heels 
contracted, and already thus affected with a mild type of 
inflammation, did not offer a certain predisposition, we 
should not like to assert. There must, however, be an 
exciting cause—namely, a poisoned condition of the blood- 
stream. This latter cannot, of course, be in any way 
regarded as hereditary. 
In short, the dietetic cause is by far the most common, 
and, in prosecuting inquiries as to the starting-point of an 
attack, the veterinarian’s attention should be directed in 
the main to that particular. 
Symptoms.—Laminitis is always ushered in by a set of 
symptoms indicative of a high state of fever. The pulse 
is raised from the normal to as many as 80 or 90 a minute, 
muscular tremors are in evidence, the respirations are short 
and hurried, and the temperature rises to 105°, 106°, or 
107° F. The visible mucous membranes are injected, that 
of the eye, in addition to the hyperemia, often tinged a 
dirty yellow. The mouth is dry and hot, the urine scanty, 
and the bowels frequently torpid. As yet, however, the 
walk is sound. 
Called in during this early stage, the veterinarian is 
often puzzled as to the exact significance of the symptoms. 
Enteritis, lymphangitis, or pneumonia he knows to be often 
heralded in the same manner. In this connection, Zundel 
says: ‘ Laminitis, in most instances, is preceded by certain 
general symptoms, such as are premonitory of the invasions 
of ordinary inflammatory diseases, but of an uncertain 
significance.’ 
So far we agree with him, but to what we have already 
said we would add that, even in this early stage, there is an 
additional symptom, unmentioned by Zundel, which often 
leads one to an exact diagnosis. The feet are in turn lifted 
a short distance from the ground, and almost immediately 
replaced. This movement (‘ paddling,’ we may term it) is 
constant, the animal appearing to obtain ease in no one 
position for more than a few moments at a time. 
