138 



CANINE AND FELINE SURGERY. 



knife all around the limb, the flap method being done by incis- 

 ing the skin in the form of a wedge. The skin is pushed 

 back and the muscles are treated similarly, being dissected off 

 the bone so as to expose the latter as high up as possible. The 

 bone is then removed with a saw. 



If the sharp-bladed amputation knife is used the point is 

 thrust through the skin and muscles alternately on each side of 

 the leg, and the flap made by two rapid downward incisions. 



Fig. 72. 

 Amputation Knife (Listen's). 



The vessels are sought for and twisted or ligatured ; the 

 edges of the wound are drawn together with boiled silk or 

 aseptic catgut, the muscles and skin being treated separately. 



After-treatment consists in carefully keeping the parts clean 

 by the aid of antiseptics and bandages, or, if the stump is 

 too short for these to be put on, the wound may be covered 

 with iodoform collodion. The stitches should be removed 



Fig. 73. 

 Amputation Saw. 



about the fourth or fifth day, or sooner if it is suspected that 

 pus is present. 



False legs consisting merely of a plain leather socket or a 

 more elaborate arrangement, as shown in Fig. 74, can be fitted 

 afterwards, but it is astonishing to see how soon an animal can 

 reconcile itself to the loss of a limb and how well it soon 

 learns to walk about on the remaining three. In one case 

 which occurred last year a very valuable whippet's life was 



