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BONE SPAVIN. 



Bone spavin is a disease involving the bones in the hook joint, 

 and appears as a bony enlargeraent, situated at the inner and 

 lower part of the tarsus. 



Causes. — Weakness, faulty conformation, severe strains, hard 

 and rapid vrork, etc. 



Symptoms. — A hard, bony enlargement situated at the inner 

 and lower part of the hock joint, usually accompanied by lame- 

 ness. In the first stages of the disease lameness is noticed only 

 when the animal is first moved after a rest, and then the toe is 

 generally placed upon the ground first. 



The "spavin test" is sometimes useful in diagnosing spavin 

 lameness. It consists in keeping the hock joint flexed for one or 

 two minutes, and then trotting the horse. The lameness is very 

 marked. 



Treatment. — The treatment of bone spavin is the same as that 

 prescribed for ringbone. 



RINGBONE. 



Ringbone is a bony enlargement, more or less prominent, situ- 

 ated upon either the os suffraghiis or os coronoe, and it may also 

 involve the articular cartilages. 



Causes. — Injuries, such as blows, sprains, jumping, and fast 

 work on hard roads. 



Symptoms. — Chronic bony enlargements, accompanied usually 

 by lameness, are the most prominent symptoms. 



Diagnosis is assisted by palpitation (feeling) and comparison 

 of the two legs. The enlargement is hard, painless on pressure, 

 and the skin covering it is movable. 



Treatment. — The foot must be pared perfectly level, and a 

 blister applied to the enlargement and repeated in two weeks if 

 necessary. Perfect rest and quietude for four to six weeks are 

 essential, or no beneficial results can be expected. 



If the rest and blisters fail to remove the lameness firing may 

 sometimes be resorted to. Puncture firing in two or three rows 

 is often very eflfeotive. After firing the animal must be kept 

 quiet in a single stall for at least one month. 



