734 



OPEEATIONS ON THE FOOT. 



Fig. 629.— Desplas' Shoe for Dressing alter Operation of Cartilaginous CJuittor and 

 Complicated Corns. 



useless. Some veterinarians leave the animal unshod, but the 

 bandage is more likely to slip off. The shoe must be put on while 

 the animal is down, and before the application of the dressing. 

 "With some practitioners, that is the moment for the removal of 

 the tourniquet or cord, which had been appHed at the beginning 

 of the operation in order to prevent the bleeding. This is an un- 

 necessary precaution, and only renders the application of the 

 dressing more difficult. First, balls of oakum are placed over the 

 coronary band, then, upon the points of union of the preserved 

 wall and of the podophyllous tissue, and then all over the wound. 

 We must endeavor, as Eenault says, to give the dressing a cylin- 

 drical form, or rather, according to Eey, hemispherical, after which 

 the whole is covered with pads and rollers. These must be put 

 on in abundance, the rollers passing over the branch of the shoe 

 on the sound side, and running successively from above down- 

 ward, and generally from before backward (Pigs. 530, 531, 532, 

 533). Flat feet require special- care in dressing, and the fore feet 

 are generally more difficult to dress than the hinder. When all is 

 finished, the animal has to be watched for several days. Ordi- 

 narily, after the operation, there is abundant hemorrhage, occur- 

 ring within some fifteen minutes, and oozing through the dress- 

 ings. This requires no special attention, and generally ceases 

 spontaneously, or by the pressure of the dressing, or by the use 

 of the cold bath. If the dressing seems to be too tight, and the 

 animal shows signs of acute pain, with strong reactive fever, it is 

 not therefore necessary to remove the dressing, but may be suffi- 

 cient simply to loosen the bandage. The animal should be placed 

 in a wide stall, or box, if possible, where he may move freely, and 



