142 THE COW IN HEALTH AND DISEASE 



permanently so, as many of them will breed 

 again after being properly treated. Others, 

 however, can never breed, as they are incurable 

 and this is the reason that none save a very care- 

 ful, studious veterinarian can become qualified 

 so that by examination he can inform the owner 

 which animals can be cured and which should 

 be sent to the slaughter. The quack will soon 

 get in trouble when he attempts to deal with 

 this condition. 



The value of the cow has a great influence 

 upon the decision of the veterinarian in cases of 

 sterility, also the length of time that has elapsed 

 since the last calving. Cows that are but grades 

 and not exceptionally good ones will rarely be 

 worth the treatment. The most of these cows 

 must receive weekly treatments and from fifty 

 to seventy-five per cent of them will require 

 from three to six treatments. A few will re- 

 cover after a greater number of treatments, up 

 to six months, but the number that will recover 

 and breed again after they have been treated 

 over six months is very small indeed. 



Causes of Sterility. 



Sterility may be caused by excessive feeding 

 of cows for show purposes, lack of exercise, de- 

 bilitating diseases, excessive fatness, etc. The 

 removal of these, when they are the causes, usu- 

 ally brings about the return of the heat periods. 



Abnormalities of the genital organs, that is, 

 the vagina, uterus, ovaries fallopian tubes, etc. 



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