Sore Mouth 947 
SORE MOUTH 
Sore mouth in domestic animals usually results from 
injuries, irritating foods, or germs of disease which 
gain entrance, grow, and cause canker sores on the 
membranes or tongue. Among other causes may be 
mentioned irritating medicines that burn the mouth, 
harsh bits, projecting molars, or diseased teeth. 
The first symptom of sore mouth is usually a dis- 
inclination, or inability, to eat properly, especially of 
coarse food. The horse may “gaunt up,” and in some 
cases there is a discharge of saliva, either watery or 
frothy, and sometimes the tongue is swollen so that it 
protrudes from the mouth. 
The first thing to be done is to remove the cause, 
if it can be determined. The animal should have soft 
food, gruels, milk and mashes. The mouth should 
be thoroughly washed out with warm water and a mild 
healing lotion applied with a sponge or soft cloth: a 
strong solution of alum, or tincture chlorid of iron, 
two teaspoonfuls to one-half pint of water. These 
can be applied three times daily. Allowing the animal 
to lick a little salt three times daily is also excellent. 
Corrosive sublimate or other poisonous remedies should 
not be used, except under competent advice, as there 
is danger of poisoning. 
Mycotic Stomatitis or Infectious Sore Mouth of Cattle 
This disease attacks cattle of all ages, and appears 
to be contagious, although it does not spread rapidly; 
often only one or two cases will occur in a large herd. 
