222 PEINCIPLES OF VETEKINAEY SUBGEEY 



the animal either works pretty well, or there.is chronic lame- 

 ness, with, in the worst type, tendinous contracture. 



What does the prognosis of these cases depend on f 



In running horses, unless they can be kept from hard and 

 prolonged work, the prognosis is unfavorable, but they usu- 

 ally do well as drivers and saddle horses. In carriage horses 

 and heavy draughts, the prognosis is more favorable. The 

 facts to be considered are : how important a tendon is 

 involved; how serious are the lesions; what amount of swell- 

 ing is present; does the animal support weight; is more thaa 

 one leg involved. The latter point is very important, as in. 

 these cases the creature is obliged to support weight with the 

 diseased structures, and under such circumstances the healthy 

 tendon fibres may give way and the animal becomes what is 

 vulgarly termed "broken down," followed by changes in the 

 angularity of the articulations, the limiting apparatus of 

 which the diseased tendon was. 



What are the symptoms of tendinitis ? \ 



Pain and swelling of the tendon are the most important 1 

 ones. In the earlier stages there is also increased heat of the I 

 parts, finally a change in the angularity of the phalangeal ! 

 articulations. This is seen in the earliest stages by changing 

 the position of the normal angle of the joint ; the animal ; 

 transfers the weight of the body to the bony column, thereby ' 

 relieving the tendon. In old cases the change in the position 

 of the articular angle is due to the retraction by the scar 

 tissue. 



What hind of swelling is seen in the various stages of tendin- 

 itis ? 



Palpation reveals a diffuse, almost soft, swelling in th& 

 beginning, due to the fact that the bundles of tendon fibres 



