OTHER NON-COMMUNICABLE DISEASES 337 



Symptoms. — The horse starts away from the stable in par- 

 ticularly good spirits. Suddenly he lags, sweats profusely, and 

 gets lame in one or both hind legs, which knuckle over at the 

 fetlock joints. Soon he has difficulty in standing and may fall, 

 in which event he attempts to rise, but is only partially successful. 

 Once down he rapidly becomes worse, and the symptoms are 

 aggravated. The urine is retained and of a thick, dark red- 

 brown, or coffee color, and full of suspended matter. This color 

 is due to hemoglobin from the disintegrated red blood-corpuscles. 

 Its presence in the urine has given the disease the name hemo- 

 globinuria. The muscles of the loins and thighs are swollen 

 and very hard; the lining membrane of the eyelids is congested; 

 the nostrils are dilated; the pulse at first full and bounding 

 later becomes weak and fast. The appetite often remains good 

 and the horse eats hay at every opportunity, while thirst may 

 be extreme. 



Treatment. — As soon as any of the above-mentioned symptoms 

 are noticed the horse should be stopped. Driving even a short 

 distance farther is likely to result in more serious trouble and 

 lead to paralysis. Prompt rest is absolutely essential to recovery. 

 The harness should be removed and the patient blanketed. It 

 is not wise to lead him even a short distance. The urine must 

 be drawn off with a catheter at least twice a day, for the bladder 

 is paralyzed. Many different drugs have been employed, but 

 none has proved a specific. The attending veterinarian should be 

 relied upon to administer the treatment which, in his judgment, 

 appears to be best. A gentle physic, together with ounce doses 

 of bicarbonate of soda three times a day may be given in mild 

 attacks. Veterinarians use other drugs such as iodid of potash 

 and oxalic acid as their judgment directs. Good nursing and a 

 soft bed to prevent injury while the patient is down are of as 

 much importance as medicines. 



BRONCHITIS 



By the term bronchitis an inflammation of the bronchial tubes 

 is understood. It occurs in two forms — acute and chronic. The 

 acute form may develop into the chronic form. 



Causes. — 'The causes are usually a sudden change in the 

 weather, inhalation of irritating gas, smoke, chemical fumes, 

 lung worms, and aspiration of particles of food or liquids. 



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