CHAPTER III. 

 * DISEASES OF THE STOMACH AND BOWELS. 



GASTRO-INTESTINAL CATARRH OF THE HORSE. 



Catarrhal Gastro-enteritis. 



Definition. — A catarrhal inflammation of the mucous 

 membrane of the stomach and bowels. While it occurs as a 

 primary disease, it is often a secondary condition. It may 

 be acute or chronic. 



Occurrence. — Gastro-intestinal catarrh is a very common 

 disease of horses. 



Etiology. — Primary gastro-intestinal catarrh is due to: 

 (a) Bad food (mouldy forage, smutty oats, rotten straw), 

 forage containing irritant weeds or sharp objects. Food 

 which is too hot or, on the other hand, frozen and food con- 

 taining foreign material, as sand. 



(b) Good food injudiciously fed. (Too rapid eating with 

 incomplete mastication when very hungry, not enough 

 saliva being mixed with food hastily swallowed ; overloading 

 stomach. Sudden change from accustomed to unaccustomed 

 foods, as oats to corn, corn to barley or wheat, etc.) 



(c) Water^ Large quantities of cold water when hot and 

 fatigued. Water from stagnant pools. 



(d) Disturbance in mastication (bad teeth). 



(e) Psychic influences. (Extreme nervousness in race 

 horses, casting, tying head too high, pain following operations 

 or wounds.) 



(/) Animal parasites (ascarides). 



(g) Irritant drugs and poisons (arsenic, calomel, acids, 

 alkalies). 



Chronic gastro-intestinal catarrh is due to much the same 

 causes as the acute but acting less intensively. They are: 



(a) Bad food (sanded food, frozen food). 



(b) Improper feeding. 



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