CHAPTER X. 
DISEASES OF THE FEET. 
1. Laminitis (Founder). 
This is inflammation of the sensitive structures or what 
is commonly called the quick of the foot. 
Causes. — Overfeeding, overheating, or driving a long dis- 
tance on a hard, stony road may cause it. 
Symptoms. — The animal persists in lying down. The 
feet are hot and sometimes swollen around the top of the 
hoof and sore to press on. There is much thirst because of 
being feverish, but little desire to eat much. If you force the 
animal to move it merely slides ics feet ahmg, seems very 
stiff and its belly is all drawn up from trying to favor its feet. 
Treatment. — Keep the animal as quiet as possible, and 
poultice the feet with hot linseed meal and bran — about half- 
and-half. The way to do this is to take an old grain bag, cut 
about a foot ofif the bottom of it. Pack the hot poultice in 
this and place the foot in it. Tie it up around the fetlock and 
foot so that it cannot fall ofif. Do this to each foot and change 
the poultice twice a day. Keep this up until the animal gets 
all right. Give a pound and a half of Epsom salts in a quart 
of lukewarm water, and a teaspoonful of saltpetre, or nitrate 
of potash, in a mash night and morning. Sometimes, if the 
weather is warm, standing the animal in a stream of water 
with a mucky bottom, for a few hours every day, soon brings 
them all right without any other treatment. 
2. Soreness From Any Cause. 
Treat just the same as you would for founder, by poul- 
tices and keeping the animal quiet. If the toes are too long, 
cut them off with a chisel and mallet. 
3. Foul in the Foot (Foot-Rot). 
This is an inflammation of the skin and parts between 
the trotters or toes. After this ulcers or small boils form 
and break out all around the top of the foot and between the 
trotters. The foot becomes very much swollen in some cases 
and causes the trotters to spread wide apart. The animal 
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