ACUTE LAMINITIS. 
309 
animal will show signs of pain. The pulse at the digital artery 
will be found full and throbbing. The respirations accelerated, 
the mouth hot and dry, the faeces dry and coated, urine scanty 
■and high colored. The symptoms vary with the feet that are 
affected. When the front feet are affected, which is most fre¬ 
quently the case, they are advanced forward and the hind feet 
are carried well under the body to relieve them of their load. 
But when the hind feet only are involved the animal will often 
lie down. It may be most marked on one foot, but this is gen¬ 
erally due to some local lesion. 
In the ox it is more serious in the inner claw on account of 
it bearing the most weight. He walks with difficulty, and takes 
advantage of every opportunity to lie down. The fever is 
severe, and sometimes there is loss of appetite and rumination. 
Termination of the Acute Form .—Well treated laminitis is 
of short duration, and terminates in a short time in resolution. 
If it runs for a longer period than eight to twelve days, 
chronic laminitis will probably result. Resolution in the acute 
form is accomplished when the inflammation is quickly subdued 
and the products are absorbed ; when thus ending the horn se¬ 
creting structures of the foot is not often altered. 
Complications and Terminations. —Haemorrhage, inflammation 
with exudation, suppuration, gangrene, and lastly chronic lam¬ 
initis. Haemorrhage is that condition when rupture of the capil¬ 
laries have taken place, thereby infiltrating between the two 
laminae and sometimes oozing out at the coronet. If oozing has 
taken place it is advisable to cut in at the toe, at the junction of 
the wall and sole, thus relieving the pressure. Inflammation is 
the result of congestion if not relieved, and as a natural conse¬ 
quence we have exudation. This exudation being thrown out 
from the sensitive lamina, separating the sensitive from the 
horny, thus pushing the pedal bone downward, and the wall up¬ 
ward, thereby forming a condition known as chronic laminitis. 
Suppuration is more rare, and is only seen in the traumatic 
form. It generally attacks the sensitive sole, and occasionally 
works its way to the coronet. This is a very painful complica- 
