SWEENY.
—Wasting of the muscles covering the shoulder blade of the horse is commonly called “sweeny,” and the cause may be any strain, sprain, jerk, or bruise of the parts due to a bad fitting collar, or to awkward steps of a colt plowing for the first time, and especially when worked in the furrow. The great nerves of the shoulder are affected, and in consequence nutrition is impaired and the muscles waste away. A similar condition may affect the muscles of the hip, or of the space between the stifle and hip.
Lameness seldom is a prominent feature in shoulder sweeny. Ordinarily the wasting comes on some time after the causative injury; then the skin alone appears to cover the bone (scapula) and the animal may have little power for work. In this connection it should be remembered that wasting of the shoulder muscles also may be due to any chronic lameness or soreness of the foot, or leg, between foot and shoulder. Wasting (atrophy) of muscles occurs when the muscles for any reason are not fully exercised. It, therefore, is important to make sure whether the cause is in the foot or in the shoulder before commencing treatment.
Treatment consists in stimulating flow of blood to the poorly nourished parts, and if this can be done the muscles gradually grow in again and regain their normal development and power. An old-fashioned plan is to make incisions in the skin and then blow up the parts with air to separate the skin from the bone. This should not be done. Setons (rowels) of tape may be inserted under the skin, but they leave scars. Better treatment consists in rubbing the parts twice daily with a stimulating liniment, or blistering at intervals of three weeks with cerate of cantharides, after removing the hair. A suitable liniment may be made by mixing together four ounces of druggist’s soap liniment, one ounce each of aqua ammonia and water to make one pint.