| Price to company | $2,500 | |
| EXPENSES | ||
| Cost of horse | $300 | |
| Banker’s discount | 375 | |
| Freight | 37 | |
| Board | 49 | |
| Feed | 25 | |
| Paid cappers | 160 | 946 |
| Profit | $1,554 | |
Some Veterinary Secrets.
Secret of Preventing Navel and Joint Disease.
When a new-born foal speedily develops abscesses involving the navel and the joints of the extremities, the cause is an invasion of the navel by filth germs and this may easily be prevented. A mare foaling in cold weather should be provided with a clean, fresh bedded, disinfected, light, airy, whitewashed box stall in which to have her foal. In the summer season she may be allowed to foal on grass where filth germs are less liable to be found than in old, dark, dirty stables. But no matter where the foal is born, care must be taken to thoroughly disinfect the navel cord (umbilicus) as soon as it has been severed or tied. For this purpose a 1:500 solution of bichloride of mercury (corrosive sublimate) is usually recommended, but we advise the use of a much stronger solution to be prepared as follows: Dissolve ½ ounce of finely powdered corrosive sublimate in 1 pint of boiling water to which has been added 1 dram of dilute hydrochloric acid. When cold add ½ ounce of tincture of iron, as coloring matter; label the bottle “poison” and keep it out of the reach of children.
At the birth of a foal immediately wet the stump of the navel with this solution and repeat the application twice daily until the cord dries up, and falls off and no raw spot can be seen. The solution at the time of using may conveniently be held in a shallow wide-mouthed bottle into which the stump of the cord may be inserted and immersed. As soon as the cord has shrivelled up remove it, if it will come away readily. The new raw surface can easily be got at with the solution. Use of the solution will also tend to prevent leakage of urine from the navel.
It is best to avoid, wherever possible, tying the navel cord at birth. The natural way is for the cord to be broken at birth, either when the foal is dropped or by the mare rising, and so causing it to break by stretching it. When this happens the walls of the fetal urinary passage (urachus), the arteries and the vein of the umbilicus retract and close the opening; whereas these vessels are liable to remain open for entrance of germs if the cord has been ligated, or cut off and the ligature quickly removed, besides allowing the escape of urine by way of the pervious urachus.
Symptoms of Bad Teeth.
In some old horses whose molar teeth are diseased or irregular, perfect mastication of hay becomes impossible. After the animal has chewed for a time, the teeth and tongue tend to form a ball (bolus) of hay which is forced out of the mouth instead of being swallowed. This is termed “quidding,” and when it is seen it may be taken as an indication of the need of a veterinary dentist with his instruments. In other cases the partly masticated food is gathered in a pouch between the molar teeth and cheek, and this can be plainly seen and felt by the careful examiner. This pouch is sometimes called the “granary,” and from the outside its presence is indicated by an elongated tumor which has a doughy feel when pressed with the finger.