Symptoms.—The usual symptoms are those of Catarrh, although the bowels, lungs and brain complications may be present, either singly or combined. It always gives rise to great weakness. The distinguishing characteristics of Influenza from Distemper, Sore Throat, and other diseases affecting the organs of breathing, are the suddenness of the attack, rise of temperature, varying from 103° to 106° F., pulse feeble and fast, and a pinkish, swollen appearance of the inside of the eyelids. The animal is dull, in some cases almost unconscious. Sometimes the legs are very stiff and swollen, and there is great difficulty in moving about.
Treatment.—Place the affected animal in a clean, well ventilated stall, avoid drafts, give pure water to drink with chill taken off, in small quantities but often. Blanket if the weather is chilly, hand rub the legs and bandage, give Quinine, two drams, in a gelatin capsule with capsule gun every four hours. In addition to the above, administer the treatment recommended for Acute and Chronic Coughs.
Feed good, nutritious food that has a laxative effect on the bowels, as it is dangerous to give horses physic with this disease. Hot bran mashes, steamed rolled oats and vegetables are very beneficial.
LAMPAS.
Cause.—In young horses it is commonly caused by cutting teeth. In older animals it is usually due to indigestion.
Symptoms.—A puffy swelling and redness of the gums. The animal may have difficulty in eating.
Treatment.—In young animals, when cutting teeth, let nature take its course, but when an animal is five years or over, place two drams of Aloin, and two drams of Pulv. Ginger, in a gelatin capsule and administer with capsule gun. Then tone up the digestive organs by mixing one ounce of Pulv. Gentian Root, one ounce of Pulv. Nux Vomica, four ounces of Bicarbonate of Soda. Make into eight powders and give one powder in feed twice daily, or place in gelatin capsule and administer with capsule gun.
LEECHES.
(Haemopis)
The leeches which suck the blood of the horse may be divided into two classes, the external parasites which attach themselves to the skin of the legs and adjacent parts of the horse, and the Haemopis Sanguisuga, and others of this class, which, not being able to penetrate the skin, endeavor to enter the mouth or nostrils of the horse when he is drinking or grazing in wet and leech-infected pastures. They sometimes cling to the mucous membrane of the eyes. The horse leech, which lives in the water, usually gains access to the mouth and nostrils of the animal, when young and not more than one-tenth of an inch long. They rarely go beyond the air and food passages, generally fastening themselves to the walls of the windpipe and gullet, where they cling till the animal dies from loss of blood or suffocation. They often cause bleeding from the mouth and nostrils, and may be seen by close examination.