Treatment.—Withhold all food for twenty-four hours, then place the following drugs in a gelatin capsule: Calomel, two drams, Barbadoes Aloes, three drams; Ferri Sulphate, two drams. Give with capsule gun. Also place the following tonic in their feed: Pulv. Quassia, one ounce; Ferri Sulphate, two ounces; Pulv. Anise Seed, two ounces. Mix and make sixteen powders. Give one powder two or three times a day in the feed.
RHEUMATISM.
Cause.—Exposure to cold rains, drafts, lying on damp ground when the blood is in poor condition. Also due to over-stimulating food.
Symptoms.—Lameness, swelling or soreness which may shift from one place to another, then finally locate in or near one of the joints of the limbs.
Treatment.—Take away all grains and feed laxative foods such as potatoes, carrots, apples, kale and good hay. If the weather is warm turn out to pasture, but confine in warm stable at night. It is advisable to give a physic, as Aloin, two drams; Gentian, one dram; Ginger, one dram. Place in gelatin capsule and give at one dose with capsule gun, as its action on the blood has a very good effect. When the swellings are painful, apply Camphorated Liniment once or twice daily. Also, administer the following tonic: Potassi Iodide, one ounce; Nitrate of Potash, two ounces; Chlorate of Potash, two ounces; Pulv. Gentian Root, one ounce; Ferri Sulphate, one ounce; Pulv. Anise Seed, four ounces. Mix well and make into twenty powders. Give one powder three times a day in bran or place in capsule and give with capsule gun.
RING BONE.
Cause.—Faulty conformation—a narrow or straight pastern joint is considered faulty. Be very careful in selecting a sire when breeding, as faulty conformation is hereditary. Ringbone may also result when young animals are put to work on hard roads, or running in stony pastures sometimes produces Ringbone before the bones have become properly hardened. Other causes are injury to tendons or ligaments, bruised joints, blows, calking, or picking up a nail.
Symptoms.—Lameness will manifest itself when the horse first starts out in the morning; this may become less noticeable or even disappear temporarily as the animal works. They gradually grow lamer and examination will disclose an enlargement at or around the top of the hoof. This may appear in one or more feet, but the front feet are more often affected.
Treatment.—If the Ringbone is very much inflamed, reduce the heat by applying cold water or ice packs to the part. Clip off all hair from around the top of the hoof and rub in well for twenty minutes the following: Red Iodide of Mercury, two drams; Pulv. Cantharides, two drams; Turpentine, one dram; Pine Tar, two drams, and mix in two ounces of Lard. Apply the ointment every two days for a week and repeat same treatment in two weeks. Keeping the animal as quiet as possible will hasten its recovery. If the animal is comparatively young, recovery is certain, although the enlargement may never disappear.