The Veterinarian

by Charles James Korinek

HEREFORD BULL.
Owned by C. A. Tow, Norway, Iowa.
FOOT ROT
(Foul in Foot)
CAUSE: Due to filth or from hard substances accumulating between the two
digits, producing irritation and inflammation and suppuration.
SYMPTOMS: Lameness. On examination the foot is swollen, hot and painful
to the touch. When the case is of long standing, suppuration occurs and
pus will ooze from between the digits, and is very offensive in smell.
This condition causes the digits to slough off, if no attempt is made to
relieve it.
TREATMENT: Cleanliness. Where there is considerable inflammation
present, apply Hot Bran or Flaxseed poultices. Keep clean and treat as
an ordinary wound. The following prescription will be found very
effective in Foot Rot: Oil of Origanum, four ounces; Oil of Pisis, four
ounces; Oil of Turpentine, four ounces. Saturate oakum or cotton with
the above liniment placing between the digits and bandage. Feed laxative
food, as hot wheat bran mashes and vegetables.
FOUNDER
(Laminitis)
Inflammation of the internal, sensitive structure of the foot.
CAUSE: Overfeeding, overheating, driving on rough, stony soil. Cattle
confined to stand on hard floors without exercise frequently suffer from
Founder.
SYMPTOMS: The animals lie down a great part of the time. Feet hot and
tender and if made to walk they do so with great difficulty. One or all
four feet may become affected, although it is more frequently found in
the front feet. The temperature is somewhat elevated, varying from 104
to 106 degrees F., breathing very rapid, appetite fairly good and there
will be great thirst. Founder in cows reduces the milk secretion, owing
to the great fever that is present.
TREATMENT: Apply cold packs to the feet, ice packs preferred. If the
animal can be made to stand in a stream of water having a soft bottom,
it, perhaps, is the best method of cooling out the feet. Give a physic
of Aloin, three drams; Pulv. Gentian Root, two drams. Place in a gelatin
capsule and give with capsule gun. To their drinking water add two or
three drams of Potassi Nitrate three or four times daily. Animals
suffering with Founder should be provided with soft ground to stand on,
as their feet will be tender and subject to the chronic form of the
disease.
GARGET
(Congestion of the Udder)
CAUSE: Very common in heavy milkers before or just after calving when
the bag is very much enlarged and very sensitive; exposure to chilling
or standing in drafts or even neglected for too long a time in milking.
Injuries may also cause Garget.
SYMPTOMS: The bag is very much enlarged, showing signs of inflammation.
The swelling extends well forward following the milk veins. The cow has
great difficulty in walking due to sensitiveness of the bag. When milked
for two or three days the swelling disappears after the secretion is
fully established, but as a rule is tinged with blood. Sometimes small
clots of milk or cheese-like particles are ejected with the milk.
TREATMENT: Give a physic consisting of Aloin, two drams; Pulv. Ginger,
three drams. Place in gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun:
Hyposulphite of Soda, sixteen ounces; Nitrate of Potassi, four ounces.
Mix and make into sixteen powders. Give one powder three times a day in
drinking water or place in gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun.
Also dissolve Bichloride of Mercury, two grains; Boracic Acid, two
drams, in one quart of boiling hot water. When this solution cools to
about blood temperature, after stripping all milk fluid or pus from the
affected teat or teats, inject with an ordinary bulb injection syringe
after placing a teat tube into the end from which the air escapes when
the bulb is pressed. Now, place the end of the syringe retaining the
teat tube in the affected teat, the other end place in a bottle or
vessel containing the solution and gently press the bulb and inject
about a pint of the solution in each affected quarter. Leave the
solution in the teat for only fifteen to twenty minutes and milk out
thoroughly. Repeat this treatment two or three times a day.
For an external application the following ointment has given remarkably
good results: Blue Ointment and Zinc Ointment, equal parts. Mix well and
apply two or three times daily.
HARD MILKERS
CAUSE: A thickness or contraction of the mucous membranes lining the
teat or growths inside the teat.
TREATMENT: All antiseptic precautions should be carried out in this
operation, as boiling the instruments and then covering them with
Carbolated Vaseline. Then with a hidden bistoury or a knife concealed in
a tube, force upward into the teat, then press out the little blade and
draw the instrument down the teat, making about four incisions equal
distance apart around the inner surface of the teat. The use of
self-retaining teat dilators prevents the contraction of the cut
surface, permitting them to remain in the teat for two weeks, removing
them only when the milk is being stripped from the teat. Always place
them in boiling water and cover with Carbolated Vaseline before
inserting.
HOLLOW HORN
Horns of the cattle tribe are normally hollow, although a core extends
well into the horn. This, however, is merely a prolongation of a porous
bone of the head which affords a point for the horns' attachment,
consequently when a cow is sick and the temperature is elevated, the
horns are naturally hot, it being the symptom of a disease and not a
disease of itself, and which should be treated under its special
heading.
The supposed disease "Hollow Horn" once upon a time was treated by
boring a hole into the horn with a small gimlet and pouring Turpentine
into the opening. This treatment is useless and harmful. It produces
inflammation of the frontal sinuses of the head and chances are death of
the animal will follow as a result of the treatment and not of the
disease.
INDIGESTION
CAUSE: Animals with a voracious appetite will overload their stomachs
with food that is hard to digest or is decomposed, causing the organs of
assimilation to become weakened, sluggish and incapable of doing their
proper work.
SYMPTOMS: The animal ceases to ruminate (chew its cud); stands quietly,
hair rough, nose dry, temperature elevated one to two degrees, breathing
usually faster than normal with slight grunts at each expiration of air
from the lungs. The secretions of milk are suddenly diminished. If the
hand is placed against the left side and quickly removed, a marked
depression or pit will remain, which shows that the paunch is full of
undigested food. Bloating is also frequently accompanied by indigestion.
TREATMENT: Administer Aloin, three drams; Ginger, three drams. Place in
capsule and give with capsule gun. Permit the animal to drink all the
water possible. If bloating is present give two-ounce capsules filled
with Turpentine with capsule gun. A tonic is quite necessary in this
condition, and the following I am sure will be followed by good results
if the case is not of too long a standing: Sodium Bicarbonate, eight
ounces; Pulv. Nux Vomica, four ounces; Pulv. Gentian Root, four ounces;
Pulv. Ginger, four ounces. Place two tablespoonfuls in gelatin capsule
and give with capsule gun every six hours. Very good results are also
obtained from rectal injections of soap and warm water. Feed good
nourishing food sparingly, compelling the animal to exercise, etc.

GUERNSEY COW MURNE COWAN 19597 A. R. 1906.
SIRE FANTASIA'S JEWELLER 7259; DAM: JANET BROWN 12403.
(Years record 24008.0 lbs. Milk; 1098.18 lbs. Butter Fat.)
Owned by O. C. Barber, Akron, Ohio.
INFLAMMATION OF THE BAG
(Simple Mammitis)
CAUSE: Injuries, as blows, kicks, etc.; lying on cold, rough ground or
floor, standing in drafts, sudden change of weather. Derangement of the
system is likely to affect the udder; poorly milked or stripped cows are
often victims of Mammitis. Infections in the teat from inserting dirty
instruments, as using a bicycle pump for the treatment of Milk Fever.
Cows with a retained afterbirth are likely to infect the udder by
switching their tail. This condition is very common in heavy milkers
following calving.
SYMPTOMS: The animal chills, hair stands, temperature elevated from one
to three degrees above normal; ears, horns and legs cold, which may
suddenly become very hot; pulse rapid, breathing hurried, bag hard and
swollen and very tender on pressure. When attempts are made to milk, a
watery substance comes away, almost colorless at first, but later
becomes tinged with blood and pus and has a fetid odor. The cow's muzzle
is dry, appetite poor, but great thirst exists. This condition may
affect one or more quarters of the udder. Abscesses may form and the
udder break and a thick yellowish pus oozes out or the milk glands may
solidify and cause hard, lumpy growths in the udder.
TREATMENT: Prevention. If an animal is once slightly affected with
inflammation of the bag, it is likely to develop a bad case of Mammitis
from the slightest injury or exposure as stated above, which depreciates
a cow considerably as a milk producer, especially on the market. Great
care should be exercised when purchasing a cow for milking purposes. See
that the teats and udder are sound, free from lumps, etc.
MEDICAL TREATMENT: Hyposulphite of Soda, sixteen ounces; Nitrate of
Potassi, four ounces. Mix and make into sixteen powders. Give one powder
three times a day in drinking water or place in a gelatin capsule and
give with a capsule gun. Also, dissolve Bichloride of Mercury, two
grains; Boracic Acid, two drams, in one quart of boiling hot water. When
this solution cools to about blood temperature, after stripping all milk
fluid or pus from the affected teat or teats, inject with an ordinary
bulb injection syringe after placing a teat tube into the end from which
the air escapes when the bulb is pressed. Now, place this end of the
syringe retaining the teat tube in the affected teat; the other end
place in a bottle or vessel containing the solution and gently press the
bulb and inject about a pint of the solution into each affected quarter.
Leave the solution in the teat for only fifteen to twenty minutes and
milk out thoroughly. Repeat this treatment two or three times a day.
For an external application, the following ointment has given remarkably
good results: Blue Ointment, two ounces; Lard, two ounces. Mix well and
apply twice daily.
INFLAMMATION OF THE EYE
(Conjunctivitis)
CAUSE: Injuries; irritating gases, from an animal standing in dark and
poorly ventilated stables or foreign bodies in the eye, as chaff, etc.
SYMPTOMS: A constant flow of tears from the eye running down the
animal's face, which are due to the inflammation of the lining membranes
of the eye. The eye is partially or completely closed.
TREATMENT: If due to a foreign body, remove it. In order to accomplish
this, the animal must be placed in a stanchion, the head twisted and the
eyelid turned back. Do not use burned alum as this will only make the
condition worse. Use Boracic Acid, thirty grains; distilled water, one
ounce. Apply to the eye three or four times daily, using an ordinary
eye-dropper.
INFLAMMATION OF THE HEART SACK
(Pericarditis)
CAUSE: Cattle being ruminants, therefore, not masticating their food
finely before swallowing, consequently foreign bodies, such as nails,
wire, etc., are picked up with the food and taken into the rumen or
paunch. These sharp objects penetrate the walls of the paunch, rumen or
first stomach and pierce the membrane or sack surrounding the heart,
which produces an inflammation of the heart sack, or Pericarditis.
SYMPTOMS: Symptoms develop very slowly or indications of indigestion
will be present as the appetite is variable, temperature elevated,
breathing labored, the animal avoids walking down hill as it causes pain
from the stomach and intestines pressing the lungs against the heart.
The symptoms, however, are so slight that they may easily escape the
notice of a casual observer. The animal eventually becomes poor,
emaciated and dies. If you open the heart sack, it will be found full of
watery pus.
TREATMENT: Unsuccessful, as this disease is seldom diagnosed correctly,
and if it is an operation is necessary and this does not prove
successful in the majority of cases.
INFLAMMATION OF THE KIDNEYS
CAUSE: Injuries in the region of the kidneys, exposure to cold weather,
especially in cows soon after calving. Eating poisonous plants,
decomposed food or drinking stagnant water, irritating medicines given
ignorantly of their bad effects are frequently followed by inflammation
of the kidneys.
SYMPTOMS: The attack will first be noticed by slight shivering or
chilling followed by an increased temperature, breathing increased. The
animal attempts to urinate frequently and the amount passed is small and
of a dark amber color and may be flaked with blood. There will be
stiffness and straddling of the hind legs which is always present during
urinary disorders. There may be slight swelling and tenderness over the
kidneys. As the disease progresses the animal grows weak and finally
dies if prompt relief is not afforded. Fortunately this disease is not
common among cattle.
TREATMENT: Clothe the animal if the weather is cold. Mild physics are
beneficial, as Aloin, one and one-half drams; Ginger, two drams; Nux
Vomica, two drams, placed in a gelatin capsule and given with capsule
gun. Also, the following, which is very soothing to the urinary tract:
Potassium Acetate, Potassium Bromide, each four ounces, made into
sixteen powders. Give one powder every four hours in their drinking
water. Feed nitrogenous food as hot wheat bran mashes, steamed rolled
oats, and see that the animal has pure water to drink.
INFLAMMATION OF THE PENIS
CAUSE: Injuries received from snags, walking through the underbrush,
jumping fences, etc.
SYMPTOMS: Arched back, swelling of the sheath and in some cases a
discharge. It may be serious enough to affect the appetite and cause
fever.
TREATMENT: Wash out the sheath two or three times daily with a three per
cent solution of Boracic Acid. If the inflammation extends pretty well
back in the sheath, it is advisable to inject this solution with a
syringe, carefully, as far back as possible. Withdraw the syringe,
holding the opening of the sheath so as to retain the solution for a few
minutes before allowing it to escape.
Feed laxative food and supply the animal with fresh water to drink. If
there is considerable fever, administer Potassium Nitrate, Pulv. Nux
Vomica, each two ounces. Make into eight capsules and give one capsule
two or three times a day.
INFLAMMATION OF THE WOMB
CAUSE: Injuries, as bruises, laceration, sustained during calving,
especially where the cow is assisted with instruments or hands that are
not thoroughly aseptic, an animal retaining the afterbirth which
undergoes putrefaction, and consequently sets up an inflammation of the
womb, or perhaps the animal may become infected during the act of
removing the afterbirth if the operator is neglectful about washing his
hands or washing the womb out thoroughly.
SYMPTOMS: The animal will chill, the temperature elevated two or three
degrees, the back will be arched, stiffness of the hind parts, legs,
ears and horns cold, nose hot and dry, grinding of the teeth, the cow
usually remains standing, ceases to chew her cud, the secretions of milk
will be markedly reduced and a day or so after the symptoms appear,
there will be a discharge from the womb of a reddish lumpy nature. This
becomes thick and yellow containing small particles of flesh, showing
that the inner lining of the womb is sloughing. This discharge is very
offensive in odor. A cow in this condition requires the best of care or
she will die as the decomposed substance in the womb may be absorbed
into the circulation and produce Pyemia or Septicemia (Blood Poison).
TREATMENT: Give Aloin, two drams; Pulv. Ginger, three drams, place in a
gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun. Flush out the womb thoroughly
with a tablespoonful of Carbolic Acid to one gallon of water two or
three times a day. A convenient instrument for flushing out the womb can
be made from an ordinary funnel and a clean hose about four feet long.
This answers the purpose of an injection syringe very well. In their
drinking water add the following: Hyposulphite of Soda, sixteen ounces;
Potassium Iodide, two ounces. Make into sixteen powders and give one
powder two or three times a day.
In addition to the above treatment it is necessary to give alteratives
and bitter tonics to build up the condition of the animal as soon as
possible. The following will be found very effective: Pulv. Gentian
Root, four ounces; Pulv. Ferri Sulphate, four ounces; Nitrate of Potash,
four ounces. Mix and make into sixteen powders and give one powder three
times a day. Place in a gelatin capsule and administer with a capsule
gun.
My reasons for giving animals medicine in capsules are:
1. There is no danger of liquids, as in drenching, escaping into the
lungs.
2. Any drug having any beneficial effects as a tonic is very bitter,
consequently the only way the animal will take it is by placing in
capsule.

JOINT ILL, NAVEL ILL
(Umbilical Pyemia and Septicemia)
CAUSE: This disease is produced by various germs entering the navel cord
of newly born calves when dropped, the navel being freshly severed and
its coming in contact with filth and manure where germs are numerous,
consequently germs adhere and enter the blood stream. Calf Scours as a
rule is associated with this disease.
SYMPTOMS: Swelling of the joints which are very hot and painful on
pressure, and when the calf is made to move it walks stiffly and slowly,
does not care to nurse its mother or take any food, temperature elevated
from 105 to 108 degrees F., breathing hurried, pulse very weak and
quick. There will be an offensive discharge from the navel cord of a
yellowish color and swollen joints finally break and also discharge a
thick yellow pus. The calf becomes emaciated and finally dies from
exhaustion.
TREATMENT: Prevention. Provide clean surroundings for cows when calving,
and in addition to this have a one in one-thousandth solution of
Bichloride of Mercury on hand. Wash the navel well in the solution once
a day until the cord is thoroughly dried.
MEDICAL TREATMENT: Unsuccessful. Sometimes the calf recovers, but at
best the calf is badly stunted and is very seldom worth keeping.
However, the following method of treatment has been followed with fairly
good results: Wash the navel cord well in a one-thousandth solution of
Bichloride of Mercury two or three times a day and give Zinc
Sulphocarbolates, one-fourth grain; Potassi Iodide, five grains, in a
little water or milk three or four times a day. Feed them three or four
eggs a day, molasses, fresh milk. This will keep up the strength and
vitality and a good recovery may follow, although it is an exception and
not a rule.
LACERATION OF THE EYELID
CAUSE: An eyelid may be torn on the manger, rubbing post or barb wire
fence, etc.
TREATMENT: Wash the lacerated portions of the eye thoroughly with a five
per cent solution of Carbolic Acid. It may be necessary to take a few
stitches in the wound or the torn edges may be cut off with a pair of
sharp scissors. If stitches have been taken, they should be removed
after the parts have united and the eye kept clean. A very convenient
application for the eye in this condition is Boracic Acid, one dram;
Distilled Water, four ounces. Apply liberally to the eye.
LEECHES
(Blood Suckers)
Leeches which suck blood of cattle are sometimes taken up by the animals
when drinking water from ponds, etc. The leeches attach themselves to
the inner surface of the mouth or nose, and sometimes reach the upper
part of windpipe or the gullet. Bleeding at the mouth or nose may be
noticed, the membranes where the leeches attach themselves become
congested and swollen, and as a result of the loss of blood anemic
condition follows.
TREATMENT: If the leeches can be reached, they are easily destroyed by
cutting them in two with a pair of scissors or they may be removed with
a pair of forceps or with the fingers after wrapping a piece of cloth
around them so as to prevent slipping.
Steam from boiling hot water containing Pine Tar or Oil of Turpentine
may cause leeches to release their hold if they cannot be removed by
other means. In ponds where leeches are numerous, eels should be
introduced as they feed upon blood suckers of this species.

SHORT-HORN BULL CUMBERLAND'S TYPE 388132.
Winner of many Grand Championships.
Owned by C. A. Saunders, Manilla, Iowa.
LUMPY JAW
(Wooden Tongue, Big Head, Actinomycosis)
CAUSE: The Ray Fungus. This organism which occurs in the tissues in the
form of russets is directly transmitted from one animal to another. It
seems apparent that the fungus is conveyed into the tissues of the mouth
by various food stuff through slight wounds of the mucous membranes of
the mouth or an animal that has decayed teeth or during the shedding of
milk teeth. The Ray Fungus is found naturally vegetated or clinging on
the awns of barley, the spears of oats and on other grains. Quantities
of fungi have been found between the vegetable fibers of barley which
had penetrated the gums of cattle and on the awns of grain imbedded in
their tongues.
Lumpy Jaw can also be transmitted by coming in contact with or eating
food over which lumpy jawed cattle have slobbered. A healthy animal
eating such food with very slight bruises or abrasions of the mouth will
contract the disease very readily. This disease is misleading as other
organs are affected with the Ray Fungi or the Bacillus of Actinomycosis,
as the lungs and even the digestive organs have been found to be
affected with this disease.
SYMPTOMS: External symptoms or signs are the only means by which to
ascertain the disease. Its exact location is on the lower jaw bone near
its angle. It may also affect the upper jaw, but this is an exception
and not a rule. Internally it may affect the tongue, mouth, throat or
lungs, but rarely the intestines. This enlargement continues to grow
until it reaches the size of that of a man's head, breaks and discharges
pus. The animal becomes poor and emaciated, the hair takes on a dull,
roughened appearance and in many cases it is very difficult for it to
eat, especially where the disease separates the gums and bone from the
teeth and causes them to become very loose or to drop out. The animal in
the latter stages of this disease generally dies from starvation.
TREATMENT: Successful in its first stages. Soft, nitrogenous food should
be fed, such as wheat bran mashes, steamed rolled oats or barley, hay
dampened with clean water, so as to make it pliable. Hay containing
woody matter as stems, etc., should not be fed to an animal affected
with Lumpy Jaw as it tends to aggravate the disease. Internally in their
drinking water give two drams of Potassium Iodide morning and night.
This treatment, however, should be omitted when the animal's skin
becomes scaly or when an excessive watery discharge flows from the eyes.
On the outer surface over the enlargement apply the following ointment:
Red Iodide of Mercury, four drams; Lard, two ounces. Mix well and rub in
briskly for twenty minutes every five or six days for three weeks. The
cure can generally be ascertained by the animal gaining in flesh,
although the lump may remain. Where Lumpy Jaw is of long standing so as
to impair the use of the animal's tongue or teeth, it is best to destroy
the animal, as this lessens the possibilities of infecting healthy
animals.
LUNG FEVER
(Pneumonia)
CAUSE: Generally follows congestion of the lungs. It may be due to
parasitic organisms or exposure to cold, drafts when warm after being
driven, etc. Drenching perhaps is the most common cause as it is very
difficult for a cow to swallow when the head is elevated; inhaling
smoke, gases, etc., also tend to produce pneumonia.
SYMPTOMS: Chilling or shivering, temperature elevated to 105 or 106
degrees F., nose hot and dry, horns and legs cold. Pulse rapid though
strong, breathing fast and the appetite very good in some cases. The
animal urinates small quantities of urine but often, of a dark amber
color. A discharge from the nose follows, also a cough. If the ear is
placed back of the fore leg, a dry crackling sound can be heard
something on the order of rubbing hair between the fingers.
TREATMENT: Place the animal in a dry, well lighted and ventilated
stable, but avoid drafts. Give Pulv. Iodide of Ammonia, one ounce; Pulv.
Potassium Nitrate, four ounces; Pulv. Nux Vomica, four ounces; Pulv.
Capsicum, one ounce; Quinine, one ounce. Mix well and make into
thirty-two powders. Place one powder in gelatin capsule and administer
every three or four hours with capsule gun. Supply the animal with fresh
water at all times. Feed laxative food as hot wheat bran mashes or
steamed rolled oats. Also feed vegetables, such as potatoes, apples,
carrots and kale. It is also advisable to apply the following over the
region of the lungs just back of the fore legs: Aqua Ammonia Fort., four
ounces; Oil of Turpentine, four ounces; Raw Linseed Oil, six ounces. Mix
and shake well and apply two or three times daily. It is also advisable
to hand rub the legs and bandage them with woolen cloths. If the above
treatment is properly carried out, the animal will make a complete
recovery in a week or ten days.
LOSS OF CUD
CAUSE: This condition cannot always be traced to a definite cause, as it
is a symptom of all diseases where the process of rumination is
interfered with. The only method by which a cow will again chew her cud
is to restore her back to health by the proper medical treatment.
Artificial cuds are of no value and frequently are a detriment to the
animal. Other symptoms aside from those of the animal not chewing cud
will always make their appearance, as constipation, diarrhoea, elevation
of the temperature, etc. The animal should be thoroughly examined and
the disease treated under its special heading.
MANGE
(Scabies)
CAUSE: There are four different parasites which produce Mange or Scabies
in cattle. However, three of these parasites are rarely seen. The
Symbotis Communis is the parasite commonly seen in American cattle.
These parasites multiply very rapidly and are conveyed from diseased
animals to healthy ones by their bodies coming in contact with one
another and by healthy animals rubbing against fences, walls, posts,
etc., where mangy cattle have previously rubbed.
SYMPTOMS: Scabs, loss of hair, intense itching, the animals are
constantly rubbing or licking themselves. The parts showing the first
signs of Mange are those about the croup, or the root of the tail, the
neck and withers, but as the disease progresses and no attempts are
offered for its eradication, it finally spreads and covers the entire
body. The scabs become ulcerated, the animal becomes weakened, emaciated
and eventually dies.
TREATMENT: Dipping in wood or concrete vats is the most satisfactory
method of treating Mange. The regular lime and sulphur dip as
recommended by the United States Bureau of Animal Industry is
inexpensive and effective.
MEASLY BEEF
Is produced by a larva of common tapeworm of man. These small tapeworm
cysts (taenia saginata) are about the size of a pea and found in the
flesh of cattle, which become infected by eating food or drinking water
which has been contaminated by the feces of persons harboring adult
tapeworms. Then again, the person becomes infected by eating raw or rare
flesh of cattle infected with the larva stage of Measly Beef. Great care
should be exercised to prevent cattle from becoming infected with this
parasite. Persons' feces should not be placed where it will infect food
or drinking water that is consumed by cattle.
MILK FEVER
(Parturient Apoplexy)
CAUSE: Certain conditions predispose cows to Milk Fever, as being heavy
milk producers, cows having enormous digestive power and being heavily
fed on nitrogenous food naturally are in a good condition, consequently
at the time of calving, or shortly after, they are likely to develop a
case of Milk Fever, It is more common during summer months, although
this condition may develop at any time of the year in the type of cow
described above.
SYMPTOMS: At or a few days after calving, the cow is noticed hanging
back in the stall, dull, languid, with an unsteady movement of the hind
legs. If the cow is made to walk, she steps unsteadily or staggers, pays
no attention to her calf; she finally becomes so paralyzed that she
falls and is unable to rise. The pupils of the eyes are dilated and the
membranes reddened or congested with blood. The cow may lie on her
breast or flat on her side, but most likely upon her breast and her head
turned in the region of the flank. She apparently is sound asleep. If
the eyeball is touched with the fingers she does not close the eye, nor
will she evince any pain when being pricked with a pin on any part of
the body. The nose is dry, the temperature is below normal in most
cases. Just how the name of this disease started by the name of "Milk
Fever" I cannot understand.
TREATMENT: When the above signs are noticed, whether the cow is standing
or lying down in a paralyzed condition, obtain an ordinary bulb
injection syringe; insert a tube in the end from which the air escapes.
After washing both syringe and teat tube in a five per cent solution of
Carbolic Acid, milk or strip out all the milk possible from the bag,
then insert the teat tube that is connected to the syringe in each teat,
filling them well with air, and repeat this treatment every hour until
the cow stops staggering, or if lying down, stands on her feet. It is
necessary to strip the milk from the bag before giving an injection of
air. If the cow is lying flat on her side, prop her up by placing bags
of hay or straw against her side, also make her as comfortable as
possible. If lying in the hot sun, provide shade by placing a canopy
over her made from burlap; if the weather is chilly, blanket; if flies
annoy her, use some fly repellant.
This disease is satisfactorily treated. Where ninety per cent of the
cows died at one time, ninety per cent can be saved by the above
treatment. It is a custom with some people to use an ordinary bicycle
pump for treatment of Milk Fever. This should not be practiced, as there
is great danger of infecting the bag and producing serious
complications.
MEDICAL OR AFTER TREATMENT: Never drench a cow. Give a physic consisting
of Aloin, two drams; Ginger, three drams. Place in a gelatin capsule and
give with a capsule gun. Also, give tonics as Pulv. Gentian Root, two
ounces; Pulv. Capsicum, one ounce; Pulv. Nux Vomica, two ounces. Mix and
place into eight gelatin capsules. Give one capsule every eight hours.
This tonic is quite necessary, as it stimulates their appetite, braces
up their nervous system and prevents any complications that might
otherwise follow.
PARALYSIS
(Congestion of the Brain or Spinal Cord)
CAUSE: May be due to a morbid condition of the brain or spinal cord,
concussion of the spinal cord, fractures of the bones of the spinal
column, or violent shocks or jars of the brain, or pressure due to
fractures of the skull, or dilated or ruptured blood vessels. Paralysis
also occurs in poorly fed, weak cows when exposed to cold or wet weather
during the latter stages of pregnancy. Sometimes the back portion of the
bowels (the rectum) becomes paralyzed so as to interfere with the
expulsion of the feces which becomes dry and more or less impacted. This
condition may also occur in connection with Ergot, Forage or Lead
Poisoning, Milk Fever or Parturient Apoplexy.
SYMPTOMS: Appear very suddenly. The animal is unable to stand, lies
quietly and groans occasionally. Constipation generally accompanies this
condition. Sometimes great pain is present, especially if due to
fracture or pressure, as above mentioned.
TREATMENT: If just due to weakness; exposure to cold, wet weather; cows
prior to calving; slight injuries or mild effect of poisons, it is
successfully treated by placing the animal in a comfortable, well
lighted stall, omitting drafts, feeding nourishing food, as warm wheat
bran mashes, steamed rolled oats or barley and linseed meal; tea to
drink prepared as follows: Pour one quart of boiling water on one-half
pint of Pure Flaxseed, allowing it to cool, and compel the animal to
drink it. Repeat this once or twice daily, especially if the animal is
pregnant. A physic consisting of Aloin, two drams; Ginger, two drams;
prepared in capsule and given with a capsule gun is very effective, but
this, however, should not be administered to heavily pregnant cows.
Endeavor to move their bowels by careful feeding of laxative food and
rectal injections of soap and water. Nerve stimulants are necessary and
I have derived good results from the following: Pulv. Nux Vomica, four
ounces; Pulv. Ginger, four ounces; Pulv. Gentian Root, four ounces. Make
into sixteen capsules and give one capsule every four or six hours. Also
apply powdered mustard, moistened with a sufficient quantity of water to
make a paste, and rub over the full length of the spine about eight
inches in width. This should be covered with paper which will adhere
readily to the mustard and water. This application can be repeated every
twenty-four hours until satisfactory results have been obtained.
RED WATER
(Hematuria)
CAUSE: Marshy pastures, water from rich decomposed soil. Vegetation also
has a tendency to produce it as cattle eating green shoots from oak,
ash, hellebore, hazel and other resinous plants, etc.
SYMPTOMS: Bloody urine containing no blood clots. This condition is not
noticed as a general rule until the cow loses flesh and the production
of milk is considerably decreased. One particular symptom of this
disease is the milk being exceptionally foamy and perhaps tinged with
blood. If the disease is left to run its course, the cow will become
emaciated and eventually dies.
TREATMENT: Find out the cause and remove it if possible. See that the
water supply is clean, feed nitrogenous food, as wheat bran mashes or
steamed rolled oats. Do not permit the animal to eat resinous plants as
stated above.
Administer Pulv. Gentian Root, four ounces; Pulv. Nux Vomica, four
ounces; Pulv. Ferri Sulphate, four ounces. Mix and make into sixteen
capsules and give one capsule two or three times a day with capsule gun.
If the animal is constipated, give two drams of Aloin, three drams of
Ginger. Place in capsule and give with capsule gun.
RETAINED AFTERBIRTH
CAUSE: Retained afterbirth may follow normal or abnormal calving where
there has been more or less inflammation of the womb prior to giving
birth, which causes the afterbirth to adhere firmly to its attachments.
Cows in poor condition fed on poor food during cold weather are very
susceptible to this accident; also very common in aged cows.
SYMPTOMS: Very easily detected by portions of the membranes (afterbirth)
protruding from the Womb or Vulva, which becomes decomposed very shortly
and offensive in odor. This accident is very serious when absorption is
produced, ill health, drying up of the milk in addition to producing
inflammation of the womb, Whites, etc. It may produce blood-poisoning
and chances are you will lose your animal.
PREVENTION: Very important. Feed the cow on food that is easily digested
and supply her with fresh water to drink that is not too cold. Flaxseed
Tea is very beneficial if given a day or so prior to calving and is
prepared by pouring a quart of boiling hot water on one-half pint of
Flaxseed, permitting it to cool of its own accord. Then compel the
animal to drink it. This appears to have a very good effect on
separating the afterbirth from the mushroom-like bodies of the womb to
which it is attached.
MEDICAL TREATMENT: The afterbirth should not be pulled away by force, as
it may tear, leaving small portions unremoved that perhaps would result
in Inflammation of the Womb or Whites. To remove the afterbirth insert
the hand and carefully detach it from its attachments, being very
careful that the cotyledons are not torn off. After this has been
carefully removed, wash out the womb with Carbolic Acid solution about
two and one-half per cent. An instrument can be made for this purpose
very easily from a clean piece of hose about four feet long and an
ordinary funnel. Sometimes it is necessary to give physics, as Aloin,
two drams; Ginger, two drams. Place in a gelatin capsule and give with
capsule gun.
In addition to the above, stimulants are also advisable such as powdered
Nux Vomica, powdered Capsicum, powdered Ginger, powdered Nitrate of
Potash, equal parts four ounces. Make twenty-four capsules and give one
capsule three times a day.
RHEUMATISM
CAUSE: Exposure, especially when the animal is permitted to lie on cold
damp soils or floors. Another common cause is an animal exposed to cold
drafts after perspiring or weakened after severe physical exercise.
SYMPTOMS: Stiffness when walking, variable appetite, constipation, hair
unthrifty looking. Passage of urine is scant and of an amber color,
usually slight elevation in temperature and the animal lies down a great
part of the time. There are two forms of rheumatism--muscular and
articular. The former affects the muscles of the body, while the latter
affects the joints. There will be swellings that are tender on pressure,
which may shift to different parts of the body.
TREATMENT: Place the animal in warm dry quarters with a sufficient
quantity of clean bedding. Feed foods that are easily digested, as wheat
bran mashes and steamed rolled oats and vegetables. Keep pure, cold
water within the animal's reach at all times. The following prescription
has been found very effective in the treatment of this disease: Sodium
Salicylate, six ounces; Nux Vomica, two ounces; Pulv. Gentian Root, two
ounces; Nitrate of Potash, two ounces. Mix and make into sixteen
capsules and give one capsule three times daily with capsule gun. If the
bowels are constipated give Aloin, two drams; Ginger, three drams. Place
in capsule and give with capsule gun. When the joints or muscles become
swollen and inflamed, the following liniment will be found very
effective in reducing the swellings: Aqua Ammonia Fort., two ounces; Oil
of Turpentine, three ounces; Sweet Oil, six ounces. Mix and apply by
rubbing in well two or three times a day.

AYRSHIRE Cows LILY OF WILLOWMOOR.
22,106 lbs, Milk; 888.70 lbs. Fat; 1046 lbs. Butter, 4.02% Fat.
GERRANTON DORA II.
21,023 lbs. Milk; 804.79 lbs. Fat; 947 lbs. Butter, 3.83% Fat.
Owned by J. W. Clise, Redmond, Wash.
RINGWORM
CAUSE: Due to a vegetable parasite. It affects the hair and the outer
layer of skin and is highly contagious, being transmitted from one
animal to another.
SYMPTOMS: The disease usually appears in the form of circular patches of
the skin, which soon become denude of hair. Sometimes a white sticky
discharge and the formation of scaly, brittle crusts on the patches
appear, silvery gray in color. They are generally confined to the head
and neck. It is a common disease among young cattle in the Winter and
Spring. This disease is attended with more or less itching and is
communicable to man.
TREATMENT: Remove the scabs or crusts with soap and warm water. However,
the surface of the body should be well dried after washing each time.
Apply Tincture of Iodine with a camel-hair brush to the spots denuded of
hair. It is quite necessary that the barn and rubbing posts be
disinfected by spraying or washing them with a twenty-five per cent
solution of Carbolic Acid.
ROUND WORM
CAUSE: An animal swallowing the eggs of the parasite in food or water
which has been contaminated with the feces of infected cattle. There are
two species, the large Roundworm measuring from five to fourteen inches
in length, the other small Roundworm varying in size from one-quarter of
an inch to two inches in length. Both the small and large Roundworms
infest the intestines of cattle and calves. These worms, especially
small Roundworms, irritate the mucous lining of the intestines, which
may cause severe inflammation.
SYMPTOMS: Anemia, appetite variable, diarrhoea, general weakness,
dullness and excessive thirst; also a paleness of the visible membranes
of the mouth, nose and eye. Worms frequently pass with the feces and can
be readily seen by a close observer.
PREVENTIVE TREATMENT: See prevention of Twisted Stomach Worm.
MEDICAL TREATMENT: Withhold all food from eighteen to twenty-four hours.
To calves, two to eight months old, give two teaspoonfuls of Turpentine
in a pint of milk; to yearlings, give one tablespoonful. Place in
gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun. To cattle one year old and
over place one ounce in a gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun.
This treatment is to be repeated twice during the intervals of ten days
or two weeks, which insures the expulsion of the eggs of worms that
escaped the first treatment. Also keep salt where cattle can lick it
frequently.
RUPTURE
(Abdominal Hernia)
CAUSE: This disease occasionally occurs in calves by receiving blows
from the cow's horns on the right flank. After such an accident a
swelling forms near the last ribs. This swelling may be either hot and
painful or soft to the touch. It can be made to disappear by careful
pressure when the sides of the rupture through which it has passed can
be felt. On removing the pressure the rupture soon regains its swollen
appearance. Similar conditions may also occur in aged cattle, usually
due to injuries, such as being kicked by a horse, etc., or due to a
weakness of the muscles that are ruptured sometimes during difficult
birth.
TREATMENT: Feed the animal on laxative food and feed sparingly on bulky
food such as hay, straw and grass. Round the edges of a block of wood a
little smaller, but the same shape as the rupture. After wrapping with
cloth nicely, place it over the rupture, then place around the body.
This permits the ruptured muscles to grow together, providing the animal
is properly dieted as stated above.
Sometimes a rupture of long standing or a newly produced rupture may be
treated by injecting strong solutions of Common Salt around the torn
edges of the muscles. This causes swelling and inflammation, which
respectively forces the protruded intestines back and closes the
opening. There is some danger attached to this method of treatment, and
if attempted I would advise the services of a competent Veterinarian.
SCUM OVER THE EYE
CAUSE: See Inflammation of the Eye.
SYMPTOMS: The eye has a smoke-colored appearance.
TREATMENT: Silver Nitrate, two grains, thoroughly dissolved in one ounce
of Distilled Water, Apply with dropper two or three times a day. Feed
the animal on food that is easily digested and confine the animal to a
cool, clean, dark stall.
SORE THROAT
(Laryngitis and Pharyngitis)
CAUSE: Sudden cooling of the surface of the body, as when cattle are
exposed to cold weather or cold rain or the inhaling of irritating
gases.
SYMPTOMS: The muzzle is dry, temperature slightly elevated and saliva
dribbles from the corners of the mouth. The animal either does not
swallow, or swallows with great difficulty, and holds its head in a
stiff, straight position, moving it as little as possible. The eyelids
are half-closed and bloodshot, and the animal occasionally grinds the
teeth. After masticating the food the animal drops it out of its mouth
as if to avoid the pain of swallowing, and also evinces great pain when
pressure is applied from the outside. In acute attacks of sore throat,
the animal coughs with great difficulty and breathes very noisily. The
nostrils are dilated and nose extended.
TREATMENT: Place the animal in as comfortable a place as possible,
permitting as much fresh air as possible, but avoiding drafts. Blanket
the animal if the weather is chilly, also hand rub the legs and bandage
with woolen cloths.
Administer Chlorate of Potash, two ounces; Nitrate of Potash, two
ounces; Tannic Acid, one-half ounce; Molasses, eight ounces. Mix well
and place one tablespoonful on the tongue every three or four hours.
Feed soft food, as wheat bran mashes and steamed rolled oats, or boiled
vegetables. Give drinking water with the chill taken off.
It is always necessary to apply liniments to the throat, and I would
advise the application of Aqua Ammonia Fort., four ounces; Oil of
Turpentine, four ounces, and Sweet Oil, four ounces. Apply and rub in
well two or three times a day.
STRINGY MILK
CAUSE: Cows wading or standing in stagnant pools of water. Frequently
stringy milk results from fungi entering the udder. This takes on an
infectious form, and several cows may become affected at one time.
SYMPTOMS: Although the milk appears perfectly normal when first milked,
it becomes stringy after being let stand for a few hours. If a needle is
inserted in the milk and slowly withdrawn, the milk will adhere to the
point and have a stringy appearance. If the cow is examined carefully,
the temperature will be found to be elevated a degree or two, the
appetite poor and the nose dry.
TREATMENT: Feed laxative food and see that they have fresh water to
drink. Also, place two drams of Soda Bisulphite once or twice a day in
gelatin capsule and give with capsule gun. Do not permit the cow to come
in contact with stagnant pools of water that carry this infection.
Perhaps the best plan is to fence out all such stagnant pools of water.
SUPPRESSION OF MILK
(Absence of Milk)
CAUSE: Unusually due to poor health, debility, emaciated, chronic
diseases of the bag, or wasting of its glands from various diseases or
impure food. Sometimes this condition is produced without any apparent
cause.
TREATMENT: Determine the cause, if possible, and remove it. Feed warm
wheat bran mashes, steamed rolled oats or barley. Administer Pulv. Anise
Seed, one-half ounce, two or three times a day. This has a very good
effect in this particular condition. Also rub the bag and strip the
teats often, and apply Oil of Lavender. The majority of cases respond to
this treatment if not due to chronic disease of the bag.
TAPEWORM
CAUSE: Small portions of tapeworms, consisting of one or more segments,
are occasionally seen in the droppings of infected cattle. The infection
is undoubtedly taken in with the food or water, infection being spread
by the eggs of the parasite, and being expelled with the feces of an
infected animal. The eggs being swallowed by insects, worms or snails,
which act as an intermediate host, and which when swallowed accidentally
by cattle while grazing or drinking carry with them into the animal's
stomach the infectious stage of the tapeworm. Aged cattle do not seem to
suffer much from tapeworms, but in calves these parasites cause scours
and rapid emaciation.
SYMPTOMS: Emaciation, diarrhoea, loss of flesh, ravenous appetite,
paleness of the mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes, and the segments
of the tapeworms can occasionally be seen in the droppings.
TREATMENT: Withhold all food from eighteen to twenty-four hours, and to
calves from two to eight months old give two teaspoonfuls of gasoline in
a pint of milk. To yearlings, place one tablespoonful in a gelatin
capsule and give with capsule gun. To cattle one year and over, place
one ounce in capsule and give with capsule gun. Repeat this treatment
two or three times during intervals of a week or two.
TEXAS FEVER
CAUSE: Due to a micro organism (Piropalasna Bigenium) which imbeds
itself in the red blood corpuscles. This disease is transmitted or
scattered by means of a tick which drops from the affected animal. The
disease has various names, according to the locality in which it
appears. Among them are: Spanish Fever, Red Water, Black Water, Red
Murrian, Australian Cattle Tick Fever, etc.
SYMPTOMS: Loss of appetite. The animal ceases to ruminate, or does not
chew the cud, and every sign of unthriftiness is displayed; a high
temperature, and when the animal is standing the back is arched, but the
animal, however, prefers to lie down most of the time and shows desire
for solitude. The urine is very dark in color, hence the name "Red or
Black Water." The disease is usually fatal, the animal dies within a few
weeks.
TREATMENT: My advice is, when this disease once develops, or an animal
shows any of the particular signs that I have mentioned, secure the
services of a competent veterinarian, who will immunize by the use of
serums, disinfectants, etc.
TICKS
Ticks are very difficult to kill, on account of their protected
location, as ear ticks are not affected by dipping, and remedies strong
enough for this purpose are liable to injure the animal, but these
parasites may be expelled by pouring into the ear Carbolated Sweet or
Cottonseed Oil with favorable results.
TUBERCULOSIS
CAUSE: The bacilli of Tuberculosis thrive in animals, especially those
in a weakened condition, or when exposed to atmospheric changes,
unwholesome food, dark and poorly ventilated stables. They gain entrance
into the body through the lungs or the intestinal canal. They lodge in
various portions of the lungs or intestines, and multiply very rapidly,
causing irritations and formations, nodules, cysts or abscesses. They
are the means of the bacillus entering the blood, which carries the
infection to other parts of the body, as the spleen, liver, udder, womb,
etc. Cows affected with generalized tuberculosis, that is to say, the
infection is confined to not only a small portion of the lungs, but also
to any of the above mentioned organs, etc., may give birth to a calf
having general tuberculosis at birth, or shortly after, due to the cow's
blood circulating through the body of the calf before birth.
SYMPTOMS: This disease may pass a casual observer unnoticed, although in
some instances we notice a slight cough, unthriftiness, dullness. The
coughing is best marked after taking a drink of water in the morning and
then being exercised. Some animals keep up in good condition and look
perfectly healthy while some get emaciated, have constipation, variable
appetite, and sometimes growths or abscesses can be felt or seen in the
udder or glands of the body and neck.
However, cattle showing any weakness, or the above symptoms, should be
tested for tuberculosis by a competent veterinarian who has had the
privileges of a veterinary education and experience in the
administration of tuberculin.
TREATMENT: It is not advisable to treat tuberculosis. Thus far, medicine
has failed to relieve the affected animal, or kill the bacillus of
tuberculosis in a living animal. The infected animals should be disposed
of on account of tubercular cows giving birth to tubercular calves, the
milk being unfit for human consumption, unless it is thoroughly
pasteurized. Infected cattle should be separated from healthy ones, as
the disease spreads very rapidly. Drinking and feeding troughs are a
means of spreading the infection, therefore, suspected cases of
tuberculosis should be tested and if the animals react, they should be
slaughtered, and if the disease is localized, passed for human
consumption. The meat of animals suspected of having tuberculosis, or
reacting from tuberculin test, should be well cooked.
TWISTED STOMACH WORM
CAUSE: Cattle become affected with this worm by grazing in pastures in
which infested cattle have grazed and scattered their droppings. The
worms in the stomach produce a multitude of eggs of microscopic size,
which pass out of the body with the feces. In warm weather, these eggs
hatch in a few hours; if the temperature remains about freezing point,
they soon die. The eggs are also destroyed, by dryness, but, on the
other hand, moisture, if the weather is warm, favors their development.
The twisted worm measures one-half inch to one and one-half inches in
length.
SYMPTOMS: General weakness, loss of flesh, anemia, dullness, capricious
appetite, excessive thirst, paleness of the skin and mucous membranes of
the mouth and eyes, and dropsical swelling, especially that of the lower
jaw. Diarrhoea always accompanies this condition and if the feces is
carefully examined the small worms may be seen wriggling about like
little snakes, or when an animal dies; and the fourth stomach is opened,
these worms can be seen in large quantities.
TREATMENT: Preventive measures are important, as damp, marshy soil
favors the development of the embryos. High sloping ground is preferable
for pasture. If low ground is used it should be properly drained;
burning over the pasture will destroy most of the young worms on the
grass and on the ground. Cattle should be supplied with water from
flowing streams or wells and not stagnant ponds.
MEDICAL TREATMENT: Withhold all food for twenty-four hours; then
administer Oil of Turpentine, placing it in an ounce capsule and give
with capsule gun. Follow in six hours with a physic consisting of Aloin,
two drams; ginger, two drams. Place in capsule and give with capsule
gun. When this worm develops in calves, give as follows: One dram of
Turpentine to a calf three months old, four drams to a calf six months
old, six drams to a yearling. To cattle two years and over, give
equivalent dose, or an ounce. The physic should be reduced in the same
proportions as that of Turpentine.
VERMINOUS BRONCHITIS
(Lung Worms)
CAUSE: Due to worm or parasite called Strongylus Micrurus, a small
thread-like worm two to four inches in length, found in the bronchial
tubes, a portion of the lungs. The life history of this parasite is not
known, but infection is apparently derived through the medium of
pastures where infested cattle have grazed. Young cattle are more
seriously affected than old animals, especially common in low marshy
pastures.
SYMPTOMS: This form of bronchitis usually affects the entire herd; the
animals become poor, unthrifty, hacking, coughing, especially at night,
and sometimes animals actually cough up worms.
TREATMENT: Various treatments have been recommended for Verminous
Bronchitis, or Lung Worm, as injecting Turpentine into the windpipe or
fumigating animals by placing them in a closed shed or barn and burning
sulphur, compelling the affected animals to inhale the fumes. This
treatment perhaps is the safest and the most effective. A person should
remain in the enclosed shed and when the fumes become so strong that
there is danger of suffocation, open the doors and windows. This
treatment should be repeated every week until coughing ceases.