Symptoms.—Small and violent emissions; straddling gait. Roached back; pain; total suppression of urine.
Treatment.—Insert the arm up the rectum, and feel the gorged bladder. Give, by the mouth, four ounce doses of sulphuric ether and of laudanum mixed with a quart of cold water, and, as injection, mixed with three pints of cold water. Repeat these medicines every quarter of an hour until relieved. If no physic be at hand, open both jugular veins, and allow the blood to flow until the horse falls. Should not the urine then flow forth, insert the arm and press upon the bladder.
SPASMODIC COLIC—FRET—GRIPES.
Causes.—Fast driving; change of water; change of food; getting wet; fatiguing journeys; aloes; and often no cause can be traced.
Symptoms. 1st Stage.—Horse is feeding; becomes uneasy; ceases eating; hind foot is raised to strike the belly; fore foot paws the pavement; the nose is turned toward the flank, and an attack of fret is recognized. 2d Stage.—Alternate ease and fits of pain; the exemptions grow shorter as the attacks become longer; the horse crouches; turns round; then becomes erect; pawing, etc. follow; a morbid fire now lights up the eyes. 3d Stage.—Pains lengthen; action grows more wild; often one foot stamps on the ground; does not feed, but stares at the abdomen; at last, without warning, leaps up and falls violently on the floor; seems relieved; rolls about till one leg rests against the wall; should no assistance be now afforded, the worst consequences may be anticipated.
Treatment.—Place in a loose box, guarded by trusses of straw ranged against the walls. Give one ounce each of sulphuric ether and of laudanum in a pint of cold water, and repeat the dose every ten minutes if the symptoms do not abate. If no improvement be observed, double the active agents, and at the periods stated persevere with the medicine. A pint of turpentine, dissolved in a quart of solution of soap, as an enema, has done good. No amendment ensuing, dilute some strong liquor ammonia with six times its bulk of water, and, saturating a cloth with the fluid, hold it by means of a horse-rug close to the abdomen. It is a blister; but its action must be watched or it may dissolve the skin. If, after all, the symptoms continue, there must be more than simple colic to contend with.
SPAVIN.
Cause.—Hard work.
Symptom.—Any bony enlargement upon the lower and inner side of the hock. Prevents the leg being flexed. Hinders the hoof from being turned outward. Causes the front of the shoe to be worn and the toe of the hoof to be rendered blunt by dragging the foot along the ground. Leaves the stable limping; returns bettered by exercise. Sickle hocks, or cow hocks, are said to be most subject.
Treatment.—View the suspected joint from before, from behind, and from either side. Afterward feel the hock. Any enlargement upon the seat of disease, to be felt or seen, is a spavin. Feed liberally, and rest in a stall. When the part is hot and tender, rub it with belladonna and opium, one ounce of each to an ounce of water. Apply a poultice. Or put opium and camphor on the poultice. Or rub the spavin with equal parts of chloroform and camphorated oil. The heat and pain being relieved, apply the following, with friction: Iodide of lead, one ounce; simple ointment, eight ounces.