Local treatment for synovitis and arthritis has been recommended. It is ineffective unless accompanied by good feeding and internal medication. On the other hand, the lesions often diminish rapidly or totally disappear under the influence of general medication alone.
LOCAL AFFECTIONS.
FRACTURES.
Although oxen, sheep, goats, and pigs are much less subject to fractures than the horse and dog, nevertheless, they do suffer from such accidents. Repair is perfectly possible, but the cases are often not worth treating, unless the subjects are young or of considerable value. On the other hand, in fat and heavy subjects, it is difficult to fix the parts in position. Slinging produces bad results, and generally should not be encouraged.
Apart from fractures accompanying general chronic diseases, like rachitis and osseous cachexia, the vertebræ, the pelvis, the ribs, or any of the limb bones, may be fractured in consequence of accident.
Such fractures may be either complete or incomplete (fissures), simple or compound.
The general signs which indicate fracture are always the same, viz., loss of function, local pain, abnormal mobility, crepitation, due to rubbing together of the ends of the bones, and deformity of the part. Diagnosis is generally easy; prognosis on the other hand is very variable.
The vertebral column may be accidentally fractured in the region of the neck in consequence of the animal falling on its head; in the dorsolumbar region, from falling into ditches or ravines, or, in the case of bulls fighting, from violent muscular efforts. Fractures of the first kind are immediately fatal; those of the second result in paraplegia of the hind limbs, and necessitate immediate slaughter.
Fractures of the pelvis comprise:—
1. Fractures of the angle of the haunch, resulting from external violence and characterised by sinking of the external angle of the ilium, deformity of the hip, and lameness without specially marked characters. This fracture is rarely complicated. The symptoms of lameness diminish with rest, but deformity continues.