THE HOOVE OR BLOWEN FROM PASTURE.
Causes:—The cause of Cattle becoming bloated, is from being turned into the pasture in the spring of the year, whilst the pasture is young and full of sap, the ox or cow eats greedily and rapidly, so much so that the stomach is unable to propel forward, the portions of food as it is received, and becomes overloaded and clogged, the food remaining in the stomach too long. Then comes the great danger; what you can do must be done at once, or not at all. The symptoms are plain enough, the beast swells to an enormous extent, the breathing is very laborious, and the beast is threatened with suffocation from the pressure of the stomach on the lungs. The animal is lost unless relief is soon obtained.
Remedy:—Relief is sometimes obtained from motion and running the beast moderately; sometimes from placing tar, or a tar band into the mouth; sometimes from taking salt and black pepper and throwing it down the throat; some persons have run a lancet, or pocket knife, into the animal, at the spot passing through the skin, and the wall of the belly, so as to enter the paunch; this should be done midway between the last rib and the haunch bone. Another excellent remedy is ½ oz. Chloride of Lime, put into a pint or quart of warm water, and put into the stomach, these generally give immediate relief. There are other remedies, which generally give relief; such as Lime water—also 1½ ounces of Hartshorn may be given, with 1½ pints of water, or 1 ounce Sulphuric Ether in 1 pint of water. The following is plain and simple, and gives relief in almost every case. This has been used extensively, and always given satisfaction.
Receipt:—Take two tablespoonsful Rappee Snuff, 1 gill Vinegar, 1 gill Sweet Milk. Mix well and give as a drench. This has been thoroughly tried and relieved nineteen cases out of twenty; it is simple and worthy of attention. No time should be lost in this disease; what you can do must be done at once, or not at all.
Preventatives:—Every Farmer should adopt the rule, to feed his cattle the following:
Every morning, take 1 pint air slacked lime, 1 pint ground alum salt—mix well and feed with offal. Every particle of the lime should be slacked. Adopt this rule and you will have little or no trouble with your cattle. Dose from 1 to 2 tablespoonsful every morning, in offal before turning into pasture. Another preventative:—Take ashes, air slacked lime, and ground alum salt, equal portions, and feed every morning, or if you have not the lime, the salt and ashes will do well.
CHOKING.
Cattle are extremely liable to become choked on turnips, roots, apples, potatoes.