No. 28. Navicula.—Enlargement of Metacarpal Bone.
Next, by the use of the knife, cut a slice off the top of the frog, and carefully clean out the cleft, which suffers most on account of the direct pressure of the bors on each side of the frog. After this cleaning operation is performed, a warm poultice of flaxseed meal should be applied two or three times, according to the condition of the foot. When the poultice is removed, the foot should be washed out occasionally with castile soap and warm water, after which a little salt, ground into fine powder, should be forced into the cleft, and kept in by a mixture of tar and oakum as a dressing, after which an open shoe should be fitted so as to expand the foot gradually. This treatment should be pursued until a permanent cure is effected.
If the foot is in a state of contraction, it should be expanded under the instructions already given. By this expansion all pressure is removed, and a permanent cure is easily effected by following the instructions already given.
No liquid remedies, such as butter of antimony, or chloride of zinc, should be used, as they dry up the foot before the inflammation is removed.
By reference to Plate No. 22 a good idea may be obtained of the manner of paring out a hoof suffering from thrush.
PUMICE FOOT.
(See Plate No. 23) should always be pared out on each side of the frog until it yields to the pressure of the thumb. This paring should, however, be done immediately around the frog, leaving more than the usual ground surface (see plate After Treatment). The toe should be shortened as much as possible, and the heels cut out back. If the horse is lame a bor shoe is the best to protect the foot, with a leather sole, and some spirits of tar as a moisture. This shoe should be renewed at least once a month, with a leather sole, until a cure is effected.