HOW TO DRENCH.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 22 May 1915, Page 2

HOW TO DRENCH.

Sonfe practical Advice.

i; Many men go at the drenching of » cow or horse in the wrong way. It is an easy matter to choke a cow by letting tue medicine run down into the lungs. If immediate suffocation does not occur, mechanical bronchitis or pneumonia results, and this proves.fatal, in -a- majority of cases. Always hold a cqw's head" in a straight line with her backbone when giving a drench. If she is a strong-headed animal, have an attendant stand on her left side and hold her horns to keep the head straight. Stand on the Right Side. The man who is to give the drench should stand on the right side/ pass his left hand and arm over the cow's face, insert the left hand into the mouth at its side, where teeth are absent/ put the neck of the long-necked strong bottle into the right side of the oow's mouth, and then pour in a couple of ounces or so of the fluid medicine. The j neck of the bottle should, not be thrust ' far into*the .mouth. Just insert enough jof it to allow of the medicine being poured into the mouth. Do not pull the head of the cow around to one side-, keep it stra^nt, then she can safely and comfortably. If she coughs let the nead down at once. iCougiring; indicates -that some of the medicine' is- going the wrong way.. ; < ;'. The Dose, A dr-eneb generally consists of three or four pints of fluid, and this amount should not be given quickly. It is best to give pne bottle of medicine and then j 'wait a few minutes before giving the second a-ndl Hkmi,. iff sucfe am amount is to be ' administered. • I The1 favorite physic drench of a cow consists of Epsom salts, half to two i ounces of ground ginger root, a cupful of molasses, half to one cupful'oft salt, and three5 or four pints of warm water. Ba careful not to, mix coarsely ground ginger root, carroway seed, fennel or aniseed in a drench. The coarse particles- always- cause1 irritation* andl coush. , The average cow takes ithe smaller dose above mentioned; the larger dose is for a big: buiE' or heavy cow,, or J given in a case of great necessity or emergency; for example, when a cow has- impaction of the bowels, or when she has taken some poisonous matter. It should be addbd that costiveness 1 does not require the use of a physic drench. This is better relieved by alternatives such as calomel, rhubarb, ; etc., along with stimulants, sucH as mix vomica. These drugs are best prescribed by the veterinarian. And the- Horse. Errors are quite as common, in" ther drenching of a horse. First one should ' understand that medicine must never ■be given by way of. the nostrils.. So j administered it will; be certain to flow I into the lungs and cause fatal! pneu* I monia. We have' known of horses killed in this way. How to Do It. The right way to drench a horset is> as follows: Back him into a stall; then he cannot; back" away. Put a; running noose in a soft half-inch rope,-, and place the noose around the upper incisor (pincher) teeth, just inside oft the upper lip. Have the knot of the rope come directly in the middle of: the front of the upper jaw. Throw the free end of the Tope over a beam well above the horse's head. Raise the(head and hold it there with the noose and rope. Get the head high enough to prevent medicine from running out of the mouth; but do not put it up so high that the Horse will .be unable to •swallow comfortably. Stand on a chair or box so th"at the right hand holding the bottle may insert the rieckV of the bottle into the "right side of the mouth. Then pour in a couple of ounces of medicine and let the horse swallow that before more is given. Do uot grasp and squeeze the horse'sthroat. This makes, it difficult or impossible for him to swallow.. Tickle the*roof of the mouth with,the neck-: of the bottle or fingers, and swallowing usually follows at once.