VETERINARY COLUMN.

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, 11 September 1912, Page 1

VETERINARY COLUMN.

■• Farmers CotuiyoilL|* [Mr Cadman has kindly promised to answer any enquiries relating to veterinary science through this column. We would recommend that th« articles be kept for future reference, Ed.] LAMENESS IN HO&SEB. One of our most eminent veterinary surgeons has been heard to say that half a vet's living is got below the horses knees and hocks. If this state- . oient be not strictly accurate it sexves to illustrate the importance of the subject. The principal cause of lameness are fractures, sprains,.ring-bones and side bones, splints, spavin, pricks in shoeing-, corns, canker, thrush, sand-, crack, seedy-toe, false quarter, and quittor. To the hock may be attributed by far the greater number of hind-limb lamenesses, though many stablemen believe horsef to be lame in the " round bone " by which they sometimes mean the stifle joint (or patella bone), and sometimes the haunch or hip. We knew a farrier who, when, in doubt, used to blister all the lot, on the principle of a large net catching more fish than a small one. Lameness caused by injuries to the hip and stifle are not very frequent, and cannot generally be diagnosed by any bat an expert veterinary surgeon; when, however, lameness is known to be caused by a fall or blow upon the hip or upon the stifle joint, treatment may be adopted such as would apply to any other direct injury, and failing an early.recovery a blister charge may be applied, and " Dr Time " called in to complete the euro—valuable allies are time and the via medicatrix nature© If few of us would like to confess to our clients how much, we are indebted to these, we should not forget them, in the case of obscure and obstinate lameness. We have known lame' horses get souud' again and prove good servants after a rest of eighteen montho and oven two years, which to a farmer is not so great a loss, though to a town horae-owner the expense is ruinous and not to be entertained. Some farmers do a good business by buying broken down omnibus and tram horses and keeping them at grass till restored. One farmer we know uses some marslilaud where there are many leeches, and does nothiug but turn out'" croked "or " stale " horses for the leeches to make souud again. Some lamenessG3 are caused by injuries to the spine v over the bridge ' us horsedealers say, and may be due to degeneration of the spinal cord or " clinked back " which is generally intended to mean some injury to the spine-bones, which makes a horse unable to back or turn or support a heavy load downhill: or to a disease of colthood known as " shivering " and duo to some spinal degeneration but little understood. It is often of such a nature as not te be observed till the animal is put to work, and the same %l flat catcher" is frequently sold at auction to the unwary till he becomes so well known as to excite a a laugh among the habitues who atthe various metropolitian sale-yards. Of causes connected with the, feet produclug lameness there are many ; among the commonest aro pricked, stabbed and wounded laminae in shoeing. Many horses go lame from bad shoeiug, though these are only a small proportion af the cases laid at the farrier's door. Farriers are not less intelligent or careful than other craftsmen, but unreasonable thing 3 are expected of them, I am etc., John 0. Cadman, P.S Dr., M.P.S., N.Z. Chemist, Warkwortk