Diseases of the Horse's FootReeks, H. Caulton (Harry Caulton)
Science
Diseases of the Horse's Foot
Reeks, H. Caulton (Harry Caulton)
Hoofs -- Diseases; Horses -- Diseases
In some cases, however, lameness is present. During the early stages of
the growth's formation it is but slight, increasing as the keraphyllocele
enlarges. Should this be the case, other symptoms present themselves.
The coronet is hot, and tender to the touch, sometimes even perceptibly
swollen, and percussion over the wail is met with flinching on the part
of the animal. In other cases one is led to suspect the condition by
the prominence of the horn of the wall of the toe. This is distinctly
ridge-like from the coronet to the ground, while on either side of it the
quarters appear to have sunk to less than their normal dimensions. We
believe this to be an illusion, as a ridge of any size at the toe readily
gives one the impression of atrophy behind it, without this latter
condition being actually present.
Should this ridge-like formation and the accompanying symptoms of pain and
lameness occur after repair of a sand-crack, then keraphyllocele may, with
tolerable certainty, be diagnosed. When these outward signs are wanting,
however, and the true nature of our case is a matter of mere conjecture, a
positive diagnosis may still be made at a later stage--that is, when the
abnormal growth of horn reaches the sole. In this case either there is
met with when paring the sole a small portion of horn, circular in form,
distinctly harder than normal, and indenting in a semicircular fashion the
front of the white line at the toe, or solution of continuity between the
tumour and the edge of the sole and the os pedis takes place, and the
lameness resulting from the ingress of dirt and grit thus allowed draws
attention to the case.
_Pathological Anatomy_.--With the sensitive structures removed from the
hoof by maceration or other means, these growths are at once apparent. They
may occur in any position, but are usually seen at the toe, and they may
extend from the coronary cushion to the sole, or they may occupy only
the lower or the upper half of the wall. In places the tumour (or 'horny
pillar' as the Germans term it) is roughened by offshoots from it, and does
not always exhibit the smooth surface depicted in Fig. 132. Commonly, the
horn composing the new growth is hard and dense. Sometimes, however, it is
soft to the knife, and is then found to be itself fistulous in character,
a distinct cavity running up its centre, from which issues a black and
offensive pus.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account