Lameness of the Horse: Veterinary Practitioners' Series, No. 1Lacroix, John Victor
Science
Lameness of the Horse: Veterinary Practitioners' Series, No. 1
Lacroix, John Victor
Horses -- Health; Lameness in horses
The general plan which meets with the approval of most practitioners
consists in careful leveling of the foot and removing enough of the wall
and sole at the quarters to make possible frog pressure by means of a
bar shoe. With frog pressure, expansion of the heel follows in time, and
permanent relief is obtainable in this manner. Thinning the wall of the
quarter is advocated by many practitioners and is undoubtedly beneficial
in chronic cases where marked contraction has taken place. The wall must
be thinned with a rasp until it is readily flexible by compressing with
the thumbs.
There are instances, however, where corns and contraction of the heel
have existed so long that they do not yield to treatment. Such cases are
found in old light-harness or saddle-horses that have been more or less
lame for years and where there exists marked contraction of the heels,
rough hoof walls, and hard and atrophied frogs.
Suppurating corns require surgical attention in the way of removal of
the purulent necrotic mass and making provision for drainage. Dry
dressings, such as equal parts of zinc sulphate and boric acid, may be
employed to pack the cavity. After the infectious condition has been
controlled, and the wound is dry, the same plan of treatment is
indicated that is employed in the non-suppurating corn. Ample time is
allowed, however, for the surgically invaded tissues to granulate and,
if the subject is to be put in service, a leather pad, under which there
has been packed oakum and tar, affords good protection.
Quittor.
This name is employed to designate an infectious inflammation of the
lateral cartilage and adjoining structures. The disease is characterized
by a slowly progressive necrosis and by a destruction of more or less of
the cartilage and by the presence of fistulous tracts.
Etiology and Occurrence.--The disease is due to the introduction of
pus producing organisms into the subcoronary region of the foot under
conditions which favor the retention of such contagium and extension of
infection into contiguous tissues.
Morbific material is introduced into the region of the lateral cartilage
by means of calk wounds and other penetrant injuries of the foot. A
sub-coronary abscess which, because of lack of proper care or because of
virulency of the contagium or low vitality of the subject, is quite apt
to result in cartilaginous affection and its perforation by necrosis
follows.
Symptomatology.--Quittor is readily diagnosed on sight in many
instances. Where there is dependable history or other evidence of the
chronicity of an infectious inflammation of the kind, quittor is easily
identified. If no positive evidence of the disease exists, by means of
careful exploration of sinuses with the probe, one may distinguish
between true cartilaginous quittor and superficial abscess formation
that is often accompanied by hyperplasia.
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