Special Report on Diseases of the HorseUnited States. Bureau of Animal Industry
Science
Special Report on Diseases of the Horse
United States. Bureau of Animal Industry
Horses -- Diseases
EMPHYSEMA, OR SWELLING OF THE FETUS WITH GAS.--This has been described
as occurring in a living fetus, but I have met with it only in the dead
and decomposing foal after futile efforts had been made for several days
to effect delivery. These cases are very difficult, as the foal is
inflated to such extent that it is impossible to advance it into the
passages, and the skin of the fetus and the walls of the womb and vagina
have become so dry that it is impracticable to cause the one to glide on
the other. The hair comes off any part that may be seized, and the case
is rendered the more offensive and dangerous by the very fetid liquids
and gases. The only resort is embryotomy, by which I have succeeded in
saving a valuable mare that had carried a colt in this condition for
four days.
CONTRACTIONS OF MUSCLES.--The foal is not always developed
symmetrically, but certain groups of muscles are liable to remain short,
or to shorten because of persistent spasmodic contraction, so that even
the bones become distorted and twisted. This is most common in the neck.
The bones of this part and even of the face are drawn to one side and
shortened, the head being held firmly to the flank and the jaws being
twisted to the right or left. In other cases the flexor muscles of the
fore limbs are contracted so that the latter are strongly bent at the
knee. In neither of these cases can the distorted part be extended and
straightened, so that body or limbs must necessarily present double, and
natural delivery is rendered impossible. The bent neck may sometimes be
straightened after the muscles have been cut on the side to which it is
turned, and the bent limbs after the tendons on the back of the shank
bone have been cut across. Failing to accomplish this, the next resort
is embryotomy.
INCLOSED OVUM, OR TUMORS OF THE FETUS.--Tumors or diseased growths may
form on any part of the foal, internal or external, and by their size
impede or hinder parturition. In some cases what appears as a tumor is
an imprisoned and undeveloped ovum which has grafted itself on the
fetus. These are usually sacculated, and may contain skin, hair, muscle,
bone, and other natural tissues. The only course to be pursued in such
cases is to excise the tumor, or, if this is not feasible, to perform
embryotomy.
MONSTROSITIES.--Monstrosity in the foal is an occasional cause of
difficult parturition, especially such monsters as show excessive
development of some part of the body, a displacement or distortion of
parts, or a redundancy of parts, as in double monsters. Monsters may be
divided into--
(1) Monsters with absence of parts--absence of head, limb, or other
organ.
(2) Monsters with some part abnormally small--dwarfed head, limb, trunk,
etc.
(3) Monsters through unnatural division of parts--cleft head, trunk,
limbs, etc.
(4) Monsters through absence of natural divisions--absence of mouth,
nose, eyes, anus, confluent digits, etc.
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