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Show -. VETEKlNflKY SGIEN6r;l .JEdit by Dr. H. J. Frederick, State Agricultural College. Common Unsoundnesaea and Blem-f ishes of Animals. Written for the Dcserct Farmer. There are quite a number of blemishes blem-ishes and unsoundnesses of horses that all farmers, and those handling animals should know something about if it is nothing more than the location, of such a condition. Probably the most common of these conditions are found on the legs in the form of bone diseases. Wc find in the inner side of the hind legs, at the hock, enlargements of the bones at the joint called bone spavin, which very often causes lameness of the animal more commonly on starting start-ing to work and finatly disappearing more or less as the animal becomes warmed' up by exercise. This is considered con-sidered an unsoundness. Ringbone may be found anywhere below the fetlock, any enlargement of the pastern bones is thus named and it is not necessary for the boncy growth to surround the limb as many suppose. Where it is near the fetlock fet-lock wc call it a high ring-bone, the - other is low ring-bone, jocatcd at or near the crown of the hoof. This unsoundness usually causes lameness with more or less stiffness of the animal. Side Bones. This is an abnormal condition of the lateral cartHagcs or wings of th". foot inside or above the jof. They arc detected as bone-like structures on the lateral sides and crown of the hoof beneath the skin. The lateral cartilages should be elastic iii order to help deaden the concussion of the foot, but through different causes these cartilages osify (become bone) they harden and often cause stiffness or lameness. Navicular Disease. . This condition affects feet, more often of-ten the front than the hind fqct, and often sanos lameness. ThcTiiicular bone is logated just back of the upper pajt of the coffin bone, It is long and narrow, and placed transversedly. It articulates with the third phalynx by U$ anterior surface and its, posterior t Rwdcc is covered with cartilage on which glides the tendon of the pos tcrior part ofthe leg. This gliding cartilage- sometimes becomes 'diseased, 'causing a rough 'surface antU a painful condition to- the 'animal on ficing moved. A horse with navicular disease dis-ease usually paws with that foot con-jidcrably, con-jidcrably, and if bad it points the foot, that is, keeps it out in front as far as possible, ibut not flexing it? If on both feet it alternates pointing first one andxthen the other foot to relieve pressure. Splints. i ,r These appear as small enlargements on 'the sides of the -bones below the knee, usually on the inner side, caused through some injury or concussion. con-cussion. The small splint bones, arc partly torn loose from the common bones and nature in trying to heal the injury throws out bone salts, causing caus-ing the enlargements. Splints seldom appear on the hind legs. Splints do not usually make the animal lame and arc only considered blemishes unless located near the joint, (as next to the knee). ' ' Spavins, ring-bones, sidc-boncs, and splints arc developments of bone tis- - sue, the result of an inflamajion of j the outside covering of the bone. . Such bone diseases or blemishes arc sometimes caused by injury of, some kind, but there are families of ani-mals ani-mals that have a weakness of the bone and' this creeps out in the off- v spring. J Those conditions are not directly 1 transmitted from parent to offspring, but the weakness is transmitted and will crop out sooner or later. Animals Ani-mals that seem to have inherited conditions con-ditions of Uiis kind should not be -bred, as they never are worth as much as a sound animal; , J Wc have other forms of blemishes I among horses which all who handle them should understand. Among , them are bad eyes, -defective sight ij (very common), poll evil back of the 4 earg, fistula r at the withers, heaves, shgwn inbreathing, injured tendons or jcords, bruised ankles from inter- 'faring, qorns, founder, cracks and A thrush of the foot. Wind puffs on 1 legs, bog spavins on the front inter-lal inter-lal part, of the hock. Thorough pine found at the upper anil oack part of the hock. |