Common Diseases of Farm Animals | Page 7

and
urine may become greatly changed in certain diseases. It is important
that the stockman or veterinarian observe these changes, and in certain
diseases make an analysis of the urine. This may be necessary in order
properly to diagnose the case.
Behavior of the Animal.--When the body temperature is high, the
animal may appear greatly depressed. If suffering severe pain, it may
be restless. In diseases of the nervous system, the behavior of the
animal may be greatly changed. Spasms, convulsions, general local
paralysis, stupid condition and unconsciousness may occur as
symptoms of this class of disease.
QUESTIONS
1. What information is necessary in order to be able to recognize or
diagnose disease? 2. What are the general symptoms of disease?

3. What are the subjective symptoms of disease?
4. Describe method of taking the pulse beat in the different animals and
its character in health and disease.
5. Give the ratio of the heart beats to the respirations in the different
species of animals.
6. What are the normal body temperatures in the different domestic
animals?
7. What are the visible mucous membranes?
8. Is the condition of the coat and skin any help in the recognition of
disease?

CHAPTER III
TREATMENT
Preventive Treatment.--The subject of preventive medicine becomes
more important as our knowledge of the cause of disease advances. A
knowledge of feeds, methods of feeding, care, sanitation and the use of
such biological products as bacterins, vaccines and protective serums is
of the greatest importance to the farmer and veterinarian. We are
beginning to realize that one of the most important secrets of profitable
and successful stock raising is the prevention of disease; that the
agricultural colleges are doing a great work in helping to teach farmers
that there are right and wrong methods of feeding and caring for
animals; that the practice of sanitation in caring for animals is the
cheapest method of treating disease; and that it is advisable to practise
radical methods of control, when necessary, in order to rid the herd of
an infectious disease.
The ration fed and the method of feeding are not only important in
considering the causes of diseases of the digestive tract, but diseases of
other organs as well. The feeding of an excessive, or insufficient

quantity of feed, or a ration that is too concentrated, bulky and
innutritious, poor in quality, or spoiled may produce disease.
An impure water supply is a common cause of disease. A deep well that
is closed in properly and does not permit of contamination from filth,
does not insure a clean water supply if the trough or tank is not kept
clean.
Farm Buildings.--If stockmen would make a more careful study of the
kind of farm buildings most suitable to their needs, the selection of the
location, the proportions, the arrangement of the interior and the
lighting and ventilation, there would be a great saving in losses from
disease, and the cost of building in many cases would be lessened.
Your neighbor's building that you have taken for your model may not
be suitable for your needs. It may be more expensive than your
financial condition permits. It may be poorly lighted and ventilated and
not suited to the site that you have selected.
Biological Products.--There are a number of biological products that
may be used in the prevention and control of disease. Some of these
products, such as tuberculin and malein, enable the owner to rid his
herds of tubercular cows and glandered horses before these diseases
have become far enough advanced to be recognized by the visible
symptoms alone. Black leg, anthrax and hog-cholera vaccines are
valuable agents in the control of disease. In the treatment of fistula and
infectious abortion, bacterins may be used. There are many other germ
diseases and infections for which vaccines and bacterins may be used.
However, we must not depend wholly on these agents in the control of
disease. We must possess a knowledge of the manner in which the
infection is spread, for without this knowledge we would be unable to
prevent its dissemination over a wide area.
Medicinal Treatment.--The average stockman or veterinarian is more
familiar with the treatment of disease with drugs than he is with the
preventive measures just described. This statement does not imply that
a knowledge of medicinal therapeutics is not of the greatest importance
in the treatment of disease. The ultimate object of all drugs is both to
prevent and cure disease, but the injudicious use of a drug does neither.

A discussion of this subject cannot be entered into here, and because of
its largeness it is not advisable to discuss it further than a brief
summary of the methods of administering drugs.
Administration of Drugs.--Drugs may be administered by the following
channels: by way of the