The Project Gutenberg EBook of Notes on Diseases of Swine, Sheep, Poultry and the Dog, by Charles J. Korinek This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. Title: Notes on Diseases of Swine, Sheep, Poultry and the Dog Cause, Symptoms and Treatments Author: Charles J. Korinek Release Date: June 2, 2019 [EBook #59663] Language: English Character set encoding: UTF-8 *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NOTES ON DISEASES OF SWINE, ETC *** Produced by The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) VETERINARY SCIENCE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA NOTES ON DISEASES OF SWINE, SHEEP, POULTRY AND THE DOG Cause, Symptoms and Treatments BY CHARLES J. KORINEK, V.S. Graduate of the Ontario Veterinary College, in affiliation with the University of Toronto, Canada. Hon. Member of the Ontario Veterinary Medical Society. Ex. State Veterinarian for Oregon. Ex. President of the Oregon State Veterinary Medical Board of Examiners. Author of “The Veterinarian”. Principal of the Veterinary Science Association of America. Sixteen years of Practical Experience as a Veterinary Surgeon. PUBLISHED BY THE VETERINARY SCIENCE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA COPYRIGHT 1917 by the VETERINARY SCIENCE ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA TABLE OF CONTENTS. Chapter I. Diseases of Swine, Cause, Symptoms and Treatment 6 Chapter II. Diseases of Sheep and Goats, Cause, Symptoms and Treatment 37 Chapter III. Diseases of Poultry, Cause, Symptoms and Treatment 60 Chapter IV. Diseases of the Dog, Cause, Symptoms and Treatment 85 TABLE OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Points of Swine 3 Points of Sheep 35 Points of Poultry 58 Points of the Dog 83 DISEASES OF SWINE CAUSE, SYMPTOMS AND TREATMENT LOCATION OF PARTS OF SWINE. [1] [2] [3] Location of Parts of Swine 1. Mouth. 2. Nostrils. 3. Face. 4. Eyes. 5. Ears. 6. Jaws. 7. Jowl. 8. Neck. 9. Shoulder. 10. Fore flanks. 11. Chest floor. 12. Pasterns. 13. Dew claws. 14. Sheath. 15. Belly. 16. Side or ribs. 17. Heart girth. 18. Back. 19. Loin. 20. Rump. 21. Coupling. 22. Rear flanks. 23. Tail. 24. Thigh. 25. Hocks. PREFACE [4] [5] This chapter on diseases of swine has been written with the purpose of placing in the hands of Students and the Veterinary Profession, a book of practical worth; hence, all unnecessary technical language or terms have been eliminated and only such language used as all may read and understand. The treatment recommended in each disease is one I have used and found efficient in my many years of practice as a Veterinary Surgeon. If my readers will study the following chapter carefully, they will save much unnecessary loss to the swine industry and be of great value to the community in which they reside. Charles J. Korinek, V. S. CHAPTER I. HOG REGULATOR AND TONIC. Nux Vomica, one pound; Hardwood Charcoal, two pounds; Sulphur, two pounds; Common Salt, three pounds; Sulphide of Antimony, one and one-half pounds; Glauber Salts, two pounds; Bicarbonate of Soda, four pounds; Hyposulphite of Soda, four pounds; Nitrate of Potash, one pound; Quassia, one-half pound; Gentian Root, one pound; Iron Sulphate, one pound; pulverize and mix well. To every one hundred pounds of hog weight, give one tablespoonful in feed or swill once or twice daily. For hogs weighing two hundred pounds, the dose would be two tablespoonfuls; for a hog weighing fifty pounds, one-half tablespoonful. Hogs, like other animals, require tonics, bowel regulators and worm expellers. For these purposes, I have prescribed under a number of the diseases of hogs, which I cover in this chapter, the above general tonic and regulator which I have used in my personal practice with marked success, especially serving the purpose of aiding hogs in the convalescence from debilitating diseases and in their recovery from a general run-down condition. Aside from its general tonic and regulative effect, this prescription contains nerve tonics, intestinal antiseptics, laxatives, worm expellers, and aids digestion, etc. If regularly given to hogs, and sanitary conditions are maintained, this tonic and regulator will largely fortify them against contagious diseases. ABORTION. Cause.—Sows may abort at any state of pregnancy by slipping, falling, receiving kicks, or by being caught while crawling through or under fences. Sows may also abort when allowed to crawl into quarters where there are other hogs. Contagious diseases, such as Cholera and Pleuropneumonia also produce abortion. There is also a contagious form of abortion in sows, but this is very uncommon, as the disease spreads very slowly. Symptoms.—There is no warning given, as a rule; the sows expel their pigs before any signs of abortion are noticed. In other cases the sows refuse to eat, become uneasy, shivering and trembling of the muscles, and straining or labor pains are noticed. As a rule, when a sow aborts, she will not prepare a bed, as she would normally. Treatment.—Preventive is the only safe and sure treatment, although when the first signs of abortion appear, and there are no signs of the membranes coming away, remove the sow to quiet, warm, clean quarters by herself, and if straining, give one dram of Chloral-Hydrate in her drinking water every two or three hours. When a sow aborts, burn the pigs and afterbirth, and disinfect the pens with a Coal Tar disinfectant. Keep this up for several days, and do not breed until all discharges from the vagina have ceased flowing. ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICINE TO HOGS. To administer medicine to hogs may seem easy, but, nevertheless, it is a difficult task. Never lay a hog on his back to drench him, as in so doing there is great danger of strangling. The proper method is to stand or set him on end, holding him up by the ears, and by the use of a bottle with a piece of hose drawn over its neck, give the medicine very slowly, so as not to allow a large quantity to accumulate in the mouth or throat at one time. There is always danger of some of the liquid escaping into the lungs and causing the hog to strangle, and thus it may produce pneumonia. However, this is the best method of giving hogs medicine by force. Hogs will generally take medicine in their feed or drinking water, unless they are very sick, or the medicine is extremely disagreeable to the taste. BAG INFLAMMATION. Cause.—Injuries, obstructed teats, accumulation of milk in the sow’s bag after the loss of part or all of her litter. [6] [7] [8] Difficult birth, slight wounds in the bag permit invasion of germs, which is frequently the common cause of bag inflammation. Symptoms.—Heat, pain and swelling in one or more teats. The general body temperature is elevated one or two degrees above normal. The sow perhaps refuses her feed, although she will drink water in large quantities. Treatment.—Feed soft, sloppy food and vegetables. Give Epsom Salts, two to four ounces, in milk or feed. It is also well to milk the sow by hand, relieving her of the milk three or four times a day. This is very necessary. Camphorated Oil is very soothing, and I would recommend its use freely over affected teats. BLACK TOOTH. Cause.—Black Tooth, so called in swine, is principally due to injuries to the teeth received by chewing hard matter, such as bone, etc., which causes them to decay. Symptoms.—Toothache. Toothache in swine is similar to that exhibited by man, in showing loss of appetite, salivation, or slobbering, hanging the head mostly to the side which is affected, loss of fear of man, and offensive breath. If the hogs are fed on strongly acid food for any length of time, their teeth may become dark colored. As the teeth are not materially injured, so long as decayed tooth substance cannot be noticed, and while the appetite and chewing facilities of the hog do not appear to be diminished, no interference will be necessary. It is customary with some people to examine the teeth of hogs, and if one tooth is found darker colored than the others, it is supposed to be the cause of the hog not doing well, if he is in poor condition, and the tooth is hammered off flush with the jaw, leaving the broken roots, lacerated gums and nerves to increase the hog’s suffering. If the hog recovers, it is often concluded that this was a case of Black Tooth. My advice is, if you are determined to have the tooth out, extract it properly. Do not break it off. When your hogs are not thriving, give them the regulator and tonic prescribed on the first page of this chapter. BLOOD POISONING. (Pyemia Septicemia) Cause.—Due to the toxic substance produced by germs that invade wounds, bruises, abscesses, or womb following farrowing, if lacerated. Symptoms.—The seat of injury becomes swollen, pus may adhere to the hair, temperature elevated, appetite poor, hog moves about very slowly, becomes separated from the rest of the drove, lies around in some cool, quiet place, eventually becomes very weak and poor and dies, if good attention is not given. Treatment.—Separate from the other hogs and remove to a clean, comfortable place and wash the seat of injury with some good disinfectant, as a five per cent Carbolic Acid solution. In cases of abscess, open it low so as to assure good drainage. Keep clean, cool water before your hogs at all times. Give mashes made from wheat bran and hot water, or any good substantial food that is easily digested containing regulator and tonic prescribed on the first page of this chapter. BRONCHITIS. Cause.—Lung worms, poorly ventilated sleeping quarters, sleeping in straw stacks, in manure heaps, over-heated, filthy pens, where the animals inhale irritating gases given off the bodies of other hogs, and from filth. Smoke and dust are very common producers of bronchitis. Symptoms.—Breathing fast, appetite poor, slight rise in temperature and coughing. The hog is dull and stupid, refuses food, but drinks water frequently. Treatment.—Preventive; avoid the above named causes, but when hogs become affected, move them to clean, well ventilated quarters, avoiding dust and gases, disinfect bedding and floors with some good disinfectant, as Crude Carbolic Acid, sprayed. Also give large doses of the hog regulator and tonic as prescribed on the first page of this chapter. Feed vegetables, or any easily digested food, and hot wheat bran mashes. In case the disease is due to lung worms, confine the animals in a closed shed and permit them to inhale the steam from Turpentine and water for a few minutes, by placing water and Turpentine in a tin receptacle holding about two gallons, and inserting heated bricks or stones into the solution. CASTRATION. This is generally understood by every stockraiser, yet there are some points many do not know. For instance, you should use in this operation an antiseptic solution, as Carbolic Acid or Bichloride of Mercury. Wash thoroughly with antiseptic your hands and knife, also the seat of operation and make your incision as low as possible to permit the pus to drain out nicely. If this is not practiced, the pus will become absorbed into the blood, producing blood poison, which may produce death, or at the best will cause the hog to become stunted, whereas, if the operation is performed properly, the hog will thrive, regardless of the shock from the operation. I may add that it is much better to castrate pigs [9] [10] [11] or hogs when their stomachs or intestines are empty, and it is always good practice to feed laxative and easily digested foods sparingly after this operation. CHOKING. Cause.—Vegetables such as potatoes, etc., roots, as carrots, turnips and sometimes pieces of bone or glass, lodge in the gullet. Paralysis of the muscular fibres of the gullet is a very common cause of choking in swine. Symptoms.—The hog is unable to swallow, producing a frothing at the mouth and, if the obstruction cannot be dislodged, death occurs in a very short time. Sometimes the obstruction in the gullet may be felt from the outside with the hand. Treatment.—The administration of small doses of Raw Linseed or Olive Oil, or Lard, will assist in dislodging the obstruction. Also careful manipulation of the gullet from the outside with the hand assists in either forcing it into the stomach or bringing it out through hog’s mouth. If vomiting can be produced, it will dislodge the obstruction. If immediate results are not obtained from the above treatments, I would recommend butchering the hog for meat immediately. COLD IN THE HEAD. (Nasal Catarrh) Cause.—Exposure to cold; a very common condition in cold, wet weather when hogs are allowed to sleep in manure heaps, straw stacks, or pile up together, when they become over-heated and later chill. Nasal Catarrh may also be due to inhaling dust or irritating gases. Symptoms.—The animal is stupid and feverish, coughing and sneezing frequently; appetite is poor, eyes watery and inflamed; a discharge of mucus from the nose will terminate in yellow pus and the nose, if examined, is found to be inflamed and ulcerated. Treatment.—The best and safest treatment is to provide clean sleeping quarters, avoid overcrowding in dusty, dirty sheds, especially during cold weather. Pigs affected with cold in the head should be fed on laxative food, such as boiled carrots, potatoes, apples, hot wheat bran mashes and steamed rolled oats. Medical Treatment.—Confine the affected hogs to a shed, close windows and doors and any large cracks; then compel them to inhale steam from the following mixture: Turpentine, eight ounces; Pine Tar, one pint; Water, two gallons. Place in tin receptacle in center of shed and heat the above solution by adding hot bricks or stones to the mixture occasionally. Compel the hogs to inhale this steam for at least thirty minutes twice a day. Give chlorate of Potash in twenty grain doses three times a day in feed or drinking water. This treatment is very successful if the inflammation has not extended to the lungs. DIARRHOEA IN YOUNG PIGS. (Scours) Cause.—Decomposed foods, slops, etc., fed to the mothers, causing them to give toxic milk. Poorly ventilated, filthy, cold and damp pens, insufficient exercise, lack of sunlight, raising pigs by hand or with other sow. Symptoms.—Frequent movement of the bowels, the passage being of a grayish-white color and the odor very disagreeable. At this stage of the disease, reliable remedies must be given or the pig will die very soon. The discharge from the bowels becomes very thin, the tail and legs become soiled, loss of appetite, the pigs become weak and dull, hair rough and it is difficult for them to move about. In very young pigs, treatment is of little value. Treatment.—As Scours in pigs is a disease frequently caused by faulty food and insanitary surroundings, a preventive treatment is of great importance, and much better results are thus obtained than by the use of medical agents. Medical treatment consists in first cleaning away the irritant present in the bowels. For this purpose give one to two teaspoonfuls of Castor Oil. At the time of farrowing all sows should receive a light diet and be kept in clean, dry quarters. The pigs should be allowed pure air, sunshine and exercise. If the sow appears hot and feverish, give one to three ounces of Castor Oil in milk or swill. Avoid feeding decomposed, moldy food, or sour milk. To check the diarrhoea in pigs, use the following after the irritant is removed or cleaned out as above stated: Zinc Sulphocarbolates, thirty grains; Protan, two ounces; Pulv. Gentian Root, two ounces. Make into sixty capsules or powders and give one, three or four times a day. The sow should receive a dose about eight times the size of that of the pigs. HOG CHOLERA. (Swine Fever) Cause.—By the Bacillus Sius; contaminated food, stagnant water, filth, etc., all have a tendency to aid its progress. I have seen farms, although located in sections where Cholera was prevalent, not in the least troubled with the malady, perhaps due to careful feeding of clean foods, care in watering, cleanliness about the pens and sheds and disinfecting occasionally, but no doubt a better explanation is that those hogs received tonics, containing worm expellers, at least four times a year. Many a case of supposed Hog Cholera is due to worms irritating and producing inflammation of the [12] [13] [14] intestines, followed by diarrhoea. A person not familiar with the disease calls this “hog cholera.” In other cases, hogs which are fed swills from restaurants, hotels, etc., containing soap, washing powders, small particles of glass, etc., will die with symptoms leading a person to think they had Hog Cholera, but if a thorough investigation is made the true cause of death can easily be discovered. Symptoms.—In true Hog Cholera, the temperature will be elevated two to four degrees above normal. There will be a loss of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea, although there may be constipation when the hog is first affected. The hog wanders off by itself to some cool, quiet place and lies down. When it walks it will stagger and show great stiffness in its hind parts, due to soreness of the intestines. The hair will have a roughened appearance, the back arched, the eyes inflamed and discharging pus, red blotches will show themselves back of the ears, inside the legs and on the abdomen. At this stage the diarrhoea is watery, dark and tinged with blood, and very offensive in odor, breathing is very fast and labored. The hog grows very weak and dies. Treatment.—Prevention must always be borne in mind. Do not feed filthy food. Always feed good, wholesome food, and give clean water to drink. Watch the condition of hog’s bowels and regulate them by feeding. Burn manure and bedding and disinfect carefully. Do not permit your hogs to drink out of running streams of water, especially if Hog Cholera is in your neighborhood. When buying hogs, it is well to keep them off by themselves for two or three weeks, as they may be diseased. Do not permit neighbors, their stock or dogs on premises when Hog Cholera is raging, as the infection of Hog Cholera can be spread very rapidly by matter from the affected hogs adhering to the shoes of man, to the feet of stock and hogs, etc. I am positive that if this method were properly practiced by all hog raisers and feeders, Hog Cholera would be a very rare disease. Serum Treatment.—This is successful in some cases, and in others unsuccessful. The latter perhaps is due to poor serums, or the disease being so far advanced in its progress that the hogs are beyond recovery. Serum treatment is very expensive and, as it requires a strictly septic operation of injecting the serum, the average hog raiser or grower is not qualified to administer the treatment properly. An additional and necessary expense is the services of a Veterinary Surgeon. Therefore, I strongly urge adoption of preventive measures as stated. Use some good disinfectant, such as Crude Carbolic Acid, which destroys the Bacillus of Hog Cholera. Also administer hog regulator and tonic as prescribed on first page of this chapter. This will expel worms, tone the system, regulate the bowels and fortify your hogs against Hog Cholera. INDIGESTION. Cause.—Worms are perhaps one of the most common causes. Unwholesome, irritating food or swill containing soap or washing powder have a tendency to derange the process of digestion. Symptoms.—Abdominal pain, vomiting, back arched, breathing rapid and temperature elevated from two to three degrees. There may be diarrhoea or the animal may be constipated. Vomiting, as a rule, relieves acute attacks by expelling the irritant from the bowels. When it takes a chronic form, the hogs become stunted. Treatment.—Endeavor to find out the cause and remove it. If constipated, give Calomel, fifteen to twenty grains, or, if diarrhoea appears, give hog regulator and tonic as prescribed on first page of this chapter. Feed with hot wheat bran mashes. This will expel all worms and aid digestion. JAUNDICE. (Yellows) Cause.—Liver flukes, intestinal worms, gall stones, lack of exercise, overfeeding, or a stoppage of the bile duct. Symptoms.—The white portions of the eyes take on a yellow color, as do the membranes of the mouth, back arched, hair looks rough, vomiting, temperature elevated, constipation, although diarrhoea is sometimes noticed. The urine is passed frequently, and is of a dark amber color. Treatment.—This disease requires careful feeding and plenty of exercise. Give Calomel, ten to twenty grains, then follow with large doses of regulator and tonic as prescribed on first page of this chapter. It is important in this disease, especially if due to worms. Feed clean swill and vegetables. Give hogs all the pure water they will drink. KIDNEY CONGESTION. Cause.—Hogs are subject to various injuries about the kidneys, due to a large number of hogs piling up, exposure to cold, wet rains, etc. Symptoms.—Small quantities of dark colored urine are passed frequently, appetite poor, no energy to move about. Hogs lie around a great deal; at times they may be paralyzed and drag their hind quarters. Treatment.—Apply cloths or blankets wrung out of hot water over the loin; also give Potassium Acetate in twenty grain doses four or five times a day in drinking water. Feed soft, sloppy food, containing regulator and tonic as prescribed on the first page of this chapter. It contains nerve stimulants, just what is required in paralysis. [15] [16] [17] KIDNEY WORM. Cause.—Damp, filthy surroundings seem to favor the growth of embryos of this worm. They are taken into the digestive canal with the food and eventually pass to the region of the kidneys, where they find conditions favorable in which to multiply. Symptoms.—May produce paralysis of the hind quarters, in which case the animal would not exhibit such marked tenderness on being pressed over the loins with the fingers as it would if the weakness of the hind quarters was due to a sprain or to rheumatism of the loins. Occasionally hogs may suffer from the presence of one or more worms in the kidneys; but the ailment is rarely fatal, becoming so only after a long time of suffering resulting in a degeneration of one or both kidneys. It is almost impossible to diagnose the presence of worms in the kidneys of hogs, except by chance through a microscopic examination of the urine. If worms are found in the kidneys of a hog that has died or has been slaughtered for food it may then be reasonably supposed that other hogs of the same herd not acting normal are infected with worms of the same species. Treatment.—Teaspoonful doses of Turpentine in milk three times a week is the only treatment I could recommend. Preventive measures is the only practical method of treating a disease of this nature. Give your hogs pure water and food. Disinfect pens occasionally and keep them clean. LICE ON HOGS. Dip, spray or scrub your hogs with some good Coal Tar disinfectant, but whatever remedy is used it should be applied more than once which, of course, causes considerable work where there is a large number of hogs infested, unless dipped, which is more quickly done. The reason for repeated applications being necessary is that although the lice which hogs pick up from the ground, bedding and rubbing places, may be killed by first application, it often does not affect the nits, which remain intact and hatch within a week or ten days. A new crop of Lice appears on the hog from this source. Remove all manure and bedding from pens and sheds and burn it. Disinfect floors and spray sides of shed, pens and rubbing places with disinfectants, one part to seventy-two parts of water, once a month and you will be handsomely repaid for your labor. LUNG FEVER. (Inflammation of the Lungs) Cause.—Sudden changes, exposure to storms, piling up of hogs during cold nights, or sleeping in manure heaps, old straw stacks, etc. Symptoms.—Pig or hog is taken with shivering spells, is stupid, his back is arched, loss of appetite, temperature elevated two to four degrees above normal, short hurried breathing, generally accompanied with cough, which is deep and hoarse. As a rule the hog is constipated. Treatment.—Place in good, clean, warm, well ventilated quarters, free from drafts. Keep water before them at all times, adding Saltpeter, one teaspoonful to every gallon of water. If constipated, do not give physics; give injections of soap and warm water; also administer about one-half teaspoonful of Pine Tar on the tongue with a wooden paddle. This adheres to the tongue and gradually dissolves and gives excellent results, as it is very soothing to the organs of breathing. During the convalescent stage, give hog regulator and tonic as prescribed on first page of this chapter. LUNG WORMS. Cause.—By thread-like worms varying in length from one-half to one and one-half inches and of brownish-white color. They are found in the windpipe and tubes leading into the lungs. The adult worms in the lungs produce large quantities of eggs, which are coughed up with mucus and become scattered over premises where other hogs are permitted to walk. The hogs inhale the dust containing the eggs into their lungs, where the eggs find moisture sufficient for their development. Symptoms.—Severe coughing spells. Large quantities of mucus will escape from the nose and mouth. The hog becomes stunted, although he may eat fairly well, but if not relieved, the worms collect in the Bronchi and produce sudden death due to suffocation. The worms may set up an inflammation of the lining membranes of the lungs, which is sometimes taken for Swine Plague, or Cholera. This disease is not uncommon, especially in old, filthy, poorly drained hog houses and pastures. Treatment.—Confine the affected hogs to a shed; close the windows and doors and any large cracks, then compel the hogs to inhale steam from the following mixture: Turpentine, eight ounces; Pine Tar, one pint; Water, two gallons. Place in tin receptacle in center of the shed and heat the above solution by adding hot bricks or stones to the mixture occasionally. Compel them to inhale this steam for at least thirty minutes twice a day. Feed wholesome food to which add hog tonic as prescribed on first page of this chapter. A strong, vigorous hog may have worms, but it retains its vitality so long as it is well fed. MANGE. [18] [19] [20] Cause.—By the Sarcoptes Scabei. This parasite burrows under the outer surface of the skin. Symptoms.—The parasite usually manifests itself on the skin under the armpits, thighs and inside of the fore legs. At first small red blotches or pimples appear, and these gradually spread as the parasites multiply and burrow under the skin. Treatment.—There is no other way of curing this disease, or of preventing it, than by killing the parasites and their eggs; not only on the pigs themselves, but also on the sides of the pens, sheds, rubbing-posts, or anything that an affected hog rubs against. When treating this disease, the real aim must be to kill the parasite by the prompt and continuous use of external remedies, such as washing or dipping, which is better done with some good disinfectant, one part to seventy parts water. Repeat this every ten days until cured. Two dippings are generally sufficient. It is well to feed cooling foods, such as clean slops and vegetables, containing regulator and tonic as prescribed on first page of this chapter. NAVEL RUPTURE. (Navel or Umbilical) Cause.—Injuries. Pigs crowding through narrow doorways or openings in fences, small pigs sleeping with large pigs, and allowed to pile up, or being thrown about feed troughs when feeding. Weakness and constipation also predisposes them to Navel or Umbilical Rupture. Symptoms.—A soft, puffy swelling about the navel or umbilicus, varying in size from a hazelnut to that of an ostrich egg. When a pig is placed on its back the intestines will gravitate into the abdominal cavity, providing the intestines have not adhered to the walls of the rupture. Treatment.—This is more difficult than the Scrotal or Inguinal Rupture operation, as often times the intestines will adhere to the inner surface of the rupture and, unless the operation is carefully performed, there is great danger. Great care must be exercised in preparing the pig by fasting it for twenty-four hours. After this is accomplished, prepare an antiseptic solution, Carbolic Acid, five per cent, or Bichloride of Mercury, one in one-thousandths; also have a needle and absorbent silk or cat-gut ready. Place the pig on its back, with its head downward. Now, wash the seat of operation with either antiseptic solution. Then make an incision through the skin carefully; as stated before, intestines sometimes adhere to the inner surface of the rupture. If such is the case, wash the hands in the antiseptic solution and with the fingers carefully break the adhesions or separate the intestines from their adhesions. After this is accomplished, sew the inner lining of the abdominal cavity with absorbent silk or cat-gut. Then sew the outer skin with cotton or linen cord and your operation is complete. Feed the hog sparingly for a few days following the operation on easily digested, laxative foods. NETTLE RASH. (Urticaira) Cause.—Irritations of the skin produced by sprinkling hogs with irritating solutions and powders, or from irritating dips when treating for lice, etc. Feeding highly nitrogenous food predisposes hogs to this disease; also filth, poorly drained sheds and pens; is especially common in young pigs. Nettle Rash is not contagious, but what produces it in one hog may produce it in several at the same time. Symptoms.—Red, swollen blotches appear on the skin very suddenly, especially about the ears and the inside of the thighs, perhaps due to the skin being thin and deprived of hair. The hog rubs account of the intense itching, and he will not thrive when in this condition. In most cases there is a fluid oozing from the blotches, causing dirt and filth to adhere to the hair. However, if the disease is properly treated, a recovery is sure to follow in about two weeks. Treatment.—Prevention against this disease is most important, and it consists in keeping shoats and pigs in clean, well ventilated sheds and pens. Do not sprinkle them with irritating solutions or powders, or irritating dips, but when the disease once shows itself give each pig or hog affected a dose of Epsom Salts, one ounce to every twenty-five pounds of hog weight, in feed, swill or drinking water. If the weather is hot, keep them in a clean, cool place, also purify their blood by feeding regulator and tonic as prescribed on first page of this chapter. Apply some good Coal Tar disinfectant, one part to one hundred parts of water. This is non-irritating, and will destroy hog lice, and will heal the pustules of nettle rash. Apply twice ten days apart. It also must be borne in mind that pens and sleeping quarters must be disinfected; the old bedding and manure burned and replaced with good, clean straw or hay. Feed easily digested food, slops, etc. PARALYSIS OF THE HIND QUARTERS. Cause.—There are a great many things that may produce paralysis of the hind quarters. For instance, shipping hogs in crates; fractions of thigh bones; Rickets, due to feeding food that is deficient in mineral matter; hogs piling up; kicks or injuries to the back; frequently seen in sows nursing a litter of pigs and in a run-down condition. Constipation and indigestion also produce paralysis of the hind quarters. Some think it is caused by worms in the kidneys; this is not always the case. It is true that the presence of a parasite around the kidneys may cause irritation of the nerves of the spinal column and result in paralysis. Yet, it is more often the result of weakness and loss of nervous power of the hind [21] [22] [23] parts. Symptoms.—Regardless of the cause, the symptoms in either case, for they cannot be distinguished, are weakness of the back, wriggling of the hind parts, and finally the hogs sit down on their haunches. After some effort, they get up and run in a straight line quite fast, but swing to one side for a while and then go over to the other side, and finally get down so that they cannot rise, but drag themselves about. The appetite is good until a day or two before they die. Treatment.—Place the hog in clean, comfortable quarters, with plenty of fresh water to drink. Give sour milk, fruit or vegetables, containing regulator and tonic as prescribed on first page of this chapter. It contains nerve stimulants and blood purifiers. If the hog is constipated, add two to four ounces of Epsom Salts to its feed. Treatment of all such cases requires perseverance, recovery being slow and not always certain. PILES. (Prolapse of the Anus) Cause.—Although the pig may look well, he has a weakness of the circular fibres of the intestines, due to irritating foods that either constipate or produce diarrhoea. Symptoms.—Very plain. A protrusion of the rectum all the way from two to four inches. The pig irritates the protrusion by rubbing it against the sides of pens, etc.; it cracks, bleeds and in warm weather will become fly-blown and maggots accumulate in large quantities. Treatment.—In the first stages of this disease, wash the protruded parts with an antiseptic solution of Carbolic Acid, one teaspoonful to a pint of water. Give rectal injections of Soap and Warm Water or Sweet Oil, give about two ounces of Castor Oil internally and feed soft, sloppy food. In chronic cases of long standing, remove the exposed portion of the intestine after washing nicely with the antiseptic solution. Remove the protrusion with a sharp knife and stitch the cut end of intestine edges to the anus. Feed easily digested food, such as wheat bran, mixed with flaxseed meal on which boiling hot water has been poured, cooling before feeding. Also give regulator and tonic as prescribed on first page of this chapter. PIN WORMS. Cause.—Hogs consume the eggs that encapsule well matured embryonic worms with their food or drinking water. These worms multiply very rapidly in the small intestines and are from one-half to one inch in length. Symptoms.—No signs are noticed unless the worms are very abundant, as they are small and difficult to see with the naked eye. The principal point of attack is in the back part of the small intestines, where considerable inflammation is set up, especially when there are other worms, such as the Roundworm, present. Treatment.—Is of little value, as the worms in the intestines are very difficult to get at, but as their presence causes very little disturbance, it is hardly worth while treating; however, preventive measures should be applied by disinfecting, burning manure and bedding. The following has proven a very effective treatment for Pinworms: Powdered Quassia, one pound; Sulphur, two pounds; Glauber Salts, one pound; Powdered Tobacco, one-half pound; Sulphide of Antimony, one pound; Hyposulphite of Soda, two pounds; Beechwood Charcoal, one pound; Common Salt, two pounds. The above must be well powdered and thoroughly mixed. Give one heaping teaspoonful to every one hundred pounds of hog weight. To small pigs, give doses in proportion to weight. Place it in their feed or slop twice a day. In addition to being a vermifuge, it is an alterative and tonic that should be given pigs and hogs which do not thrive properly. Best results are obtained in treatment of Pinworm when the principal food consists of vegetables, mashes and slops. PLEURISY. Cause.—Exposure to cold, damp, chilly weather, especially to drafts, or by a large number of hogs being allowed to pile up during cold nights, etc. Symptoms.—Chilling, temperature elevated two or three degrees above normal; breathing fast. The hog will show great pain when pressed over the lungs by flinching, squealing or grunting; couching suppressed, ribs rigid; breathing mostly with the muscles of the flanks; appetite poor and eventually there will be fluids accumulate in the lung cavities. At this stage, the breathing is labored and difficult. If the ear is pressed over the lungs, the fluids can be heard, and in the first stage the sound will be similar to that of rubbing hair between the finger and thumb. Treatment.—Remove the cause. The treatment is satisfactory if applied in due time. Place in clean, comfortable shed, seeing that it is well ventilated, omit drafts; apply equal parts of Aqua Ammonia Fort., Turpentine and Sweet Oil over the lungs and give two or four ounces of Castor Oil in milk. Feed easily digested food, such as hot wheat bran mashes, containing hog regulator and tonic as prescribed on first page of this chapter. It is also well to feed vegetables. RHEUMATISM. [24] [25] [26] Cause.—Exposure, as in cold, damp houses. Overfeeding also has a tendency to cause swellings of the joints and muscles. Symptoms.—Lameness of one or more limbs, swelling of the joints about the legs and feet. The hog does not care to move, refusing its feed in most cases: temperature slightly elevated; breathing quick and short; he will drink water frequently if offered. Treatment.—I am of opinion that Rheumatism in hogs would be a very rare disease if they were properly provided with clean, dry quarters, with a liberal quantity of bedding. Do not allow hogs to pile up, as it is very injurious to them. Medical Treatment.—Consists of feeding sloppy food to which add one-half dram of Sodium Salicylate two or three times a day in their feed. Vegetables and green grass are very beneficial in this disease, as they have a cooling effect on the blood. The hog tonic and regulator recommended on first page of this chapter is very beneficial when given with food of a sloppy nature. RICKETS. Cause.—Food deficient in mineral matter or lime; filth, lack of exercise, and crowded quarters, all tend to produce a softening of the bones and swelling of the joints. Symptoms.—The pigs affected generally appear in good condition and seem to be doing well, but suddenly they become paralyzed in the hind quarters, owing to the weakened condition of the bones, which sometimes fracture without receiving injury or any additional weight to that of the pig itself. The bones of the snout, back, limbs and feet bend and become deformed. The pigs grow weak, poor and stunted and perhaps the best treatment is to destroy them. Preventive Treatment.—Careful feeding of good, wholesome food. This disease is very seldom seen where hogs are frequently fed corn. Medical Treatment.—When the first signs of Rickets appear, feed regulator and tonic as prescribed on first page of this chapter. It contains the mineral matter needed by the hog. ROUND WORMS. Cause.—Is undoubtedly due to filth or hogs eating food or drinking water contaminated with well developed eggs or embryos of roundworms, thus taking them into their digestive canal, where they multiply rapidly and set up considerable irritation. This worm varies in length from three to thirteen inches, and is of a reddish-brown color. Symptoms.—The Roundworm is generally passed with the feces, and can be readily seen with the naked eye. A hog infested with a large number of these worms is generally restless, appetite varied. When these worms develop in large numbers, they obstruct the intestines. In other cases they irritate and inflame the intestines, causing inflammation and diarrhoea, and death may be due to either obstruction or inflammation of the bowels. Treatment.—Treatment is very satisfactory. Withhold all food from eighteen to twenty-four hours. Then place in one pint of finely ground feed, Calomel and Santonin, each five grains to every one hundred pounds of hog weight. For instance, if the hog affected with round worms weighs two hundred pounds, double the dose by giving ten grains of each of the above, but if the hog only weighs fifty pounds, give one-half the dose mentioned, or two and one-half grains of each. This treatment should be repeated in a week or ten days to assure the expulsion of worms that might have survived the first dose. Feed sparingly on laxative food, as bran mashes and vegetables, for a few days following each treatment. RUPTURE. (Scrotal or Inguinal) Definition.—In the male the intestines pass through the wide Inguinal Canal, through which the cord of the testicle passes. It is not difficult to recognize this form of rupture, as the scrotum that normally retains only the testicles is usually enlarged by the bowels entering it. Sometimes the scrotum almost reaches the ground, and in this case, both sides of the scrotum, or the sack which contains the testicles, also contains intestines. If the pig is held up by the hind parts, the intestines will gravitate back into the abdominal cavity, but as soon as a pig lies down or stands they again return into the scrotum. The testicles can be located at the bottom of the enlargement. Cause.—Hereditary tendencies predisposes them to rupture; pigs having large Inguinal Canals through which the testicle passes; by pigs being crowded, injured, squeezed at troughs, or passing through narrow doorways. Weakness and severe straining from constipation also produce rupture. Symptoms.—An enlargement of the sack containing the testicles. Sometimes there may be a strangulation of the intestines where they fold or twist. They become inflamed and produce death. The pig dies in great pain, but fortunately, strangulated ruptures in pigs are very rare, as the scrotum and canal which the intestines occupy relax and become very roomy. Treatment.—Operation is the only method of relieving or curing Inguinal or Scrotal Rupture. My advice is to operate as soon as possible. When the pigs are small, there is less danger. The pig to be operated on should be fasted for at least twenty-four hours, as it is easier on both the operator and the pig when the intestines are empty, or nearly so. [27] [28] [29] The operation which I have found to be very successful is as follows: Have an assistant hold the pig up by its hind legs. Prepare an antiseptic solution of Carbolic Acid five per cent, or Bichloride of Mercury, one in one-thousandths, in a pan. Have a needle threaded with a medium sized absorbent silk or cat-gut suture. Prepare a clean, sharp knife; wash the seat of operation with either antiseptic solution. Now, proceed to locate the testicle by having the hind parts elevated. The intestines must be pressed back into the abdominal cavity. The testicle will remain in the sack or scrotum; now grasp the testicle between the fingers and make the incision through the scrotum and to the lower portion. It may be necessary to insert two fingers to withdraw the testicle. When the testicle is located, withdraw it. Before cutting it off it is well to run a needle containing a thread through the last covering of the testicle so as to prevent the membrane from returning. After this is securely done, remove the testicle and sew the inner membranes that envelop the rupture and testicle with what is called a “tobacco pouch suture.” Draw it together firmly and tie and cut off suture about one-half inch from the knot. Your operation is now complete. Do not sew the outer incision in the scrotum, as it would have a tendency to accumulate dirt and hold pus. It should have a free drainage. Wash with one of the above mentioned antiseptics twice daily until thoroughly healed. Also feed laxative foods that are easily digested. SORE FEET. Cause.—Filth, especially common in large hogs when confined to hard floors or driven over rough, hard roads, or continually kept in filthy pens. The tissues of the feet become softened, especially those between the claws. Irritation is set up by germs entering the abrasions. Symptoms.—The hogs will be noticed going very lame and if closely examined the above named conditions will be found. Treatment.—Remove the hogs to clean, dry pens containing plenty of clean bedding, and wash the affected parts with some good disinfectant, as five per cent solution of Carbolic Acid. Repeat this treatment at least once a day. In case the feet are badly inflamed, I would advise the application of hot Flaxseed Meal poultices to the feet. Feed easily digested food, as it aids materially in the treatment of infectious wounds. SORE MOUTH. Cause.—Decomposed foods. Also slops or stagnant water, washing powders, broken glassware, etc., from the tables, fed in slops, barley or wheat beards, etc. Symptoms.—Difficulty in eating, or refusal to eat at all. Stringy secretions of saliva continually oozing from the mouth. The mouth gives off a very offensive odor. Treatment.—In this form of sore mouth, remove the cause. Feed soft, wholesome food, such as wheat bran mashes and vegetables. In cases where it is due to the lodging of beards of wheat or barley, gag the hog’s mouth with a piece of wood and remove the beards with forceps. Keep clean, cool water before them at all times and avoid feeding dry, hard food. SOWS EATING THEIR YOUNG. Cause.—Insufficient lime or mineral matter fed prior to farrowing; constipation is also a fruitful cause. Prevention.—Careful feeding for a few days prior to farrowing of slops, free from soap or washing powders; cool food, such as wheat bran mashes, with hog tonic and regulator as prescribed on the first page of this chapter. This is loosening to the bowels and also contains mineral matter and blood purifiers which are very valuable in the above mentioned condition. SUN OR HEAT STROKE. Cause.—Hogs that are very fat, and driven, hauled or shipped to market when the weather is warm, are frequently stricken with heat or sun-stroke. Sometimes when hogs are overcrowded and not protected from the rays of the sun, or from heat, they may become victims of heat or sun-stroke. Symptoms.—First they stagger when walking, then they become very weak and temperature elevates three or four degrees higher than normal. Prostration or extreme depression, or sometimes involuntary spasms or contractions of muscles occur. Treatment.—Prevention. Do not drive, haul or ship during the hottest part of the day, hogs that are not accustomed to exercise or extreme heat. Do not crowd hogs in small pens or sheds during the hot months, as their bodies give off considerable heat in addition to that of the sun. See that they are protected from the sun. When hauling or shipping hogs, wet them occasionally with water. It prevents heat stroke. In case a hog is suffering from heat or sun-stroke, place it in a cool, shady place and apply ice or cold water to the head only. Also give Saltpeter in teaspoonful doses every six hours diluted in one ounce of water. Also give Alcohol, one teaspoonful, every three hours in one ounce of water. Good recovery is often obtained from the above treatment. THORN-HEADED WORMS. [30] [31] [32] Cause.—A white grub that is found in old manure heaps, straw stacks and hog lots carries eggs containing embryos of the Thorn-headed Worm. The white grub is eaten by the hog. The larvae of the Thorn-headed Worm is liberated by the process of digestion and becomes a parasite in the intestines of the hogs, where it develops into a fully matured worm. Large numbers of hogs quickly become infested with this parasite, as they multiply very rapidly. These worms vary from two to twelve inches in length, and have a whitish color. Symptoms.—As a general rule, a worm can be seen in the feces. Other signs are that the hog loses flesh, appetite irregular, constipation, and then again there may be diarrhoea, especially where there are large numbers of worms present. Treatment.—First of all, burn all manure or decomposed vegetation that the hogs are liable to come in contact with. Withhold all food from eighteen to twenty-four hours and give one teaspoonful of Oil of Turpentine to every one hundred pounds of hog weight, or if the hog weighs less than one hundred pounds, doses should be given in proportion. Follow this treatment for three or, four consecutive days. Turpentine is easily given to hogs, as they will drink it in milk when well mixed. Perhaps it is advisable, where a large number of hogs are affected, to divide them into pens of five or ten hogs, as they are thus less likely to get an overdose. Feed laxative food. Clean and disinfect troughs and feeding floors. Also give prescription on first page of this chapter. THUMPS. Cause.—Disorders of the digestive system from overloading the stomach and causing irritation of the nerves leading to the diaphragm, which is the membrane that separates the lungs and heart from the intestines, stomach, liver and spleen. It is a spasm of this membrane that causes a hog or pig to have “Thumps.” Insufficient exercise; a large number of pigs may become affected at the same time when closely confined. Symptoms.—Jerking of the flanks; the pig or hog becomes very weak and stunted in a very short time. Treatment.—Remove the cause. In pigs, when first affected, careful feeding and exercise will generally effect a cure. In some cases, where the pigs are very small, it is well to take them away from the mother, permitting them to nurse very little. Give them Castor Oil in teaspoonful doses, and compel them to exercise. It may be necessary to give them Chloral Hydrate ten to fifteen grains two or three times a day diluted in a t...