CAUSE.—Faulty conformation, slipping, falling through a bridge or culvert; large loosely built draft horses are prone to this blemish. Bog Spavin is hereditary, and you should, therefore, select a good type of animal for breeding purposes.
SYMPTOMS.—A puffy swelling located in front and on the inside of the hock, varying from the size of a walnut to that of a man’s fist. It very seldom causes lameness, but is a serious disfigurement and blemish.
TREATMENT.—Treatment is not satisfactory unless taken in its first stages and when the animal is young. If there is heat, pain and swelling, apply cold water or ice packs until the inflammation has left the parts. Then use the following prescription: Tincture of Iodine, two ounces; Gum Camphor, two ounces, Gasolene, one pint. Mix and shake well before applying with a nail or tooth brush twice a week.
I may add that I have derived some wonderful results in treatment of Bog Spavin with the above mentioned prescription in both young and old animals, and perhaps it will be well to use it on both young and old animals in both acute and chronic forms of Bog Spavin.
CAUSE.—Sprains of the hock from falling, slipping, jumping, pulling, traveling on uneven roads, falling through bridges, etc.
Since Spavin is due to causes which come into existence after birth, it cannot be regarded as an hereditary disease. Hereditary predisposition, however, is largely accountable for its appearance. In the first place, the process of evolution in the horse, which is a single-toed animal, descended from a five-toed ancestor, predisposes him to suffer from union of the bones of the hock, just as it predisposes him to splints. The weaker the bones of the hock in comparison to the weight of the body the more inclined will the animal naturally be to contract Spavin.
SYMPTOMS.—Spasmodic catching up of the spavined limb, the moment the heel of the foot touches the ground, something after the manner of string-halt. At times the stiffness can be observed only when the animal is pushed from one side of the stall to the other. Spavin may often be detected when riding a horse down a steep hill from the fact that he drags the toe.
The time of all others when a spavined horse will be apt to show his lameness will be the day following a hard day’s work, and when he makes his first move from the stable in the morning is the proper moment for examination. Therefore, you should be prepared to form judgment quickly in these cases, for the longer the animal is trotted up and down the less lame will he generally become.