FARMING EXTRACTS. (From " N.Z. Farmer, for December.) Treatment of Sick Animals.

Te Aroha News, Volume IV, Issue 184, 25 December 1886, Page 4

FARMING EXTRACTS. (From " N.Z. Farmer, for December.) Treatment of Sick Animals.

tT is far easier, and cheaper, and pleasanter Mid more humane to keep domestic animals in good health by good management, than to cure them when they are sick. But even under the bust precautionary measures animals being mortal will get sick sometimes. When this occius we agree with the Western liiual in thinking it best to depend more upon diet, care, and sanitary regulations than upon the materiel medicaoi the veterinary suigeon. Whenever an animal becomes sick, says our contemporary, the first thing that should be done is to summon to our aid the best common sense that -we possess, remembcting iliab wifch animals as with human beiug^, good nursing it> con-iderably more than h\lf the battle. The first thing that ought to suggest itself is cleanliness. The patient ought to be kept clean. In home kinds of sickness this is not easy of accomplishment, but ib should bo assured. Ceitainly no one need bo told that lilth is inimical to recovery. Thero ftlioulrt bo plenty of clean bedding furnished and in case of discharges the animal should be ■washed twice a day. even if some force is required to do it. Bathing sick animals ib a good thing any time in warm weather. In case of fever theie i» nothing that will prove more beneficial than a thoiough bath two or tin ec times a da\ . It is tar better to rub a sick animal oft with a sponge and tepid water than it i> to huif^lii) mb them for the means of denning them. The curry-cjmb ought nor. to be applied to a sick animal. In -hoit \\liuie\er is done should be gently done, for sickness in animals usually piodi.c<,s a eonbideiable degree of physical senbiLr. une&b as it does in human beings Especial cait- Miould be given to feeding 1 . KowwhatMOuld common s - nte determine to be the pioper food lot- a t-ick animal > What kind ot tood do we u-qune ouin-hes when sick? \\ liy food that i- easily digestible. That indicate'! to us what the cliaiacter of food should be for a pick amm.il. In nine tei. f h^ oi di-oases, the digestive machinery i*- out ot outer ; and now how cm it be exi-oe^d that the ordinary c/;ain? -tnd diy lo<.d can be digested utidci such cacnm&tanccs? The food should be mashes and otlioi soft foods, and sometimes the addition or milk and law eg^ v i- \eiy beneficial. 'L'heie 1^ piobably nothing in rhe treatment of an animal that should be watched so Cui<_:ully a-> it« appetite. People often vrnte to v-» that thoM animal 5 h.we lost their appetites What do juti feed them? we mqiiise. And not mueou-ntly the a:i-v. er comes the\ have betoio them all the tin>e tlie be^t of this oi that kind of fooJ. Then we know at k-ast one teason why they have no appetite. Xow just suppose the reader wa.s not feeling well and had an imp tii cd appetite, and Mippo^e he was' coin^'O led to ha\e befoie him constantly one kinci of lucu, and peri'aps a kind that ho loathed num. the stait. Would it bo expected ch^t hit appetite would impiove? Ne\tr lease !j foie a sick animal food that it doe-- not want to ear. Remove it, and in a few houis fted a grain. Feed small quantities at a time and feed moie often. leeu a vinery of fo>>d?, tempting the appetite ii. tins A\ay. Tiy salt to' make the food moie ion-liable. In a woid study the wliinis and caprices of the animal and atterrpt to meet their demands. The hoi&»j especially need-^ much attention in thi» respect. When the animal is well he ices aot TSAr bunger very '»»H. Ziie stomach is small and he needs confftant attention when sick that he may not be come too hungry, and the horse particularly relishes a change of diet when it is sack. Except in di£>ea*-es oi the bowels give the sick animal all ihe '^ood, pure, 000 l water it wants ; and ii the animal has free aoee-s to water it will d.ink u little at a time which is much better than to have it, till itself at inter\ale. And now \v« will give a few excellent food preparations for animals that are -lck An oat-meal gmel may b«, made by taking a half pint oi oat-mual and mi\m^ >rith a half pint of water, and then adding a gallon of boiling watci. Boil the whole for a few minutes and it v. ill be ready foi use a-: toon as it is cool ei»' ugh. When the digestion ib In a very weakened condition, T hi-~ v. ill be excellent If the animal is in an ex hausted condition four ire-h eggs <md two quarts of tie-h milk, beat togctlier, and given milk warm is a concentiaUd ionn ot nourishment. In case of debility a ]>eck of pound malt and one ai.d a hall gallons of boiling water is a nutiitiou> and valuable mash. A softening and la\ati\e mrush may be made of bran, a halt-peck and boiling water enough to .scald it thoiou^hly. U the condition is not such as to inquire »ny of the-e, boiled oats, oil cake and cut foods will piove excellent. At thi^ tiu><^ of fear glass is a ptime food and boveieigu remedy for many ills.