Pregnancy
Categories: History and BreedsThe symptoms of pregnancy in its early stage were formerly deemed
exceedingly unsatisfactory. The period of being in season--which
commonly lasts three or four days, and then ceases for a while, and
returns in about three weeks--might entirely pass over; and, although it
was then probable that conception had taken place, yet in a great many
instances the hopes of the breeder were disappointed. It was not until
between
in many cases, considerably later--and when the motions of the foetus
might be seen, or, at all events, felt by pressing on the right flank,
that the farmer could be assured that his cow was in calf.
That greatest of improvements in veterinary practice, the application of
the ear to the chest and belly of various animals, in order to detect by
the different sounds--which after a short time, will be easily
recognized--the state of the circulation through most of the organs, and
consequently, the precise seat and degree of inflammation and danger,
has now enabled the breeder to ascertain the existence of pregnancy at
as early a stage as six or eight weeks. The beating of the heart of the
calf may then be distinctly heard, twice, or more than twice, as
frequent as that of the mother; and each pulsation will betray the
singular double beating of the foetal heart. This will also be
accompanied by the audible rushing of the blood through the vessels of
the placenta. The ear should be applied to the right flank, beginning on
the higher part of it, and gradually shifting downward and backward.
These sounds will thus soon be heard, and cannot be mistaken.
More
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Garget
This is a hard, knotty condition of the udder, which sometimes follows calving, in consequence of the sudden distention of the bag with milk; and the inflammation which supervenes causes a congealed or coagulated condition of the milk to take place,... Gastro-enteritis
This disease--otherwise known as wood-evil, or moor-ill--arises from eating the buds of oak, young ash, and other trees, which are of a very highly stimulating or irritating character. As the intestinal canal is liable to inflammatory action from ir... Gestation
The usual period of pregnancy in a cow is nine calendar months, and something over: at times as much as three weeks. With one thousand and thirty one cows, whose gestations were carefully observed in France, the average period was about two hundred ... History And Breeds Ox
It is quite certain that the ox has been domesticated and in the service of man from a very remote period. We are informed in the fourth chapter of Genesis, that cattle were kept by the early descendants of Adam; Jubal, the son of Lamech--who was ... Hoose
This disease--known also as catarrh--is occasionally the sequence of coryza, but more frequently it arises from an impure atmosphere; consequently, in cow-houses where animals are crowded together in numbers, it is most frequently found. Scanty prov... Hoove
Hoove, or blown, so common, and often so speedily fatal in cattle, is the result of fermentation in the rumen, or paunch, in consequence of the animal's having eaten large quantities of wet grass, luxuriant clover, turnips, etc. An accumulation of g... Hydatids
Worms in the brain occasionally occur, causing great uneasiness to the animal and generally proving fatal. The symptoms are, loss of appetite; suspended rumination; a fevered condition of the system; horns and ears hot; respiration disturbed; coat... Inflammation Of The Bladder
Inflammation of the bladder generally accompanies inflammation of the kidneys, though it is sometimes found disconnected and alone. It is occasionally caused by calculous concretions in the bladder,--which should be removed,--causing very acute abdo... Inflammation Of The Haw
The ox, like the horse, has a membrane of semilunar form in the inner corner of the eye, which is capable of being thrown over the entire eyeball, for the purpose of cleansing the eye from any foreign substance which may get into it. This membrane i... Inflammation Of The Kidneys
This disease--sometimes called nephritis--occurs occasionally in cattle in consequence of their eating bad or unwholesome food, or of the abuse of diuretics, etc. The symptoms are very insidious in their approach. The loins are very tender upon p... Inflammation Of The Liver
Diseases of the liver are of very common occurrence,--a fact with which all beef-butchers are familiar. Perhaps no organ in the animal economy is so liable to disease. The obscurity of the symptoms and the good condition of the animal prevent its di... Laryngitis
This disease is of rare occurrence in cattle. In it, the mucous membrane lining the larynx is in a very irritable condition; the least pressure upon the parts affected causes intensely excruciating pain; the respiration becomes quick, painful, and l... Lice
Cattle are very subject to lice, particularly when they are neglected, half-starved, and in poor condition. Good care and good feeding--in connection with the treatment recommended in mange, to which the reader is referred--will comprise all that is... Mange
Mange, or leprosy, is one of the most unpleasant and difficult diseases to manage of all the ailments to which cattle are subject requiring the nicest care and attention to render it easy of cure. An animal badly nursed will not, under the most skil... Milking
The manner of milking exerts a more powerful and lasting influence on the productiveness of the cow than most farmers are aware. That a slow and careless milker soon dries up the best of cows, every practical farmer and dairyman knows; but a careful... Murrain
This is one of the most malignant diseases to which cattle are liable. Fortunately, however, true murrain is comparatively rare in this great stock-raising country. The entire system seems to partake of the disease. The first indication of its ap... Native Cattle
The foregoing comprise the pure-bred races in America; for, though other and well-established breeds--like the Galloways, the long horns, the Spanish, and others--have, at times, been imported, and have had some influence on our American stock, yet ... Navel-ill
Inflammation of the navel in calves occasionally occurs, causing redness, pain, and sudden swelling in the part affected. This disease, if not promptly attended to, speedily carries off the creature. Treatment.--Foment the part well with warm hop-... Obstructions In The Oesophagus
Choking in cattle is of common occurrence, in consequence of turnips, potatoes, carrots, or other hard substances, becoming lodged in the oesophagus, or gullet. These obstructions can sometimes be removed by careful manipulations with the hand; b... Open Joints
Opening of the joint generally results from accidents, from puncturing with sharp substances, from kicks, blows, etc. These injuries cause considerable nervous irritation in the system, and sometimes cause lock-jaw and death. Treatment.--Close up... Parturition
In natural labor--as has been suggested in a former part of this work--the aid of man is rarely required in bringing away the calf. But it not infrequently happens that, from malformation or wrong presentation, our assistance is required in order to... Phrenitis
Inflammation of the brain is one of those dreadful diseases to which all animals are liable. It is known to the farmer as frenzy, mad staggers, etc. The active symptoms are preceded by stupor; the animal stubbornly stands in one position; the eye... Pleurisy
This is an inflammation of the pleura, or the serous membrane which lines the cavity of the chest, and which is deflected over the lungs. Inflammation of this membrane rarely occurs in a pure form, but is more generally associated with inflammation ... Pleuro-pneumonia
This disease, as its name implies, is an inflammatory condition of the lungs and the pleura, or the enveloping membrane of the lungs and the lining membrane of the chest. It is sometimes called contagious, infectious, and epizooetic pleuro-pneumonia... Pneumonia
There are two conditions of the lungs known as pneumonia,--one, the inflammatory, and the other, the congestive stage. The former may follow an attack of bronchitis, or it may have a spontaneous origin. The congestive is generally the result of cold... Points Of A Good Cow
After satisfaction is afforded touching the age of a cow, she should be examined with reference to her soundness of constitution. A good constitution is indicated by large lungs, which are found in a deep, broad, and prominent chest, broad and well-... Points Of Fat Cattle
Whatever theoretical objections may be raised against over-fed cattle, and great as may be the attempts to disparage the mountains of fat,--as highly-fed cattle are sometimes designated,--there is no doubt of the practical fact, that the best butche... Pregnancy
The symptoms of pregnancy in its early stage were formerly deemed exceedingly unsatisfactory. The period of being in season--which commonly lasts three or four days, and then ceases for a while, and returns in about three weeks--might entirely pass ... Protrusion Of The Bladder
This sometimes occurs during the throes in difficult cases of parturition in cows, and the aid of a skillful veterinary surgeon is requisite to replace the inverted bladder. ... Puerperal Fever
This disease--milk fever, or dropping after calving--rarely occurs until the animal has attained mature age. The first symptoms make their appearance in from one to five or six days after parturition. It appears to be a total suspension of nervous f... Quarter Evil
In some sections of the country, this disease--known by the other names of black quarter, and joint murrain--is quite common among young cattle, and is generally fatal in its termination. There is little or no warning of its approach. The first anim... Rabies
Hydrophobia in cattle is the result of the bite of a rabid dog, from which bite no animal escapes. The effects produced by the wound made by the teeth of such an animal, after the virus is once absorbed into the circulation of the blood, are so pois... Red Water
This disease derives its name from the color of the urine voided in it. It is one of the most common complaints of horned cattle, and one of the most troublesome to manage. Symptoms.--Respiration hurried; rumination ceases; a high degree of fever... Rheumatism
This is a constitutional inflammatory affection of the joints, affecting the fibrous tissue and serous, or synovial membrane. It is caused by exposure to cold and wet; being quite common in low, marshy sections. Symptoms.--Loss of appetite; upon f... Soiling
Of the advantages of soiling milch cows--that is, feeding exclusively in the barn--there are yet many conflicting opinions. As to its economy of land and feed there can be no question, it being generally admitted that a given number of animals may b... Spaying
To secure a more uniform flow and a richer quality of milk, cows are sometimes spayed, or castrated. The milk of spayed cows is pretty uniform in quality; and this quality will be, on an average, a little more than before the operation was performed... Strangulation Of The Intestines
This disease in cattle,--popularly styled Knot, or Gut-tie,--in consequence of the peculiar arrangement of the abdominal viscera, is of very rare occurrence. When, however, it does occur, the symptoms accompanying are those of inflammation of the in... The Ayrshire
This breed is justly celebrated throughout Great Britain and this country for its excellent dairy qualities. Though the most recent in their origin, they are pretty distinct from the Scotch and English races. In color, the pure Ayrshires are general... The Barn
The farm barn, next to the farm house, is the most important structure of the farm itself, in the Northern and Middle States; and even at the South and Southwest, where barns are less used, they are of more importance in the economy of farm manageme... The British Ox
In the earliest and most reliable accounts which we possess of the British Isles--the Commentaries of Caesar--we learn that the ancient Britons possessed great numbers of cattle. No satisfactory description of these cattle occurs in any ancient auth... The Dutch
This short horned race, in the opinion of many--as has been previously remarked--contributed largely, about a century ago, to build up the Durham or Teeswater stock. It has been bred with special reference to dairy qualities, and is eminently adapte... The Hereford
These cattle derive their name from a county in the western part of England. Their general characteristics are a white face, sometimes mottled; white throat, the white generally extending back on the neck, and sometimes, though rarely, still further... The Jersey
These cattle are now widely known in this country. Many of them have been imported from an island of the same name in the British Channel, near the coast of France, and they may now be considered, for all practical purposes, as fully acclimated. The... The Milk-mirror
The discovery of M. Guenon, of Bordeaux, in France--a man of remarkable practical sagacity, and a close observer of stock--consisted in the connection between the milking qualities of the cow and certain external marks on the udder, and on the space... The Natural History Of Cattle
1. The upper jaw-bone. 2. The nasal bone, or bone of the nose. 3. The lachrymal bone. 4. The malar, or cheek bone. 5. The frontal bone, or bone of the forehead. 6. The horns, being processes or continuations of the frontal. 7. The temporal bone. 8. ... The North Devons
This beautiful race of middle horned cattle dates further back than any well established breed among us. It goes generally under the simple name of Devon; but the cattle of the southern part of the country, from which the race derives its name, diff... The Raising Of Calves
It has been found in practice that calves properly bred and raised on the farm have a far greater intrinsic value for that farm, other things being equal, than any that can be procured elsewhere; while on the manner in which they are raised will dep... The Short Horns
No breed of cattle has commanded more universal admiration during the last half century than the improved short horns, whose origin can be traced back for nearly a hundred years. According to the best authorities, the stock which formed the basis of... Thrush In The Mouth
Aptha, or thrush in the mouth, is a vesicular disease of the mouth, sometimes occurring as an epizooetic. It is often mistaken for blain,--inflammation of the tongue, or black tongue,--and usually occurs in the winter, or early in the spring. It app... Tracheotomy
In consequence of the formation of tumors about the throat in cattle, from inflammation of the parotid gland, blain, etc., so characteristic of this species of animals, it sometimes becomes necessary to perform this operation in order to save their ... Treatment Before Calving
Little alteration needs to be made in the management of the cow for the first seven months of pregnancy; except that, as she has not only to yield milk for the profit of the farmer, but to nourish the growing foetus within, she should be well, yet n... Tumors
These enlargements so common in cattle, have been so admirably described, in the Veterinarian for 1843, by John Ralph, V.S.,--who has been so successful in the treatment of these morbid growths, that the benefit of his experience is here given. He s... Ulcers About The Joints
Occasionally, the joints assume a tumefied appearance, generally ulcerating, and causing painful wounds. Treatment.--The application of one part of alum to two parts of prepared chalk, powdered and sprinkled upon the parts, is usually all that is... Warbles
It has been a prevalent opinion among farmers, that warbles are so many evidences of the good condition of their cattle. It must, however, be borne in mind that the warbles are the larvae of the oestrus bovis, which is said to be the most beautiful ...