When it so happens, either from extensive bruising or from the action of excessive cold, that we have or suspect the condition of sloughing, then the first indication is to aid the live tissues to throw off the necrosed portion.  In spite of what is sometimes urged to the contrary, a hot poultice is, perhaps, the best means of bringing this about.  Directly the necrosed piece is shed, a wound remains which, so far as treatment is concerned, may be regarded exactly as that left by the formation of pus.  Hot water applications, some three or four times daily, will serve both to cleanse the wound and also to maintain vitality in the tissues immediately surrounding it.  After each washing, the use of a strong antiseptic solution to the wound is again beneficial.

In the case of an actual wound, whether, as in overreach, affecting the coronet alone or involving destruction of part of the wall, or, as in the case of toe-tread, penetrating the pedal articulation, the treatment to be followed is simple enough, in theory, if not always easy to carry out.  It consists solely in maintaining a rigid asepsis of the parts until healing is well advanced or complete.  The whole foot, including the coronet, should first be thoroughly washed in warm water.  At the same time there should be used some agent that will tend to remove the natural grease of the parts.  In this manner cleansing will be rendered more thorough, and penetration of the antiseptic solution to be afterwards applied made the more certain.  The most ready way of effecting this is to use the ordinary stable ’water’-brush, and plenty of a freely-lathering soap.

This done, the foot should be rinsed in cold water, and afterwards constantly soaked in a cold antiseptic bath.  Where it is inconvenient or impossible to have the constant bathing carried out, a dry antiseptic dressing may be tried in its stead.  In this case the foot should first be thoroughly washed and dressed as before.  Afterwards an antiseptic powder in the shape of a mixture of iodoform 1 part, boracic acid 10 parts, should be freely dusted on the wound, a pledget of carbolized tow or cotton-wool placed over it, and the whole maintained in position with a bandage previously soaked in a 1 in 500 solution of perchloride of mercury.  Once on, this dressing should be allowed to remain until healing is complete.  Should the animal manifest pain, however, by constantly pawing, or should swelling and heat of the parts be suspected, the bandage should be removed, and the condition of the wound ascertained.

An excellent example of the value of this method of treatment is that given below: