rative.

When all evidence of acute inflammation has subsided vesication is
indicated. At this stage walking exercise is beneficial and the subject
may be allowed the freedom of a paddock.

Some practitioners are partial to the use of the actual cautery in these
cases, but it is doubtful if it is necessary to produce such a great
degree of counter-irritation in cases where the subject is suffering the
first attack of tendinitis.

As has been indicated, ample time should be allowed for recovery and
depending upon conditions, it takes from three weeks to six months for
complete recovery to become established.

Chronic Tendinitis and Contraction of the Flexor Tendons.

Etiology and Occurrence.--Acute inflammation of the flexor tendons may
result in chronic tendinitis. Recurrent attacks in cases where
insufficient time is allowed for complete recovery to result, is
followed by chronic inflammation and hypertrophy of the tendons. Again,
in subjects where conformation is faulty, no amount of care will be
sufficient to prevent a recurrence of the inflammation and the condition
must become chronic.

Symptomatology.--On visual examination of the subject at rest, one may
note the hypertrophied condition of the affected tendons. Their
transverse diameter is usually perceptibly increased and in many cases,
there is an increase in the antero-posterior diameter. The latter
condition causes a bulging of the tendon that is so noticeable, because
of the convexity thus formed, it is commonly known as "bowed tendon."

[Illustration: Fig. 20--Contraction of the superficial digital flexor
tendon (perforatus) of the right hind leg, due to tendinitis.]

In chronic tendinitis there occurs repeated attacks of inflammation
wherein lameness is pronounced and there exists in reality, at such
times, acute inflammation of a hypertrophic structure, where at no time
does inflammation completely subside. Therefore, in chronic tendinitis
there is to be found at times the same conditions which characterize
acute inflammation, except that there is usually a variance of symptoms
because of the difference in the degree of inflammation and pain.

The diagnosis of contraction of tendons is an easy matter because of the
fact that relations between the phalanges are constantly changed with
tendinous contraction. If one bears in mind the attachments and function
of the digital flexors, no difficulty is encountered in recognizing
contraction of either