Today’s Daf Yomi Question:
The Gemara questions why it would be assur to provide remedy to an animal, since it involves monetary loss (see Rashi). Why are we surprised about a gezeira being applied in despite of a resulting hefsed; something which seems to be commonplace elsewhere?
The Gemara got the idea from the Heter to call your animal from out of the Techum. That would show us that we aren’t Gozer Gezeros on the animal’s Melachos.
Keep in mind that the animals’s Melachos are a step away. In general you have the Issur of Mechamer by making your animal work. However, on the specific Melachos that the animal is doing it is not as if it became Mechuyav in Mitzvos. This is similar to Mitzvos Derabanan, that are based on Lo Sassur, but aren’t De’oraisa on their own right.
Th only question left is, how can we compare you putting on medicine to the animal walking in to the Techum? For this we must say that although the reason for the Issur of putting medicine is so that you won’t prepare it by grinding, the form of the Issur is not to take medicine. Hence, it is just like the Techum. The animal is the one that is getting medicated — by the person — just as the animal will be re-entering the Techum — through the command of the person.