Monday, 23 June 2014

An Insight In Navicular Syndrome In Horses

By Ina Hunt


Taking care of your animals in terms of health is an ideal step in order to enhance its lifespan as well as serve its purpose fully. The navicular syndrome in horses is a condition that affects feet and can be very painful to the animal. Proper care and treatment can be of help and restore the previous performance. In this article we look briefly of what the condition entails.

Lameness is the most common sign which shows that the horse is affected. It may result immediately but it most situations it starts mildly before progressing to worse level with time. One can note the pain as the horse tries to keep off pressure from the affected heels. The pony experiences difficulty in making sharp turns, going downhill and navigating on rocky or hard terrain. In instances of farrier visits, the animal has a habit of showing uncooperativeness.

No one precisely knows the causes this condition. Most misconceptions point out to combinations of factors. Most cases occur in those ponies with upright pasterns, heavy bodies and tiny hooves. A number of the affected ones have a history involving front leg impact and increased concussion. A more common trend points to a combination of rise in stress and limitation in oxygen in the heels though the precise cause of inflammation and tissue damage still remains undetermined.

There exist to guarantee on which type of horse gets or not gets to develop the navicular problem though it is more common in the stock type horses. Fairly higher incidences are more common in warm blood breeds and thoroughbreds. The Arabians types get rarely affected. Lameness from this syndrome is mostly diagnosed in the ages between seven and fourteen.

The diagnosis is based mostly on radiographic and clinical signs. Supposing there appear changes in the x rays, it should not be ruled out that the pony is suffering from the disease until the results are matching with the clinical signs. More lollipop like figures shows of how worse the prognosis of the ailment is.

Consulting with a vet and farrier is the initial step in combating the condition. Though there is no cure available, a quick diagnosis will allow treatment farrier, medical or surgery to start much earlier during the progression of ailment. Most horses can be relieved off pain by providing therapeutic shoes and trimming it properly. Anti-inflammatory medication are injected in the heel or given orally to curb pain.

The syndrome is not caused by the feeding practices but since the condition affects the legs, a mount that is overweight will put excess strain to its musculoskeletal structure. With the great relationship on heavy bodied, tiny footed mounts and the navicular syndrome, it is prudent not to let your animal get too fat. Feeding the mount with supplements that have low calories is essential in providing minerals and vitamins. You can exercise it with light drills to keep it in trim condition and avoid heavy exercises as much as possible.

The condition is not terminal and proper care will restore the health back. One should seek medical attention as soon as possible whenever the symptoms start showing. Necessary precautions such as avoiding overloading your pony in rough terrains, ensuring you fit it with horse shoes and keeping it physically fit in relation to its hooves will be a productive step.




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