This disease leads to inflammation of the navicular bone and the adjacent tissues and is mostly concentrated on the front feet. The cartilage becomes less shock absorbing, less bouncy and wears out gradually due to continuous application of compression to the bone. Navicular syndrome in horses is known to cause pain in the hoof as well as be a cause of horse lameness in both front feet.
When walking, the affected horse places its weight on the toe to avoid creating pressure on the heel area which contains the flamed bone. While doing this, a longer time is taken to stop a stride than is ought to and when standing the horse tends to shift weights often. This in turn relieves pain thus pressure from the area in question.
The methods of diagnosis of this disease are mainly radiographic and clinical signs. An expert usually performs a physical examination on the animal and also looks at the x-ray images as part of treatment procedures. Most animals show some or all the signs which provide the veterinarian with all the necessary details for treatment.
When looking at the sick animal, the veterinarian will observe that when foot testers are applied, it responds with pain. This is a correspondence to the application of pressure directly to their navicular bone. On the most affected side of the leg, the hoof tends to be smaller than the other opposite front legs hoof which is as a result of bearing more weight to the foot for some time.
The level of performance and the normalcy of animals activities can get back to expected levels if proper care and treatment is given to this animal as the disease is not terminal. When human track athlete has bad feet, that does not mean that they will never run again. It only means that they have to be well aware of this condition and take good care of their feet. This situation can be comparable to this condition in horses.
When first observed, most of these animals show signs of infection on only one leg but are actually lame of both front feet. The nerves of that leg will block after some time and cause the horse to limp on the other leg. This behaviour of animals limping on one leg should alert the veterinarian that it is suffering from navicular syndrome.
The treatment of this disease should focus on correct shoeing and not corrective shoeing as most animals have long and under run shores which is the main cause of this condition. The importance of the owner practicing the crucial theory of hoof balancing from front to back and from side to side should not be ignored. Basically, the hoof from the front ought to be parallel to the pastern line and so is the back of the shoe too.
The other treatment is the use of drug therapy with the most successful drug being the lsoxsuprine. This drug dilates the blood vessels and is presumed to increase circulation of blood to the affected bone. Exercise can also act as a way of enhancing blood circulation.
When walking, the affected horse places its weight on the toe to avoid creating pressure on the heel area which contains the flamed bone. While doing this, a longer time is taken to stop a stride than is ought to and when standing the horse tends to shift weights often. This in turn relieves pain thus pressure from the area in question.
The methods of diagnosis of this disease are mainly radiographic and clinical signs. An expert usually performs a physical examination on the animal and also looks at the x-ray images as part of treatment procedures. Most animals show some or all the signs which provide the veterinarian with all the necessary details for treatment.
When looking at the sick animal, the veterinarian will observe that when foot testers are applied, it responds with pain. This is a correspondence to the application of pressure directly to their navicular bone. On the most affected side of the leg, the hoof tends to be smaller than the other opposite front legs hoof which is as a result of bearing more weight to the foot for some time.
The level of performance and the normalcy of animals activities can get back to expected levels if proper care and treatment is given to this animal as the disease is not terminal. When human track athlete has bad feet, that does not mean that they will never run again. It only means that they have to be well aware of this condition and take good care of their feet. This situation can be comparable to this condition in horses.
When first observed, most of these animals show signs of infection on only one leg but are actually lame of both front feet. The nerves of that leg will block after some time and cause the horse to limp on the other leg. This behaviour of animals limping on one leg should alert the veterinarian that it is suffering from navicular syndrome.
The treatment of this disease should focus on correct shoeing and not corrective shoeing as most animals have long and under run shores which is the main cause of this condition. The importance of the owner practicing the crucial theory of hoof balancing from front to back and from side to side should not be ignored. Basically, the hoof from the front ought to be parallel to the pastern line and so is the back of the shoe too.
The other treatment is the use of drug therapy with the most successful drug being the lsoxsuprine. This drug dilates the blood vessels and is presumed to increase circulation of blood to the affected bone. Exercise can also act as a way of enhancing blood circulation.
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