Navicular syndrome is known to be a problem of soundness in horses that can be cured if early diagnosis and treatment is done. It is a disease that affects the bones causing inflammation and degeneration to it and the surrounding tissues usually on the front feet. In advanced cases, it can lead to significant and even disabling lameness. Navicular pain in horses is thus a common condition in horses that can be controlled.
The disease can be detected by looking at both the clinical and radiographic signs. In simple terms, the practitioner can look at the x-rays of the hoof region as well as by directly looking for outright signs during a physical examination. There are several causes of this pain making the x-rays the surest way to diagnose the syndrome.
Some of the signs of this syndrome include; the horse will tend to bring the legs partly forward in order to land on the toe as opposed to the heel causing limping, the horse will give a painful response when hoof testers are applied across the middle third of the frog and presence of long toes and under slung toes that often leads to this disease than any other.
Horses thought to suffer from the condition will be lame on both front legs but will seem lame o one leg when examinations are first carried out. This phenomenon occurs as soon as there is nerve blockage in one leg and the horse limps on the opposite leg to ease the pain. This is the most important indication that the horse may be having the disease.
Correct and not corrective shoeing should form the basis for treatment for this syndrome. People who own horses should know the principle of balancing hooves front to back and side to side. In addition, the back of their hoof is supposed to be parallel to their pastern while fore hoof should align parallel to their pastern line.
The most common problem seen with horses suffering from this condition is long toes and under run heels which can be controlled by trimming the long toe away. Correcting the heel is a difficult problem as the shoe has to be extended backward from the heel to the place where it should have been if the heel was not worn out.
Treatment using drug therapy should also be considered as the second step. The most successful drug used on the condition being lsoxsuprine which dilates blood vessels. This expects that it will increase blood circulation to navicular bone. Reports have indicated that approximately 80% of horses diagnosed with the disease will respond to it.
The most effective way of increasing blood circulation to the foot is through exercising which is another form of treatment. The horse should be taught how to shift more weight to its hind legs. Trainers use the long and low method to make sure that this animal learns this. Pain is eventually done away with as soon as the horse becomes more proficient with the weight shifting.
The disease can be detected by looking at both the clinical and radiographic signs. In simple terms, the practitioner can look at the x-rays of the hoof region as well as by directly looking for outright signs during a physical examination. There are several causes of this pain making the x-rays the surest way to diagnose the syndrome.
Some of the signs of this syndrome include; the horse will tend to bring the legs partly forward in order to land on the toe as opposed to the heel causing limping, the horse will give a painful response when hoof testers are applied across the middle third of the frog and presence of long toes and under slung toes that often leads to this disease than any other.
Horses thought to suffer from the condition will be lame on both front legs but will seem lame o one leg when examinations are first carried out. This phenomenon occurs as soon as there is nerve blockage in one leg and the horse limps on the opposite leg to ease the pain. This is the most important indication that the horse may be having the disease.
Correct and not corrective shoeing should form the basis for treatment for this syndrome. People who own horses should know the principle of balancing hooves front to back and side to side. In addition, the back of their hoof is supposed to be parallel to their pastern while fore hoof should align parallel to their pastern line.
The most common problem seen with horses suffering from this condition is long toes and under run heels which can be controlled by trimming the long toe away. Correcting the heel is a difficult problem as the shoe has to be extended backward from the heel to the place where it should have been if the heel was not worn out.
Treatment using drug therapy should also be considered as the second step. The most successful drug used on the condition being lsoxsuprine which dilates blood vessels. This expects that it will increase blood circulation to navicular bone. Reports have indicated that approximately 80% of horses diagnosed with the disease will respond to it.
The most effective way of increasing blood circulation to the foot is through exercising which is another form of treatment. The horse should be taught how to shift more weight to its hind legs. Trainers use the long and low method to make sure that this animal learns this. Pain is eventually done away with as soon as the horse becomes more proficient with the weight shifting.
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