Useful Information On Navicular Pain

By Freida Michael


Navicular is known to be a disease in horses that can be managed if the diagnosis and treatment are done in good time. It mainly affects the front feet where the navicular bone and its surrounding tissues become inflamed and degraded. The most severe cases are characterized by significant lameness in the animal. Navicular pain should not cause unnecessary alarm as it can be controlled using various ways.

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.

The foundation for treating any horse that shows the corresponding signs is correct shoeing. Owners of these horses out to follow the essential rules of balancing their hooves which is usually from the front to the back and then side to side. The front hoof should be parallel to the line of their pastern and the back of the hoof should be parallel to their pastern.

Trimming of their long toes is done to curb the problem of under slung heels which happens to be the most common problem for these horses. Correcting the heel can be another difficult solution that involves extending the shoe backward from the heel to the location where it ought to have been if the heel was not under run.

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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