Navicular Disease In Horses: Diagnosis And Management Techniques
Whenever a horse is labeled as suffering from the 'navicular', there is a tendency of people to shy away from him, making it look like he was suffering from some deadly malady like the Typhoid Mary or other similar diseases. Many people are in the dark when it comes to treating or even visualizing the navicular disease in horses. This is a condition that the feet that normally results in lameness and is most likely to appear as the lameness in one of the forelimbs.
Unknown to many horse owners, a horse with the said condition can easily be brought back its former perforce level, all that is needed is proper management by someone who fully understand what it take to manage the condition. In order to understand the situation better, compare the horse with an athlete that has been diagnosed with bad feet, the athlete can go back to its former level of performance as long as it is well managed; the same goes for the horse.
The most common sign the vet will normally notice is a history of the front leg lameness which can be gradual. At times, the lameness can be observed on both front feet. The other sign is a history stumbling and developing a choppy gait that appears to be uncomfortable. The condition is also more common with the thoroghbreds and the quarterhorses than other breeds as they are larger in size and rests on small feet. The onset of signs is also common at the age of 7 to 14 although it can occur at any age.
When it comes to clinical diagnosis, the vet normally looks for the signs such as a long history of lameness, particularly in the front leg. This is normally gradual and not just a sudden occurrence. In some cases, the horse appears to limb on one leg but with a proper examination, the two front legs are both affected.
However, the injection with the steroids is resorted to when the pain is suspected to be originating from the coffin joint or the navicular bursa. The steroids do not cure the underlying pathology issues and is therefore not a cure.
However, the best option to differentiate the possible causes of foot lameness is the selective nerve blocks, although it is still associated with a few limitations. As such, most experienced veterinarians usually use a combination of radiographs and the nerve blocks techniques.
The other alternative is to inject the horse with steroids. This is the common solution in the situation where the vet suspects that the pain is originating from the navicular bursa or the coffin joint. However, the steroid is not a solution as it does nothing to cure the underlying pathology issues. The other possible solutions include the use of corrective shoeing and the neurectomy.
However, the steroids are used particularly when it is suspected that the origin of the pain is from the coffin joint or the navicular bursa. This is far from the cure as it only reduces inflammation but does not cure the underlying pathology problems. The other treatment includes administration of isoxcuprine hydrochloride, use of an anticoagulant, corrective shoeing techniques and neurectomy for chronic cases.
Unknown to many horse owners, a horse with the said condition can easily be brought back its former perforce level, all that is needed is proper management by someone who fully understand what it take to manage the condition. In order to understand the situation better, compare the horse with an athlete that has been diagnosed with bad feet, the athlete can go back to its former level of performance as long as it is well managed; the same goes for the horse.
The most common sign the vet will normally notice is a history of the front leg lameness which can be gradual. At times, the lameness can be observed on both front feet. The other sign is a history stumbling and developing a choppy gait that appears to be uncomfortable. The condition is also more common with the thoroghbreds and the quarterhorses than other breeds as they are larger in size and rests on small feet. The onset of signs is also common at the age of 7 to 14 although it can occur at any age.
When it comes to clinical diagnosis, the vet normally looks for the signs such as a long history of lameness, particularly in the front leg. This is normally gradual and not just a sudden occurrence. In some cases, the horse appears to limb on one leg but with a proper examination, the two front legs are both affected.
However, the injection with the steroids is resorted to when the pain is suspected to be originating from the coffin joint or the navicular bursa. The steroids do not cure the underlying pathology issues and is therefore not a cure.
However, the best option to differentiate the possible causes of foot lameness is the selective nerve blocks, although it is still associated with a few limitations. As such, most experienced veterinarians usually use a combination of radiographs and the nerve blocks techniques.
The other alternative is to inject the horse with steroids. This is the common solution in the situation where the vet suspects that the pain is originating from the navicular bursa or the coffin joint. However, the steroid is not a solution as it does nothing to cure the underlying pathology issues. The other possible solutions include the use of corrective shoeing and the neurectomy.
However, the steroids are used particularly when it is suspected that the origin of the pain is from the coffin joint or the navicular bursa. This is far from the cure as it only reduces inflammation but does not cure the underlying pathology problems. The other treatment includes administration of isoxcuprine hydrochloride, use of an anticoagulant, corrective shoeing techniques and neurectomy for chronic cases.
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