The Navicular area is the region on the front feet near the hooves of the horses. Navicular disease in horses is not a terminal illness. It can actually be compared to an athlete who has bad feet. The bad feet do not mean that the athlete cannot run ever again. It can be cured helping them to get back to their normal level of performance. This disease can also be cured. This article looks at some facts about this ailment including the causes and treatment.
In order to detect if a horse has this illness, the vet usually uses radiographic evidence and also the physical observations. A series of x-ray tests are usually done to prove that the physical signs are not caused by any other cause of lameness. This will help the veterinarian to avoid issuing the wrong medications.
A horse that suffers from this illness shows various signs. Some of them include signs of front leg lameness. For some it is shown on one leg while on others it is usually both feet. One leg may show signs of being worse than the other. These horses may be seen stumbling when this happens. It can happen to a horse of any age but it is most common on those between the ages of 7 and 14 years.
There are several tests that can be done physically on the horse to know if they suffer from this ailment. First, you can observe the behavior of the animal when landing. If it brings the front feet forward slightly so that the weight is more on the toe and not on their heel then it may have the illness. Hoof testers can be used to test the response to pain. You can also observe the size of the hooves as the sick one will be smaller because they must have been relieved from pressure for a while.
The test that will most definitely distinguish this ailment is the rough the use of nerve blocks. In this case, anesthesia that is similar to the one used by dentists is applied on the affected foot. This will numb the foot and stop the pain thus the horse will be seen moving normally again. This is because the lameness of foot will reduce and the horses will stop limping.
Correct shoeing is the simplest way of treating this ailment. The shoes used must be able to balance the hoofs well from back to front and also sideways. The ailment can also be treated with the use of drugs that dilate the blood vessels making the flow of blood to increase around the navicular area. Most horses respond well to this treatment but in varied periods of time.
The ailment can also be treated through some exercise routines that will help to increase the flow of blood in the affected areas. The exercise should be done at least six days a week for thirty to sixty minutes. The main need of the exercise is to train the horse to balance the amount of pressure applied on the front and hind legs.
There are however some horses that find it hard to respond to the treatments mentioned above. In this case, a surgical procedure is usually carried out to cut the suspended ligaments in the affected area. It also carries out neurectomy on the posterior digital nerve.
In order to detect if a horse has this illness, the vet usually uses radiographic evidence and also the physical observations. A series of x-ray tests are usually done to prove that the physical signs are not caused by any other cause of lameness. This will help the veterinarian to avoid issuing the wrong medications.
A horse that suffers from this illness shows various signs. Some of them include signs of front leg lameness. For some it is shown on one leg while on others it is usually both feet. One leg may show signs of being worse than the other. These horses may be seen stumbling when this happens. It can happen to a horse of any age but it is most common on those between the ages of 7 and 14 years.
There are several tests that can be done physically on the horse to know if they suffer from this ailment. First, you can observe the behavior of the animal when landing. If it brings the front feet forward slightly so that the weight is more on the toe and not on their heel then it may have the illness. Hoof testers can be used to test the response to pain. You can also observe the size of the hooves as the sick one will be smaller because they must have been relieved from pressure for a while.
The test that will most definitely distinguish this ailment is the rough the use of nerve blocks. In this case, anesthesia that is similar to the one used by dentists is applied on the affected foot. This will numb the foot and stop the pain thus the horse will be seen moving normally again. This is because the lameness of foot will reduce and the horses will stop limping.
Correct shoeing is the simplest way of treating this ailment. The shoes used must be able to balance the hoofs well from back to front and also sideways. The ailment can also be treated with the use of drugs that dilate the blood vessels making the flow of blood to increase around the navicular area. Most horses respond well to this treatment but in varied periods of time.
The ailment can also be treated through some exercise routines that will help to increase the flow of blood in the affected areas. The exercise should be done at least six days a week for thirty to sixty minutes. The main need of the exercise is to train the horse to balance the amount of pressure applied on the front and hind legs.
There are however some horses that find it hard to respond to the treatments mentioned above. In this case, a surgical procedure is usually carried out to cut the suspended ligaments in the affected area. It also carries out neurectomy on the posterior digital nerve.
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