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.
The diagnosis of the Navicular disease is based on observations and radiographic evidence. The veterinarian usually takes a series of x-rays to back up the observation of the physical appearance of the foot in order to conclude that the horse is sick. This is because there are many other causes of lameness and the doctors would not want to give the wrong medication.
There are various signs that horses with this ailment show. For instance, the horse will show signs of lameness on the front feet. Some of them experience the lameness on both feet with one being stronger than the other but for others it is just one foot. When this happens, the horse will be stumbling during movement. The ailment can be seen on horses of any age but it is mostly common when they are seven to fourteen 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.
One can also identify this illness by using anesthesia. This medicine anesthetizes the foot so that the horse stops feeling any type of pain in that area. If the horse ceases the abnormal actions such as staggering then you will recognize the area with the problem.
The most basic treatment for this disease is through correct shoeing. The horse shoes used should be able to balance the hoofs front to back and also side to side. There are also some drugs that can be used to treat this problem. These drugs usually dilate the blood vessels thus helping to increase the flow of blood in the Navicular area. Many horses that use this treatment respond well to it but the duration of treatment varies.
Another way of treatment can be through exercise. The main cause of the illness is decrease of blood circulation in this area but adequate exercise will help to increase the circulation. The exercise can be done 30-60 minutes every day six times per week. This exercise involves training a horse to bear more weight in the hind legs to reduce the pressure on the front feet.
There are horses that do not respond to any of the treatments above and in this case surgery may be the only solution. The operation involves cutting of suspensory ligament on the navicular area and also neurectomy of the digital posterior nerve.
The diagnosis of the Navicular disease is based on observations and radiographic evidence. The veterinarian usually takes a series of x-rays to back up the observation of the physical appearance of the foot in order to conclude that the horse is sick. This is because there are many other causes of lameness and the doctors would not want to give the wrong medication.
There are various signs that horses with this ailment show. For instance, the horse will show signs of lameness on the front feet. Some of them experience the lameness on both feet with one being stronger than the other but for others it is just one foot. When this happens, the horse will be stumbling during movement. The ailment can be seen on horses of any age but it is mostly common when they are seven to fourteen 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.
One can also identify this illness by using anesthesia. This medicine anesthetizes the foot so that the horse stops feeling any type of pain in that area. If the horse ceases the abnormal actions such as staggering then you will recognize the area with the problem.
The most basic treatment for this disease is through correct shoeing. The horse shoes used should be able to balance the hoofs front to back and also side to side. There are also some drugs that can be used to treat this problem. These drugs usually dilate the blood vessels thus helping to increase the flow of blood in the Navicular area. Many horses that use this treatment respond well to it but the duration of treatment varies.
Another way of treatment can be through exercise. The main cause of the illness is decrease of blood circulation in this area but adequate exercise will help to increase the circulation. The exercise can be done 30-60 minutes every day six times per week. This exercise involves training a horse to bear more weight in the hind legs to reduce the pressure on the front feet.
There are horses that do not respond to any of the treatments above and in this case surgery may be the only solution. The operation involves cutting of suspensory ligament on the navicular area and also neurectomy of the digital posterior nerve.
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