mercredi 28 janvier 2015

The Signs Of Navicular Syndrome In Horses

By Janine Hughes


It is a serious ailment affecting horses in their limbs where the navicular bone is found. Navicular syndrome in horses comes about due to the abrasion and much friction in the bones and tendons as the bursa raptures. It is triggered by pressure and tension in the feet. It requires early detection and prompts attention and points discussed below can help identify the ailment as it appears.

Limbs in horses are of much importance and anything that alters their function causes feebleness or inefficiency in performance of the animals. At first, it can only be a very mild version of it, but with time as the pain increases it leads to complete lameness. Any signs of reduced activity in a horse should be considered as a symptom of the syndrome.

Movements of the horse experiencing the critical condition is totally difficult. This is due to the pain that is caused by the tension and much pressure and compression in the bone. Any attempt by the horse to reduce pressure causes unsteady and funny movements. Speculation of the disease should also be followed by checking out on how the animal moves.

Trying to reduce the pressure on the affected limb requires the horse to rise in slightly and concentrate the pressure on the normal limb. This is only achieved by maintaining the ailing hoof in a pointed position such that minimum pressure is applied on it. Pointed positioning of limbs by the horses should be considered as an indicator of the condition.

Normal walking styles of a horse is a flat-footed style which ensures pressure is evenly distributed in the limb as the animal walks. In this condition, the animal experiences much pain due to even distribution of pressure which increases abrasion. The horse adopts a toe-first walking style to minimize the pressure. Such a sign is an indicator of the condition.

Never is it easy for victims with the syndrome to navigate. Example taking sharp corners or moving on a rocky surrounding. All this is due to the much pressure created due to these actions. That pressure tends to increase the pain of the horse and therefore poor navigation comes in as a handy signal of the disease.

When trimming and shoeing the horse, the attendant has to rise the feet of the horse where it has to support itself with the limb affected by the syndrome. Pressure gets concentrated on the foot due to supporting the weight of the animal. This is a cause of pain and the horse responds by being uncooperative to the exercise. This indicates the possibility of the problem in the horse.

Identification of more than one of these signs or several of them should be diagnosed to establish whether it is affected by navicular disease. It is a serious problem and if not catered for may lead to total lameness of the horse. It can also be a cause of making them retire from their work earlier. When diagnosed, the appropriate care and treatment should be undertaken.




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