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Monday 18 August 2014

Management Of The Navicular Syndrome


By Dora Reed


This is commonly a horse illness and it affects their front feet. It is also called the navicular disease. The effects of this disease are usually seen as the horse moves. This syndrome is a serious menace to horses as it renders them useless. Navicular syndrome affects area such as the tissue and bones in the feet of the horse. The tissue includes the ligaments and the tendons. In serious cases it makes the horse lame.

There is no single clear cut cause associated with this condition. Never the less a couple of causes are attributed to it. Compression is one of these causes. It causes deformation of the tissue connecting the bones in the feet. Eventually there is deformation of cartilage. This is followed by erosion of cartilage hence pain in the feet.

Tension is also another known cause for this terrible syndrome. The tensile forces experienced in the feet cause the ligaments to strain. The ligaments attempt to deal with the excessive strain by thickening so as to be stronger. This thickening in turn raptures the blood flow system in the foot. With this reduced blood supply the feet start to deform and causing movement issues.

Another contributing factor is the weight of a horse in comparison to the foot size. The animals at risk are those with small feet as compared to their heavy bodies. Shoeing of the horse can also be a contributing factor. Only proper shoes and with the correct size should be used. Anything out of that can cause deformation. Improper trimming of horses can cause this disease too.

This disease exhibits a number of signs and symptoms. These horses experience pain in their heels as they run or move around. They will also show lameness tendencies or struggle to move. This begins slightly and worsens with time if not treated. Some affected horses are seen trying to tiptoe due to the pain in the heels.

So far no one treatment can be used to cure this disease. However a good number of effective treatments can be used. Trimming is advised for affected animals. A well-trimmed and shaped hoof can be all it takes to set the horse free. With proper trimming, the tension is eased and hence the disease is managed. This is a very effective yet highly affordable remedy.

It is very important that the beast gets plenty of exercise. A schedule should be drawn for exercising the animal. Care should be taken to keep the exercise light to prevent further damage to the mount. The use of an instrument called the corrective shoe is also a good remedy. These shoes remodel the affected foot and give them a proper shape. Also to improve blood movement, it is recommended that the horses go without shoes for a while.

Use of medications such as the vasodilator and the anticoagulants has also proved quite helpful. Vasodilators increase blood flow to the surface of feet hence reducing the disease. Anticoagulants on the other hand prevent blood coagulation throughout the legs. This prevents high pressure and deformation in the legs. Finally, for critical case scenarios surgical remedies are offered. This is highly consequential though.




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