Degeneration of the navicular bone in horses is a common ailment in horses. Officially known as navicular syndrome or caudal heel pain, the degeneration and associated inflammation can cause significant lameness and can become disabling too. However, the syndrome is not terminal and if diagnosed early and treated well, the horse feels better.
For an early diagnosis, a horseman should look out for certain signs and symptoms. The first sign is while walking, a sick horse will tend to rest heavily on its toe instead of the usual heel which is already inflamed and painful. The horseman should also notice if the horse takes longer to stop the stride, which is as a result of the new pressure on the toe.
Another sign to look out for is whether the pony shifts its weight from time to time while standing. If the pony is sick of caudal heel pain, it will continually shift weight in an effort to remove pressure from the heel and relieve the pain. The continuous shifting of weight causes the shoulders to grow lame and the gait to become rough. In addition, the horse will walk demonstrating lameness which gets better only after resting.
At the sight of such symptoms, a horseman should contact a veterinary doctor. They will perform some tests to help in diagnosis of caudal heel pain. There are several tests carried out to determine whether a horse is suffering from the syndrome. A hoof tester, for example, works by applying pressure on the frog area. The pressure causes pain in the inflamed area and the pony flinches.
Another tool for the diagnosis is a local anesthesia. The anesthesia works by severing nerve supply in the affected area and therefore relieving pain. If the pony has a paining heel, it will walk normally until the anesthesia wears off and the lameness comes back. If the syndrome was not responsible for the lameness, then the horse will still be lame even after the anesthesia.
There are several treatment options available for dealing with paining heels in horses. The options range from conservative to aggressive and involve medication, surgery and therapeutic shoeing. Since it is not easy to predict the response to treatment, veterinarians work from conservative methods up to more drastic measures gradually. As these treatments are ongoing, you will notice a positive response from the pony depending on the option that worked best.
Corrective shoeing is used to relieve pressure and pain from the heels. Medications used to treat heel pain include anti-inflammatory and vasodilators. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as phenylubutazone are prescribed to relieve inflammation while vasodilators increase blood circulation to the affected area. Surgery has been the most widely used and involves cutting off the nerve supply on the back of the foot to stop the sensation.
It is hard to say which breeds are most affected but thoroughbreds and warm-bloods seem to have the highest incidence of caudal heel pain. On the other hand, the Arabian breed is rarely affected. Even though the disease does not always spell a desired outcome after infection, diagnosing it early enough and subsequent treatment helps the horse. The pony also gets back to its service fully, if luck is on your side.
For an early diagnosis, a horseman should look out for certain signs and symptoms. The first sign is while walking, a sick horse will tend to rest heavily on its toe instead of the usual heel which is already inflamed and painful. The horseman should also notice if the horse takes longer to stop the stride, which is as a result of the new pressure on the toe.
Another sign to look out for is whether the pony shifts its weight from time to time while standing. If the pony is sick of caudal heel pain, it will continually shift weight in an effort to remove pressure from the heel and relieve the pain. The continuous shifting of weight causes the shoulders to grow lame and the gait to become rough. In addition, the horse will walk demonstrating lameness which gets better only after resting.
At the sight of such symptoms, a horseman should contact a veterinary doctor. They will perform some tests to help in diagnosis of caudal heel pain. There are several tests carried out to determine whether a horse is suffering from the syndrome. A hoof tester, for example, works by applying pressure on the frog area. The pressure causes pain in the inflamed area and the pony flinches.
Another tool for the diagnosis is a local anesthesia. The anesthesia works by severing nerve supply in the affected area and therefore relieving pain. If the pony has a paining heel, it will walk normally until the anesthesia wears off and the lameness comes back. If the syndrome was not responsible for the lameness, then the horse will still be lame even after the anesthesia.
There are several treatment options available for dealing with paining heels in horses. The options range from conservative to aggressive and involve medication, surgery and therapeutic shoeing. Since it is not easy to predict the response to treatment, veterinarians work from conservative methods up to more drastic measures gradually. As these treatments are ongoing, you will notice a positive response from the pony depending on the option that worked best.
Corrective shoeing is used to relieve pressure and pain from the heels. Medications used to treat heel pain include anti-inflammatory and vasodilators. Anti-inflammatory drugs such as phenylubutazone are prescribed to relieve inflammation while vasodilators increase blood circulation to the affected area. Surgery has been the most widely used and involves cutting off the nerve supply on the back of the foot to stop the sensation.
It is hard to say which breeds are most affected but thoroughbreds and warm-bloods seem to have the highest incidence of caudal heel pain. On the other hand, the Arabian breed is rarely affected. Even though the disease does not always spell a desired outcome after infection, diagnosing it early enough and subsequent treatment helps the horse. The pony also gets back to its service fully, if luck is on your side.
No comments:
Post a Comment