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Understanding The Navicular Disease In Horses

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By Annabelle Holman


The navicular region refers to an area around the front feet of a horse near the hooves. Navicular disease in horses cannot be classified as a deadly ailment. It is just like a bad foot in human beings. The condition does not usually mean that a person will never walk again. The condition can be treated helping the person to feel normal again. This article explores some information about navicular ailments and how they can be treated.

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 various physical tests that can be done by anyone to detect if their horse suffers from this disease. First, when landing, the horse will try to bring the foot only slightly forward so that it rests more on the toe then the heel. Hoof testers can also be applied and the horse will respond to pain. The affected foot usually has smaller hoofs than the opposite one because it has been bearing less 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.

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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