Friday, August 22, 2014

How To Manage 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.

No particular cause so far has been marked for the cause of this condition. However a number of probable causes have been put forth. One of the causes is compression that occurs to the navicular bone. This compression leads to degeneration of tendons and ligaments around the area. The cartilage deforms too and eventually erodes.

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.

The weight of the horse is another factor to consider. This is so especially for animals with small feet. The excessive weight increases the burden for the small feet. And this increased burden creates conditions for hoof deformation. Horse shoeing is also a critical decision as the wrong shoes could cause the syndrome. Trimming should also be done with extreme care because it too can cause the disease.

The signs of this condition include pain in the feet. This is due to the degeneration that occurs at these feet. To overcome this pain, these horses adopt to a tiptoe kind of movement. As the disease develops these animals become lame and are unable to move. The lameness is mild at first but if it is not treated in time, it gets worse.

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 vasodilators is also advised. These instruments help in widening blood vessels and hence proper blood movement. Anticoagulants are also crucial in enabling healthy blood flow in the body of a horse especially the legs. These are all very helpful medications for the disease. Eventually in acute cases of the illness, it is advised that one seeks surgical solutions. This is considered as a last option due to the side effects involved.




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