Vital Details Navicular Disease Treatment

By Raymond White


This is a type of syndrome that mostly affects horses whereby the front foot bone and the tissues surrounding it becomes inflammated and degenerated. Severe navicular syndrome leads to lameness and the horse or the affected animal is unable to walk. There is no known cause of this syndrome however, there are different theories and some major causes of this disease. This editorial expounds further on navicular disease treatment.

The major factor known to cause the syndrome is compression. This occurs as a result of the navicular bone being compressed where the tendon as well as the back of the pastern bone are trodden. Continuous compression of the bone results into the cartilage levelling and becoming less springy and less shock absorbing. This in turn causes cartilage deterioration.

Experts advise horse owners who may choose to use the shoeing method to treat the syndrome to use a shoe that is intended to lift as well as support the heels. This is attained through using a flat shoe and trimming solely. People are often using bar type shoes which makes their toes look rolled. Animals with long toes and low heels need careful trimming so as to counter this.

Consequently, as the compression persists the bone that is under the cartilage increases its density on the flexor tissue. The effect of this leads to bone becoming brittle and easy to break. Inflammation of bone may also occur even if the cartilage is not severely damaged. This happens as a result of the friction between the tendon and bone due to compression as well.

The horses hooves keeps expanding and contracting so as to allow easy blood flow to the lower extremities. Therefore, when a shoe that is inflexible is fitted improperly onto the hoof, the blood flow is inhibited and the hoof is unable to work as intended. However, this is not to mean that the disease solely occurs due to the modern way of doing things as records show navicular degeneration even in the fossil record of early horses.

It goes without saying that even with the numerous ways of curing recommended by experts medicines must be included in the treatment. The horses are given vasodilators during the early phase of the syndrome so as improve the blood flow. Anticolugants are also used however for this, general intensive care is required thus tend to be unsuitable in most cases.

Another major cause that was mentioned before is extoses. This is basically excess tension on bone ligaments. This leads to the ligaments attaching themselves to the bone consequently forming a canoe shape. The tension increases and the ligaments are unable to hold up together therefore tearing. Henceforth, with the ligaments tearing the navicular bone is exposed and the disease slowly starts to form.

Experts that have over the years researched on this syndrome, have found a correlation between the toe fast landing walking technique on horses and the syndrome itself. Thus, they have concluded that the walking technique may actually be the leading cause of the syndrome. This technique results into tendon inflammation and bone alterations.




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