The navicular region denotes an area on the anterior feet of horses near the hoof. Navicular disease in horses may not be categorized as a deadly illness. It simply is like a bad leg in humans. The situation does not normally mean that an individual will never walk ever again. The illness can be cured helping the individual to feel well again. This article studies some material on navicular illnesses and different methods of treatment.
The diagnosis of the Navicular disease is based on observations and radiographic evidence. The veterinarian usually takes a series of x-rays to back up the observation of the physical appearance of the foot in order to conclude that the horse is sick. This is because there are many other causes of lameness and the doctors would not want to give the wrong medication.
There are various signs that horses with this ailment show. For instance, the horse will show signs of lameness on the front feet. Some of them experience the lameness on both feet with one being stronger than the other but for others it is just one foot. When this happens, the horse will be stumbling during movement. The ailment can be seen on horses of any age but it is mostly common when they are seven to fourteen years.
There are numerous tests that may be carried out tangibly on the horse so as to detect this ailment. You can first observe the actions of the horse when settling down. If it takes the front feet frontward a little to put more weight on toes and not the heels then it might have the ailment. Hoof testers may be used to assess its reaction to pain. You may also observe the magnitude of the hooves for the sick one is likely to be smaller since they could have been dismissed from weight for a while.
One can also detect this disease with the use of anesthesia. This medicine numbs the foot such that the horse will stop feeling any kind of pain. If the horses stops the abnormal behavior like limping then you will know that the problem is definitely in that area.
The most basic treatment for this disease is through correct shoeing. The horse shoes used should be able to balance the hoofs front to back and also side to side. There are also some drugs that can be used to treat this problem. These drugs usually dilate the blood vessels thus helping to increase the flow of blood in the Navicular area. Many horses that use this treatment respond well to it but the duration of treatment varies.
Another way of treatment can be through exercise. The main cause of the illness is decrease of blood circulation in this area but adequate exercise will help to increase the circulation. The exercise can be done 30-60 minutes every day six times per week. This exercise involves training a horse to bear more weight in the hind legs to reduce the pressure on the front feet.
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.
The diagnosis of the Navicular disease is based on observations and radiographic evidence. The veterinarian usually takes a series of x-rays to back up the observation of the physical appearance of the foot in order to conclude that the horse is sick. This is because there are many other causes of lameness and the doctors would not want to give the wrong medication.
There are various signs that horses with this ailment show. For instance, the horse will show signs of lameness on the front feet. Some of them experience the lameness on both feet with one being stronger than the other but for others it is just one foot. When this happens, the horse will be stumbling during movement. The ailment can be seen on horses of any age but it is mostly common when they are seven to fourteen years.
There are numerous tests that may be carried out tangibly on the horse so as to detect this ailment. You can first observe the actions of the horse when settling down. If it takes the front feet frontward a little to put more weight on toes and not the heels then it might have the ailment. Hoof testers may be used to assess its reaction to pain. You may also observe the magnitude of the hooves for the sick one is likely to be smaller since they could have been dismissed from weight for a while.
One can also detect this disease with the use of anesthesia. This medicine numbs the foot such that the horse will stop feeling any kind of pain. If the horses stops the abnormal behavior like limping then you will know that the problem is definitely in that area.
The most basic treatment for this disease is through correct shoeing. The horse shoes used should be able to balance the hoofs front to back and also side to side. There are also some drugs that can be used to treat this problem. These drugs usually dilate the blood vessels thus helping to increase the flow of blood in the Navicular area. Many horses that use this treatment respond well to it but the duration of treatment varies.
Another way of treatment can be through exercise. The main cause of the illness is decrease of blood circulation in this area but adequate exercise will help to increase the circulation. The exercise can be done 30-60 minutes every day six times per week. This exercise involves training a horse to bear more weight in the hind legs to reduce the pressure on the front feet.
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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