Study: My Understanding of
- February 5, 2020
Over the years, pains that have been associated with the heel region due to damage, especially to the navicular bone has been referred to have the navicular disease and mostly occur in horses. The navicular is usually a syndrome of abnormality. Usually this is a diagnostic of the heel pain, thanks to the advanced technology as now it is being termed as the navicular diseases. This is due to changes in the navicular bone structure that is typically identified through MRI scanning. It has been determined that the navicular disease will typically affect the front hooves, and this brings about one foot is worse than the other. This will definitely make the horse front leg to appear as though it is lame. One way that you can determine the disease is that the horse will tend to land with the toe of the hoof first before the heel.
You will be advised that whenever the horse is working hard, the disease tends to worsen while in rest mood, the horse will tend to heal. If you immediately realize that your horse is suffering from the navicular illness, it would be suitable that you call a vet fast. The experts can try to carry out a flexion as well as nerve block on the affected areas so that you see if the lameness can be reduced accordingly. The final step is having an X-ray or an MRI scan that the expert will see if there is a cyst. You find that the clinical examination, as well as the radiographs, will ensure that you get enough data for the diagnosis strategies as this is essential for your everyday needs.
Navicular disease is not actually a disease as there is no particular cause of the condition in this case. The inflammation mostly or the overall injury on the supporting tissue is the one that causes lameness, and this can result in issues. Most competition horses will suffer from this problem; experts will tell you that it is mostly due to stress that results in the degeneration of the navicular bone. Other causes can include the breed. The condition may be prevalent on all the horses, but the thoroughbred and warmbloods will have a significant impact.
Another cause may be age. Horses that will be affected by the navicular disease will most likely be from 7-14 years accordingly to researches. Another contributing factor is conformation. Having underrun heels, sheared heels as well having mismatched hoof angles would be a significant factor that can help you in determining the hoof angles as this has been seen to have a significant impact on the navicular bone.
The treatment of the navicular disease usually is varied, just like the possible causes. There is a need to ensure that you try a number of reasons so that you see exactly how your horse will respond as it depends on the chronic condition. Ensure that you choose to manage the condition rather than curing it, and you are assured of full success through this as it is essential for you. You need to ensure that you remove the shoes so that you can increase the blood flow, and this way, you can be able to enjoy an easy time. Be sure that you liaise with your vet so that you can be advised on further how you can be able to handle the situation effectively.
