When buying a horse, the prospective buyer comes with many expectations. The most common is that through a thorough examination, they will be able to isolate the horse that will suffer the navicular syndrome. Even though this is possible, it is not easy. This is due to the fact that the veterinarians have not been able to come up with a single cause for this disease, in fact, they use syndrome instead of disease due to this fact. However, this should not send shivers down your spine, with the proper management program, the condition can be contained and the horse brought back to the level of its previous performance.
As such, your concern should be the techniques to manage the condition. But this cannot be possible unless you are in the position to isolate the syndrome and help the veterinarian to diagnose the disease. Normally, the clinicians resort to clinical tests in addition to radiography as the proper diagnostic procedures. While the radiography or x-ray images can be used to rule out other possible causes of lameness like a heel bruise, sole bruise, and coffin bone crack, it cannot fully diagnose the disease.
Since the condition can result from one of the several pathologies within or close to the navicular bone, the radiographs show changes in the bone upon examination. However, the said changes can be observed and yet the animal does not develop the syndrome. This is why it may not be used as the only examination technique when buying a horse.
The selective nerve block is a common procedure that the vet uses for their clinical tests. They are also interested in the lameness history of the horse. If the lameness is observed on one or both of the front limbs and is gradual, then the horse is most likely to be a victim.
In a suspected case, there are risk factors that can help the vet to build a stronger case in diagnosis. The fast one is the breed of the horse. The thoroughbreds and the quarterhorses are built in such a way that they have a massive body resting on small feet and are thus at highest risk. The onset of the syndrome is also more common at the ages of 7 to 14.
When it comes to treatment and management, Bute is known to reduce the inflammation and the associated pain. The other most common option is to inject the horse with steroids as it helps deal with the pain that originates from either the coffin joint or the navicular bursa.
The horse should also be given more time to rest and a way to increase blood circulation be increased. There are several alternatives to boost blood circulation. The horse can be administered with Isoxsuprine as it dilates the small blood vessels. It reduces blood clotting ability and the pony should be closely monitored for bleeding. The magnetic shoe and the anticoagulant warfarin also serve the same role.
The vet may also go for the corrective shoeing technique in chronic conditions where the shoe is trimmed to conform to started parameters. For the long standing chronic conditions, the vet may resort to drastic measures such as the neurectomy in which the nerve is cut above the fetlock. This means that the horse does not feel the foot and it might stumble a lot. It is not recommended for a very active horse.
As such, your concern should be the techniques to manage the condition. But this cannot be possible unless you are in the position to isolate the syndrome and help the veterinarian to diagnose the disease. Normally, the clinicians resort to clinical tests in addition to radiography as the proper diagnostic procedures. While the radiography or x-ray images can be used to rule out other possible causes of lameness like a heel bruise, sole bruise, and coffin bone crack, it cannot fully diagnose the disease.
Since the condition can result from one of the several pathologies within or close to the navicular bone, the radiographs show changes in the bone upon examination. However, the said changes can be observed and yet the animal does not develop the syndrome. This is why it may not be used as the only examination technique when buying a horse.
The selective nerve block is a common procedure that the vet uses for their clinical tests. They are also interested in the lameness history of the horse. If the lameness is observed on one or both of the front limbs and is gradual, then the horse is most likely to be a victim.
In a suspected case, there are risk factors that can help the vet to build a stronger case in diagnosis. The fast one is the breed of the horse. The thoroughbreds and the quarterhorses are built in such a way that they have a massive body resting on small feet and are thus at highest risk. The onset of the syndrome is also more common at the ages of 7 to 14.
When it comes to treatment and management, Bute is known to reduce the inflammation and the associated pain. The other most common option is to inject the horse with steroids as it helps deal with the pain that originates from either the coffin joint or the navicular bursa.
The horse should also be given more time to rest and a way to increase blood circulation be increased. There are several alternatives to boost blood circulation. The horse can be administered with Isoxsuprine as it dilates the small blood vessels. It reduces blood clotting ability and the pony should be closely monitored for bleeding. The magnetic shoe and the anticoagulant warfarin also serve the same role.
The vet may also go for the corrective shoeing technique in chronic conditions where the shoe is trimmed to conform to started parameters. For the long standing chronic conditions, the vet may resort to drastic measures such as the neurectomy in which the nerve is cut above the fetlock. This means that the horse does not feel the foot and it might stumble a lot. It is not recommended for a very active horse.
About the Author:
Discover useful facts about navicular syndrome in horses by reviewing the posts online. Get access to the articles that relate to this disease at http://www.naviculardisease.com.
No comments:
Post a Comment