As a horse buyer, it is recommended that you have the horse examined by a veterinarian before you pay for it. There are several conditions the vets will be looking for, one of which is the navicular syndrome. Unknown to many, the disease is not terminal and if well managed, the horse can be able to perform as well as it used to before the lameness. Generally, the veterinarians are not able to pin down a single cause for this disease, and prefer to use "syndrome" to denote this fact. Just as the cause is difficult to determine, so is the diagnosis and treatment.
It is thus more relevant to be concerned with the right management techniques for the condition. However, it is not possible to manage what you cannot diagnose. The veterinarians use several clinical techniques, as well as radiography to properly diagnose the condition. The radiography involves observing changes on the navicular bones of the front limbs and is done to isolate any other possible causes of lameness like a crack on the coffin bone, a simple heel bruise, or a sole bruise.
The radiography alone cannot give a conclusive diagnosis given that some horses have changes on their navicular bones, even if they are free of the diseases. When examining horses for sale, it has been observed that up to one third may have these changes even though most of them never develop the condition in their lifetime.
The clinical diagnosis involves several types of tests, including the selective nerve block test which is very common. In addition to this, the vet looks if there has been a history of lameness on the front limbs. If it is a gradual lameness, then it is a tale tells sign.
There are several tests that will be done to observe these. However, some breeds are at higher risk than others. The most affect breeds are the quarterhorses and the thoroughbreds. Age factor can only help in diagnosis as the disease onset is more likely to be at the age 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 vets also recommend boosting blood circulation to the affected region. There are ways to achieve this. The common ones are the use of the magnetic shoe, the use of anticoagulant warfarin and administration of Isoxsuprine. In case of Isoxsuprine, the horse should be closely monitored to avoid over-bleeding as the drug reduces the blood clotting ability.
In addition to these, the vets may consider the corrective shoeing mainly when the situation is chronic. In this case, the shoe is trimmed as necessary. The neurectomy involves cutting the nerve above the fetlock to stop the horse from feeling the pain from the foot. It is not recommended for an active horse as the horse tend to stumble more.
It is thus more relevant to be concerned with the right management techniques for the condition. However, it is not possible to manage what you cannot diagnose. The veterinarians use several clinical techniques, as well as radiography to properly diagnose the condition. The radiography involves observing changes on the navicular bones of the front limbs and is done to isolate any other possible causes of lameness like a crack on the coffin bone, a simple heel bruise, or a sole bruise.
The radiography alone cannot give a conclusive diagnosis given that some horses have changes on their navicular bones, even if they are free of the diseases. When examining horses for sale, it has been observed that up to one third may have these changes even though most of them never develop the condition in their lifetime.
The clinical diagnosis involves several types of tests, including the selective nerve block test which is very common. In addition to this, the vet looks if there has been a history of lameness on the front limbs. If it is a gradual lameness, then it is a tale tells sign.
There are several tests that will be done to observe these. However, some breeds are at higher risk than others. The most affect breeds are the quarterhorses and the thoroughbreds. Age factor can only help in diagnosis as the disease onset is more likely to be at the age 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 vets also recommend boosting blood circulation to the affected region. There are ways to achieve this. The common ones are the use of the magnetic shoe, the use of anticoagulant warfarin and administration of Isoxsuprine. In case of Isoxsuprine, the horse should be closely monitored to avoid over-bleeding as the drug reduces the blood clotting ability.
In addition to these, the vets may consider the corrective shoeing mainly when the situation is chronic. In this case, the shoe is trimmed as necessary. The neurectomy involves cutting the nerve above the fetlock to stop the horse from feeling the pain from the foot. It is not recommended for an active horse as the horse tend to stumble more.
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