samedi 27 avril 2019

Useful And Essential Facts About Navicular Disease In Horses

By Jason Wood


People usually run away from a horse when they hear that it is suffering from navicular syndrome. This mostly used to happen a few years back. However, this idea is gradually changing as years go since people continuously get a better understanding of the condition. Previously, this was not the case as people feared the condition without understanding what it really was. People can now have a clear understanding of the condition due to the availability of better imaging technology. This is worth knowing about Navicular disease in horses.

Ten years ago, any disorder that occurred in the heels of equines was called navicular syndrome. Many misconceptions and myths exist concerning this condition such that it was right back then to be afraid of it. In the modern day, some of the disorders that were known as navicular can be appropriately grouped as not navicula. People now understand well that the conditions that affect the heels of horses are many besides navicula.

It is possible to treat some of these diseases but others are impossible to treat. It has now been understood that certain breeds of horses are more vulnerable to navicular syndrome than others. The level of effect the syndrome causes to the animal also varies depending on the breed. Today, horses live for many years as compared to previous years. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the owner to detect the condition in the animal(s) in good time and find ways of managing it.

The navicular bone is situated in a specific area in the heel of a horse. There are numerous soft tissues that are related to it. The structures are found in every direction, that is, the sides, lower and upper side. Examples of the structures include navicula bursa, digital flexor tendon, coffic bone, impar ligaments and sesamoidean ligament. The navicula bone possesses a middle marrow cavity that has tiny routes for nerves and blood vessels into the bone.

Several different causes have been associated with navicular syndrome. Some major examples include injury an dinflammation of supporting ligaments, problems with the navicula bone, and problems in flexor surface or flexor tendon. These problems occur mostly in horses that are used for performance, otherwise called performance horses. This condition is the main cause of chronic forelimb lameness in equines.

Although many different horses have been diagnosed with this disease, it has also been proved that certain breeds are more susceptible. These breeds include Quarter Horses, warmbloods and Thoroughbreds. These breeds are the most diagnosed. The diagnosis usually takes place between the age of 7 and 14 years.

Horses also get predisposed to the disorder due to conformation abnormalities in hooves, disproportionally small feet, sheared heels, underrun heels, contracted heels, and mismatched hoof angles. Even though both front limbs get infected, the condition usually has different levels of severity in the two limbs. The affects are usually more severe in one limb than the other.

Cure alternatives for navicular syndrome have kept on adding up as the years pass by. Horse owners are no longer restricted to ancient treatment options. Diagnoses are also more accurate, following the invention of improved MRI technology. MRI scanning is the standardized imaging process for this disorder nowadays.




About the Author:



Aucun commentaire:

Enregistrer un commentaire