Navicular syndrome is possibly the most common cause of font limb lameness in horses today. This lameness is caused by navicular pain and it usually limits the performance of the affected horse. The main cause of this syndrome is hard to prove because it is not easy to pinpoint the source of this pain. In the past years, the cases of true navicular illness have reduced but most veterinarians categorize this as every pain in the front limbs.
The navicular region is an area around the hooves of their anterior limbs. This area may sometimes be affected by an infection that causes irritation and therefore lameness which reduces their performance. This is however not a terminal illness and cannot disable a horse completely. It is just a syndrome that can easily be prevented or treated.
There are various other reasons why horses may be lame hence there are some specific tests that help to determine if navicular syndrome is responsible for the pain. There are some physical tests that must be done in addition to the radiographic ones so that the illness is not mistaken for another.
There are various major signs that can help to tell if a horse is lame. For instance, they land in an unusual way because they want to put more weight on the back feet than the front ones. Other physical tests that can be used include the use of hoof testers. These are things that will help to show how they reacts to this painful experience. They can also check the size of their hooves because the ones with the illness have smaller front hooves since they try as hard as possible to reduce the pressure exerted on them.
Another physical test usually used by many people to detect this particular pain is the use of anesthesia. This medicine is usually injected in the front limbs so that the feet become numb and they cannot feel any irritation in that area. If the abnormal behavior noticed on the horse before stops, it will be clear that this infliction is the main cause.
After diagnosing this illness, there are various measures that must be taken immediately. The first and the most logical thing to do is to correct their shoeing. The shoe should be able to balance all sides of the hooves so that none of them has more pressure than the other. After this the horse should be given some medicines that will help its blood vessels to open up.
After the medication has been given, various physical tests can be done on the horse to help increase the blood flow of the front limbs. Better blood flow will help the horse to have better balance that will exert the same pressure on all limbs. These exercises should be done an hour every day of the week.
Not all horses respond to treatments the same way. Some of them may even resist all the ones mentioned above and in such a case, other options should be considered. For example, the horse can undergo a surgical procedure that will help remove the unwanted ligaments that are the main cause of the nuisance.
The navicular region is an area around the hooves of their anterior limbs. This area may sometimes be affected by an infection that causes irritation and therefore lameness which reduces their performance. This is however not a terminal illness and cannot disable a horse completely. It is just a syndrome that can easily be prevented or treated.
There are various other reasons why horses may be lame hence there are some specific tests that help to determine if navicular syndrome is responsible for the pain. There are some physical tests that must be done in addition to the radiographic ones so that the illness is not mistaken for another.
There are various major signs that can help to tell if a horse is lame. For instance, they land in an unusual way because they want to put more weight on the back feet than the front ones. Other physical tests that can be used include the use of hoof testers. These are things that will help to show how they reacts to this painful experience. They can also check the size of their hooves because the ones with the illness have smaller front hooves since they try as hard as possible to reduce the pressure exerted on them.
Another physical test usually used by many people to detect this particular pain is the use of anesthesia. This medicine is usually injected in the front limbs so that the feet become numb and they cannot feel any irritation in that area. If the abnormal behavior noticed on the horse before stops, it will be clear that this infliction is the main cause.
After diagnosing this illness, there are various measures that must be taken immediately. The first and the most logical thing to do is to correct their shoeing. The shoe should be able to balance all sides of the hooves so that none of them has more pressure than the other. After this the horse should be given some medicines that will help its blood vessels to open up.
After the medication has been given, various physical tests can be done on the horse to help increase the blood flow of the front limbs. Better blood flow will help the horse to have better balance that will exert the same pressure on all limbs. These exercises should be done an hour every day of the week.
Not all horses respond to treatments the same way. Some of them may even resist all the ones mentioned above and in such a case, other options should be considered. For example, the horse can undergo a surgical procedure that will help remove the unwanted ligaments that are the main cause of the nuisance.
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