Certain diseases have been known to affect horses while remaining unknown in ponies and donkeys. Navicular syndrome is an example of such disease. The disease causes lameness in many horses, particularly those involved in athletics. It is a degenerative condition that causes loss of medullary architecture, fibrillation, traumatic and enthesiophyte formation, and bone sclerosis. Regardless of this disease being discovered years ago, it continues to be source of trouble even today.
The source of the condition is not a disease entity, but rather complex pathogenesis. However, research links a biochemical and vascular component to it. Additionally, this problem is also believed to be hereditary because instances reduced after disallowing breeding certification to stallions with this condition. The condition never appears till the age of 8 to 10, making it to be characteristic in mature horses.
The process of disease and the degree of lameness are influenced by how the distal limb is conformed. Excess pressure on the hoof-pastern, under run heels, and long toes are among the key causes of this illness in horses. Excess pressure is placed on the flexor tendons and the navicular bones when the aforementioned factors occur. Additionally, those factors also cause the navicular bursitis and the fibrocartilage to be damaged.
The disease entails several stages, with the final ones getting much worse. Seasonal lameness can be observed during the first phases, but no head nod can be seen because of the bilateral nature of this illness. Moving the animal in circular motion worsens the situation and makes symptoms more visible. Shortened strides are also another characteristic symptom observable during the initial stages.
Age and breed of an animal are some of the factors based on when making a diagnosis. Performing a lameness examination should show a characteristic to palmar digital nerve anesthesia by the animal. Some studies only revealed 11% of positive results from hoof testers, making the test to be regarded as not sufficient in all cases. Anesthesia of navicular bursa seems to be the most effective and precise diagnosis process. However, owing to the amount of pain involved and the complexity of the injection, this process is not performed during lameness examination.
The chronic and degenerative nature of the condition makes it impossible to cure, especially if the damage done is already too much. However, it can be managed very well in some animals. Treatments that are commonly used are administration of NSAID and use of corrective shoes. Of the many NSAID available, phenylbutazone is the commonest. Phenylbutazone presents a lot of adverse effects such as GI and renal injury and should always be used with care.
In cases where the lameness is much worse, efficiency of drugs could be limited, leaving rest as the only recommendable treatment. Incorporating foot care measures can also work well together with drugs. The alignment and balance of phalangeal could be restored by trimming and shoeing the hooves. A period of two weeks is enough to determine if the shoeing is effective.
It is recommendable to seek assistance immediately the condition is discovered. Animals can be disabled by severe cases. Animals feel a lot of pain if not treated in time.
The source of the condition is not a disease entity, but rather complex pathogenesis. However, research links a biochemical and vascular component to it. Additionally, this problem is also believed to be hereditary because instances reduced after disallowing breeding certification to stallions with this condition. The condition never appears till the age of 8 to 10, making it to be characteristic in mature horses.
The process of disease and the degree of lameness are influenced by how the distal limb is conformed. Excess pressure on the hoof-pastern, under run heels, and long toes are among the key causes of this illness in horses. Excess pressure is placed on the flexor tendons and the navicular bones when the aforementioned factors occur. Additionally, those factors also cause the navicular bursitis and the fibrocartilage to be damaged.
The disease entails several stages, with the final ones getting much worse. Seasonal lameness can be observed during the first phases, but no head nod can be seen because of the bilateral nature of this illness. Moving the animal in circular motion worsens the situation and makes symptoms more visible. Shortened strides are also another characteristic symptom observable during the initial stages.
Age and breed of an animal are some of the factors based on when making a diagnosis. Performing a lameness examination should show a characteristic to palmar digital nerve anesthesia by the animal. Some studies only revealed 11% of positive results from hoof testers, making the test to be regarded as not sufficient in all cases. Anesthesia of navicular bursa seems to be the most effective and precise diagnosis process. However, owing to the amount of pain involved and the complexity of the injection, this process is not performed during lameness examination.
The chronic and degenerative nature of the condition makes it impossible to cure, especially if the damage done is already too much. However, it can be managed very well in some animals. Treatments that are commonly used are administration of NSAID and use of corrective shoes. Of the many NSAID available, phenylbutazone is the commonest. Phenylbutazone presents a lot of adverse effects such as GI and renal injury and should always be used with care.
In cases where the lameness is much worse, efficiency of drugs could be limited, leaving rest as the only recommendable treatment. Incorporating foot care measures can also work well together with drugs. The alignment and balance of phalangeal could be restored by trimming and shoeing the hooves. A period of two weeks is enough to determine if the shoeing is effective.
It is recommendable to seek assistance immediately the condition is discovered. Animals can be disabled by severe cases. Animals feel a lot of pain if not treated in time.
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