Donkeys and ponies have been found to be safe from certain diseases that cause a lot of problems in horses. Such as disease is the navicular syndrome. The disease causes disability in horses used for competitions in athletics. It causes loss of medullary architecture, formation of enthesiophyte, fibrillation and traumatic, and bone sclerosis. Even though the discovery of this illness occurred years ago, it is still a major source of disability 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.
Level of lameness and disease process seem to get influenced by the conformation of distal limbs. Among the major causes for the problem include long toes, excess pressure on the hoof-pastern, and underrun heels. The happening of aforementioned factors result in excess pressure on the flexor tendon and navicular bone. Damage of the navicular bursitis and the fibrocartilage are additional conditions that can occur.
The disease progresses through stages and the latter stages are normally worse. During early phases of disease, intermittent lameness is observable, but there is no observable head nod because the disease is normally bilateral in nature. Intermittent lameness becomes more visible when moving the animal in circles. Another additional symptom one can observe at this stage is shortened strides. Circular motion can make the situation worse for the animal.
Age and breed are important factors during diagnosis. Horses show a specific reaction to palmar digital nerve anesthesia when a lameness examination is performed. A rate of 11% positives was found using hoof testers by some study, rendering hoof testers quite unsatisfactory in all cases. Anesthesia of navicular bursa has been found to be a precise diagnosis process among all others. However, it is not done during lameness examination because of the complexity of the injection and the amount of pain involved.
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.
A lot of rest is advised if the condition has gotten worse because drugs may not be as efficient. Drugs and rest should be used in combination with foot care measures. Foot care measures like shoeing would help in restoring alignment and balance in the phalangeal. Two weeks is usually sufficient for determining efficiency of shoeing.
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.
Level of lameness and disease process seem to get influenced by the conformation of distal limbs. Among the major causes for the problem include long toes, excess pressure on the hoof-pastern, and underrun heels. The happening of aforementioned factors result in excess pressure on the flexor tendon and navicular bone. Damage of the navicular bursitis and the fibrocartilage are additional conditions that can occur.
The disease progresses through stages and the latter stages are normally worse. During early phases of disease, intermittent lameness is observable, but there is no observable head nod because the disease is normally bilateral in nature. Intermittent lameness becomes more visible when moving the animal in circles. Another additional symptom one can observe at this stage is shortened strides. Circular motion can make the situation worse for the animal.
Age and breed are important factors during diagnosis. Horses show a specific reaction to palmar digital nerve anesthesia when a lameness examination is performed. A rate of 11% positives was found using hoof testers by some study, rendering hoof testers quite unsatisfactory in all cases. Anesthesia of navicular bursa has been found to be a precise diagnosis process among all others. However, it is not done during lameness examination because of the complexity of the injection and the amount of pain involved.
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.
A lot of rest is advised if the condition has gotten worse because drugs may not be as efficient. Drugs and rest should be used in combination with foot care measures. Foot care measures like shoeing would help in restoring alignment and balance in the phalangeal. Two weeks is usually sufficient for determining efficiency of shoeing.
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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