People who work with or own horses may be familiar with the possible health problems that can arise in these animals. Among them is navicular syndrome or disease. This refers to a syndrome related to soundness issues in these animals. It is commonly defined as the degeneration or inflammation of the navicular bone and surrounding tissues. Navicular syndrome in horses can lead to other significant problems, including lameness that leaves the animal disabled.
To understand what this syndrome involves, one needs to know what this region consists of. The bone is located behind the coffin bone and under the bone known as small pastern. The navicular bone has multiple ligaments near it that offer it extra support.
There is not one agree upon cause for this syndrome. Instead, there are many different theories. Two beliefs that are commonly held related to compression and tension. With compression, the issue is the it is continual in this region causing the degeneration of cartilage. This degeneration ultimately leads to lack of much-needed spring and shock absorbency. It could also lead to brittleness and major friction between the bones because there is no cartilage as a buffer.
Another reason for this problem may be related to tension. If there is too much tension on ligaments around this bone, some believe the process of degeneration starts. The added tension leads to inflammation and straining. In turn, this leads to a decrease in blood flow in and out of this bone.
If blood is obstructed in this manner, it can create pressure buildup within the bone. If there is excess pressure and lack of blood, the bone may start absorbing mineral from within its center which is problematic. Another problem related to tension is exostoses. This is defined as ligaments attaching to the bone to form a canoe-like shape. When tension becomes too much, ligaments may tear.
There are certain things that can exacerbate the issues. Body weight, work, shoeing and conformation may worsen the condition. There are certain things to look out for when diagnosing this problem. Heel pain is perhaps the most common side effect. Lameness is also common and may start as a mild problem and develop to something more serious, even disabling. This might be due to the strain and inflammation on ligaments that are used to support the bone, increased pressure, or reduced blood flow. Navicular bursa and DDF tendon damage, as well as cartilage erosion, might also develop.
Horses affected by this might have tiptoe gait. That is, they may try walking on the toes to avoid heel pain. Frequent stumbling may also be observed. Lameness might switch between legs and be inconsistent. If the problem persists without attention, the feet might change shape, usually becoming more narrow and upright.
Medication, trimming, hoof care, exercise and surgery are potential options for care. Usually more than one of these solutions is used. Every case is different and so it is essential that animals be in the care of knowledgeable animal doctors. Some changes that are caused by this condition may be irreversible. Still, it should be a priority to give the animal relief from pain and halt the progression of the syndrome.
To understand what this syndrome involves, one needs to know what this region consists of. The bone is located behind the coffin bone and under the bone known as small pastern. The navicular bone has multiple ligaments near it that offer it extra support.
There is not one agree upon cause for this syndrome. Instead, there are many different theories. Two beliefs that are commonly held related to compression and tension. With compression, the issue is the it is continual in this region causing the degeneration of cartilage. This degeneration ultimately leads to lack of much-needed spring and shock absorbency. It could also lead to brittleness and major friction between the bones because there is no cartilage as a buffer.
Another reason for this problem may be related to tension. If there is too much tension on ligaments around this bone, some believe the process of degeneration starts. The added tension leads to inflammation and straining. In turn, this leads to a decrease in blood flow in and out of this bone.
If blood is obstructed in this manner, it can create pressure buildup within the bone. If there is excess pressure and lack of blood, the bone may start absorbing mineral from within its center which is problematic. Another problem related to tension is exostoses. This is defined as ligaments attaching to the bone to form a canoe-like shape. When tension becomes too much, ligaments may tear.
There are certain things that can exacerbate the issues. Body weight, work, shoeing and conformation may worsen the condition. There are certain things to look out for when diagnosing this problem. Heel pain is perhaps the most common side effect. Lameness is also common and may start as a mild problem and develop to something more serious, even disabling. This might be due to the strain and inflammation on ligaments that are used to support the bone, increased pressure, or reduced blood flow. Navicular bursa and DDF tendon damage, as well as cartilage erosion, might also develop.
Horses affected by this might have tiptoe gait. That is, they may try walking on the toes to avoid heel pain. Frequent stumbling may also be observed. Lameness might switch between legs and be inconsistent. If the problem persists without attention, the feet might change shape, usually becoming more narrow and upright.
Medication, trimming, hoof care, exercise and surgery are potential options for care. Usually more than one of these solutions is used. Every case is different and so it is essential that animals be in the care of knowledgeable animal doctors. Some changes that are caused by this condition may be irreversible. Still, it should be a priority to give the animal relief from pain and halt the progression of the syndrome.
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