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  Discussion on Thrush or Navicular synDrOme
Author Message
New Member:
Cgby1

Posted on Thursday, Jun 1, 2006 - 6:45 pm:

I have a 18 year old mare that has been barefoot for the last 6+ years. We live in So.CA and most of the year the ground is dry and rather hard. She is out all day on 3 acres and stalled at night. We have had a problem with thrush that has been difficult to get rid of, especially in the cleft of the frog. A few weeks ago a vet said that she has navicular in both her front feet. He did a pressure test with those tong things and wanted me to bring her in for x-rays & shoes. She has not been ridden for several years so I have had a hard time believing the diagnosis. I have her mother who is 32 and trots and canters like a teen. I have been doing research online(thats how I found this web site). So far I have been working extra hard on the thrush, giving her Joint Combo( her mom wouldn't eat it)and I had a Barefoot trimmer do all my horses two weeks ago. I had the same farrier trimming them for 19 years but I moved and He was coming out every 8 or 9 weeks. I am going to use the suggestion of packing on her but I am not sure how to work out keeping her out 24/7. Her mother is hard to keep weight on and she is overweight( about a 6 or 7). She is on a mixed hay and her mom is on senior feed. I will have her trimmed every 4 weeks if you think it will help and take off the weight. The vet said she was in the early stage, how long can I wait to see if she improves before I need to take her in for tests? Is it possible that she has palmar heel pain? Thanks, Cynthia
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Jun 2, 2006 - 9:40 am:

Hello Cynthia
Other than the thrush you can see and the reaction to the hoof testers, what symptoms does your horse have?
DrO
Member:
Cgby1

Posted on Friday, Jun 2, 2006 - 1:20 pm:

She has been walking with short steps landing toe first and acts ouchy. She doesn't trot much or canter on her own and when I clean her feet she doesn't want them up very long. She is most tender on her front right but the vet said both are sore. I have been reading everything on Navicular that I can find and the main thing seems to be that they need to land flat or heel first. The barefoot trimmer seems to have helped get her to land more flat footed and she seems to be taking bigger steps but I still see her limp a little when her right front hits the ground. I need to get more joint supplement, is there one that you recommend? Should I put her on bute for inflammation? Cynthia
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Jun 4, 2006 - 9:14 am:

How long has this been going on, Cynthia?

To return to your first post yes, it is possible she has palmar heel pain for more on diagnosis and our recommedations see Equine Diseases » Lameness » Diseases of the Hoof » Navicular Disease / SynDrOme.

For our recommendations on a supplement Cynthia see, Equine Medications and Nutriceuticals » Anti-inflammatories (NSAID's, Steroids, Arthritis Rx) » The Joint Protective Treatments.
DrO
Member:
Cgby1

Posted on Monday, Jun 5, 2006 - 5:15 pm:

The vet diagnosed it in the middle of April. I had noticed a little tenderness in the right front while working on trailer loading. We thought it was a bruise but when we took her for a week long training camp the instructor had her vet look at her. We brought her back home early but I wanted to find out more before We took her into the clinic. I have printed out the 15 pages on Navicular / SynDrOme and I will look at the site on Joint treatments. What I am reading is that it is difficult to diagnose and takes a lot of tests. What would you recommend I do at this point? Is there someone in my area you would take her to, I live in Murrieta, CA on the border of Riverside county, San Diego county and Orange county?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 6, 2006 - 9:23 am:

Do you have the findings of the last vet exam Cynthia what specifically did they find on the physical exam, what tests did they run, and what were the results that lead to the diagnosis of navicular synDrOme? Some causes are easy to diagnose while others are tough.
DrO
Member:
Cgby1

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 6, 2006 - 8:01 pm:

My husband, Charlie was present and he said that all the vet did was use the hoof testers. The vet told him that she had navicular in both front feet and that we should bring her to his clinic for x-rays and shoes. He told Charlie that it was caught early and that she could still be useful. Right now I have her on joint supplements, she has been trimmed with a 4 point trim and she is out with a grazing muzzle. She is getting a flake of mixed hay, a lb. of senior with a 1 oz. scoop vitamins and a small coffee can of bran for the joint supplement. I add hot water, salt and a tablespoon of molasses to the bran. Do you think this is good or is it too strict of a diet?
Member:
Cgby1

Posted on Tuesday, Jun 6, 2006 - 8:34 pm:

I also want to add that I put Easy boots with pads on her front feet while she is out in the pasture( which is getting dry and hard). Could you tell me where to look (or what page of the 15 page navicular synDrOme) for the information on palmer heel pain and how to treat it? Thanks, Cynthia
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Jun 7, 2006 - 8:46 am:

You may have too many calories in the diet Cynthia to lose weight. You should cut the senior down to the minimum needed to get in the supplements and try and skip the bran and molasses.

Palmar heel pain is not a diagnosis with a specific treatment. You first have to try and diagnose the cause of the palmar heel pain. If a specific cause is found it may be addressed directly. Treatment for undiagnosed palmar heel pain (navicular synDrOme) is covered in the section labeled "Treatment".
DrO
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