Curing Navicular Disease in Horses
Navicular disease can be debilitating among horses. It causes a lot of pain and lameness among horses that gets affected by the disease. There are times that horses get euthanized so they get free from pain and illness, if classical treatments are not able to remove the pain or lameness. As such, there is very little that we know about the cause of navicular disease particularly among horses. It has been pushed forward the use of gallium nitrate as a means to help ease the pain among horses affected by navicular disease. More than just giving equine bone and joint support, the use of gallium nitrate may improve the quality of life of some horses. As such, there is growing scientific evidence to prove that the use of gallium nitrate to treat navicular disease may help horses recover and become more active like before.
Navicular syndrome or navicular disease is commonly described as the presence of inflammation or degeneration of the navicular bone and also affecting the surrounding tissues. The disease is usually seen on the front feet of the horse. It is a significant equine disease which may lead to a horse’s lamness.
The navicular bone lies behind the coffin bone and under the tiny pastern bone. This so-called navicular bone is supported by several ligaments. One of the ligaments is called impar. It is binds the navicular bone and the coffin bone.
Again, there is no known single reason why horses suffer from navicular disease. However, there are several theories, and several primary factors why horses get this disease.
It is said that repeated compression of the navicular area may cause cartilage compression. The compression may gradually causes the lameness. Another possible reason for the emergence of navicular disease is the tension placed on the tendons, which may end up with strain and inflammation. It is known that excess tension may cause what is called as exotoses. Occasionally, some cysts may emerge on the navicular bone.
The use of gallium nitrate in horses having problem with navicular disease is one the rise. It may be attributed to the success in helping horses cope with the pain and make them active anew. In some studies, it has been shown that horses given gallium nitrate in a six-month period helped eliminate the lameness in 90 percent of horses that was included in some studies. While the use of gallium nitrate may not be for all horses suffering from navicular disease, it may be a potent way to help the horses.
With all the studies on the use of gallium nitrate, it appears that the chemical may be effective and safe for horses when used as treatment for navicular disease. While the exact mechanism on how gallium nitrate is able to help horses remain to be understood, the use of gallium nitrate may end up helping horses get a better life.
While is not good to ascribe human emotions with horses, providing a pain-free life can bring lot of joys to the horse.