[Navicular disease in the hind limb of a Warmblood horse].

The research article discusses a clinical case where a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare was treated for navicular disease in its left hind leg. The therapy included rest, anti-inflammatory drugs, orthopedic shoeing, and injections, which led to the horse’s successful recovery and return to its previous performance level.

Introduction

• The research article presents a unique clinical case study of a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare diagnosed with navicular disease in the left hind leg.
• Navicular disease is a common condition affecting horses, characterized by chronic, progressive lameness due to degeneration or inflammation of the navicular bone and its surrounding tissues.

Diagnosis

• Upon admission to the clinic, the mare was showing symptoms of lameness for the past one month.
• The clinical team carried out a series of examinations which included clinical and radiological tests to successfully diagnose the navicular disease.
• An additional diagnostic procedure, a bursascopy, was also performed. Bursascopy allows for direct visualization and assessment of the navicular bursa, which is often affected in the navicular disease.

Treatment and Recovery

• The mare’s therapy incorporated several strategies: stallrest (limited movement in a confined space), administration of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to mitigate pain and inflammation, and orthopedic shoeing.
• Orthopedic shoeing pertains to specialized shoeing techniques that can help in alleviating stress in specific areas of the foot affected by the disease.
• Part of the treatment also included intrabursal injections of short-acting corticosteroids and hyaluronic acid. Corticosteroids are often utilized for their quick, potent anti-inflammatory properties, while hyaluronic acid helps in the lubrication and reduction of friction, potentially aiding in the recovery of affected tissues.
• Upon recurrence of the lameness, the therapy was repeated.

Outcome

• Despite suffering from a progressive condition that often leads to severe and permanent lameness, the horse eventually recovered to a significant degree.
• As reported by the owner, the horse is currently performing at its previous level, which indicates the effectiveness of the combination therapy used in this case.