September 2005

Navicular Or Heel Pain?

Either way, you’ve got a diagnostic nightmare.

Shoeing with lift pads may not be necessary, but may help some horses.

Navicular disease is one of the most frequently diagnosed, but misunderstood and difficult-to-treat lameness problems. Much of the confusion stems from other conditions being called navicular disease and from a tendency for veterinarians to label any horse with pain in the heel area a navicular horse and treat them all the same way.

What Is It?

Before you can even begin to talk about proper treatment or prognosis for navicular disease, it’s necessary to make sure everyone is on the same page with regard to exactly what navicular disease is. Unfortunately, that’s not easy. …