Posted by Allen Carpenter on May 27, 2002 at 10:20:21:
In Reply to: Re: PS posted by M. W. Myers, D.V.M. on May 26, 2002 at 11:53:03:
: : : : : : I have a client who is doing everything to help me with her 15 year old horse who has been diagnosed with navicular. We have been working to get the horse sound for a year and 2 months ago for no apparent reason he came up totally lame and could barely walk out at all. She took him to the vet and the radios show some abmornalities but nothing that any of us thinks should cause him to be in pain daily. The isoxoprine was (key word here) helping- at day 21 at twice a day he seemed much more comfortable. She has been giving him the meds once a day for the last 2 weeks- per the vets instructions- and now the horse is back to almost not walking at all according to her. ????? We put egg bars on him 5 weeks ago. He has a long toe but can't pull much off just yet because the growth is so poor in this horse. We have him on a strong vet vitamin to help get things growing, but he is really falling apart all over again and it seems directly linked to the isoxoprine.
: : : : : : Any ideas???? suggestions? Thanks.
: : : : : : Sophie
: : : : : In some case you can not get a navicular horse sound.
: : : : : I would suggest a new set of radiographs and shoeing with the GE-N shoe at this point. You might also want to try the EDDS system.
: : : : : You need to get the toe off and the heels up. You can build the heels with with a product called Level It, or use of a wedge pad or shoe. But do pull the toe back.
: : : : : What type of Meds?
: : : : : Just my thinking.
: : : : : Ray Miller
: : : : You will neeed to change your thinking to the mechanics of equine locomotion and not to "cut off toe, elevate heel" dogma.
: : : : You must enhance breakover according to what radiographically needs to be done. This will involve a proper shoe set and correctly constructed shoeing package that will not only optimize the mechanics, but will also remove the stressors that are preventing proper hoof growth.
: : : : This is not for the faint of heart and will require an advanced desire to up the learning curve. If you want to venture into these waters, I can be reached on the consulting area of this site.
: : : : M. W. Myers, D.V.M.
: : :
: : : Dr. Myers, what I had pictured in my mind was a horse with very low to no heels and long toes. I see a lot of this type of sore heeled horse in our area, that are called navicular. But when I bring the heels up and reduce the toe from the bottom, then shoeing with an N shoe or wedge of some type. The heal pain leaves and the horse goes sound.
: : : I just about put in the above post this kind of information, guess I should have.
: : : Ray Miller
: : PS: I met to add also that I change the manufactured breakover on the N shoe to what the horses natural break over is.
: : Ray Miller
: Most of the long toe-underrun heel horses I see cannot have their toes reduced from the bottom as the coffin bone is nearly on the ground at the toe. The breakover enhancement must come from correctly setting the breakover via radiographs with a correct shoeing package.
: The standard manufactured GEN shoe does not have adequate breakover to accomplish this. This was my initial concern over the advice to apply this shoe.
: M. W. Myers, D.V.M.
That is what a hammer and forge is for.
Allen