With Navicular, Treat The Entire Foot

Robert Bowker has 10 years of research data to back up his theory that navicular disease affects the entire foot instead of being just a navicular bone concern. As a result, the Michigan State University hoof researcher says navicular disease treatments must concentrate on increasing the weight-bearing support of the entire foot.

Bowker’s research indicates navicular-diseased horses often have more than 30 percent bone loss in the coffin bone. This places extra stress on the ligament and tendon attachments to the coffin bone, where he believes many clinical signs of navicular pain actually originate.

Do Steroid Treatments Cause Laminitis?

While many vets and shoers believe a strong association exists between the use of steroids and the development of laminitis, Phil Johnson says this possibility can’t be predicted based on current research data. However, the University of Missouri researcher says glucocorticoid treatments conducted in the laboratory support the hypothesis that treating horses with either dexamethasone or triamcinalone for only a few days may lead to potential laminitis concerns. Even so, the risk of laminitis is small when less potent glucocorticoids are used to treat horses.

Hoof Relationships Aren’t Always What You Think

While evaluating digital photos of 47 forefeet from 25 Thoroughbred adults, Babak Faramarzi found considerable differences in the way that changes in the internal structure of the hoof are related to hoof shape. The hoof researcher at the University of Guelph in Guelph, Ontario, recently told attendees at the fifth International Conference on…