ANSC 201 Hoof Ailments - Schobert TAMU

What disease causes "unzip" and bone seperation in hoof capsule?

Laminitis

true

Laminitis can affect all four feet

founder (laminitis)

- most serious disease of the equine foot

-extremely painful

-disease doesn't kill horse, lameness does

Displacement

-coffin bone is no longer anchored to the wall of hoof

two forms of displacement?

Rotation and distal descent

Triggers of Laminitis

Diets high in starches/sugars

is laminitis a manmade disease?

True

Navicular Syndrome/disease

lameness attributed to disorders of navicular bone and tissues

How is Navicular syndrome diagnosed?

positive response to nerve block of foot, lollipop shaped lesions on xray

other names for navicular syndrom

Palmar heel pain, cadual heel syndrome, palmar foot pain, podoctrochlear syndrome

How has diagnoses of navicular syndrome gotten better?

Using MRI's which let you see tissue unlike xrays

Gold standard

without MRI soft tisssue injuries would be diagnosed as navicular syndrom

Palmar Foot Pain

-short choppy gaits

-lameness that is worse on hard ground

-pain when asking to move in tight circle

-sudden lameness in forelimbs

-shifting of bodyweight

Palmar digital nerve block

-numb foot below certain point

-allows vet to see where pain is coming from

xrays provide definitive answers when it comes to palmar footpain

False

MRI

most reliable indicator of actual navicular disease

what is edema in the bone caused by?

inflammation or trauma

osteonecrosis

bone damage due to reduced blood flow

-prognosis to return to work is poor

fibroplasia

normal bone and marrow is replaced with fibrous tissue that leaves bone weak

-prognosis to return to work is poor

Canker

-unusual condition of foot that affects frog,bars, sole

-most cases in southeast U.S.

-wet cauliflower

treatment for canker

-cut away bad tissue, keep area dry and clean, topical treatments

how long does it take for cankers to heal?

some heal within 10 days, others last for a few months

Trush

-degeneration of the frog with anaerobic bacterial infection

-affected sulci are moist and have black thick discharge

-borders of frog are necrotic

common causes of thrush

poor foot conformation or trimming, lack of exercise, moist environment

treatment of thrush

dry clean environment, astringent solution, commerical equine foot formulas

Hoof cracks

-wall defects

-very common

-vary in severity

treatment of simple hoof cracks

trimming and shoeing

treatment of unstable or complicated cracks

-removal of the affected tissue or stabilize hoof

-therapy necessary sometimes

Abscesses

Bacteria gets trapped in sensitive laminae and hoof wall or sole

-bacteria creates pus which builds up and creates pressure behind hoof wall

lameness scale for horse with abscess

5 - extremely painful - non weight bearing

gravel

infection enters white line area of the hoof - type of abscess - infection escapes coronary band

Dew poisoning (equine pastern dermatitis)

-Also called scratches, mud fever

-skin around lower limb is exposed to constant moisture

-small cracks in skin surface allows bacteria and fungi to enter

treatment of dew poisoning

-topical treatments

-if topical treatment does not work go to vet