Navicular disease

[Tammy dryden]

Hello everyone, I'm after some advice. My 16hh 10 year old gelding was diagnosed with navicular syndrome in both his front feet in 2018 and I have been trying everything to make him some what sound and comfortable, he has had multiple doses of steroid injections in both front feet, has had remedial shoeing and then went down the route of bare foot .I made the decision to retire him beginning off last year ... the past couple months he has slowly gotten worse and is on 4 bute a day and is still really lame , he is no longer field sound and is looking very miserable. My vet, and farrier says it's time to let him go and have him put to sleep, however I'm torn on what to do for the best. Any advice much appreciated xx

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

My boy had navicular and he was only 7. I tried remedial shoes, injections and barefoot just as you have, but I ended up having him PTS in the end. He wasn't coping with hard ground in the summer, and did not cope with soft, wet ground in the winter so it was the fairest thing to do.

There is nothing at all wrong with calling it time if your horse is not looking happy.

 

[Tammy dryden]

My boy had navicular and he was only 7. I tried remedial shoes, injections and barefoot just as you have, but I ended up having him PTS in the end. He wasn't coping with hard ground in the summer, and did not cope with soft, wet ground in the winter so it was the fairest thing to do.

There is nothing at all wrong with calling it time if your horse is not looking happy.

Thank you. Hes not the same horse as before, he used to love going out in the field but now just stands at the gate waiting to come in, yes he also struggles with the hard ground in summer. He has become such a grumpy boy now and is getting very unpredictable with his behaviour around other people and horse.

 

[be positive]

Thank you. Hes not the same horse as before, he used to love going out in the field but now just stands at the gate waiting to come in, yes he also struggles with the hard ground in summer. He has become such a grumpy boy now and is getting very unpredictable with his behaviour around other people and horse.

I think you know it is time to call it a day, he is not happy, is lame on 4 bute a day, it sounds as if you have tried every possible treatment and there is nowhere else to go, do the right thing for him, it is never easy to do so be kind to yourself by remembering the good times.

 

[ycbm]

I'm afraid I would call it a day. So sorry, but you've done your best.

.

 

[PurBee]

Sorry to hear about your horse.

I just searched on here about navicular and found an interesting thread from others dealing with it:

https://forums.horseandhound.co.uk/threads/how-does-barefoot-cure-navicular-disease.416024/

In that thread ‘rockies farm hoof rehab’ uk, was mentioned - they sound like theyve done a lot of rehabbing, including navicular, and if you give them a call and explain your horses case in detail they’ll be able to give you advice:

http://rockleyfarm.blogspot.com/p/rehab-horses.html

 

[Identityincrisis]

My boy had navicular and he was only 7. I tried remedial shoes, injections and barefoot just as you have, but I ended up having him PTS in the end. He wasn't coping with hard ground in the summer, and did not cope with soft, wet ground in the winter so it was the fairest thing to do.

There is nothing at all wrong with calling it time if your horse is not looking happy.

I had exactly the same scenario. PTS at 8yrs old after 2 years trying to bring him right, only thing I didn't try was remedial shoes, he'd always been BF and I couldn't see that shoes would be the answer (much to everyone else's horror) All the research I had done pointed towards shoes being detrimental and would buy me months at best.

He was a difficult horse at the best of times and add lame to the mix it was the best decision all round, but difficult never-the-less

 

[twiggy2]

We all know it's tough to let them go OP but I am going to be blunt, it's sounds like the horse is suffering and in lots of pain whilst you ignore advice from both your vet and farrier.
Let the horse go and end his suffering, it sounds cruel in your situation to keep him going.

 

[doodle]

Different situation but when Minto first went on to a daily bute for arthritis I had a conversation with the vet about what level of Bute was acceptable. He was also 16hh. Vet said if 2 Bute a day kept him comfortable that was fine but if anymore it was time to say goodbye. So at 4 a day and still very lame it’s time to make that decision.

 

[ester]

IME vets dont advise that it’s time very often so I would certainly take their advice at this point.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I know it's crap but I would pts sorry! it sounds like you have tried everything and 4 Bute is a lot for him to still be uncomfortable on.

 

[Tammy dryden]

Thank you all for your advice and support. My beautiful boy will be put to sleep on Monday. I will be spending the next coming days pampering him and sending as much time as I can with him xxx

 

[ycbm]

You have made a very selfless and brave decision. I hope everything goes as well as it can.

 

[View]

It"s never an eady decision to make, but it's the final act of kindness we owe them - so well done for being brave.

Spoil him silly for the next few days, and let him go peacefully with dignity.

 

[Orangehorse]

If he is unsound on 4 bute a day, then he is really struggling and I think you know that the kindest thing would be PTS. You have done your best for him.

My horse spent some time barefoot, and I am sure that it has kept him sound into his old age, but he is back in shoes now as it is not easy to manage if you are under constraints as to time, excercise, living conditions.

I would like to add though that I attended a Pete Ramey clinic about barefoot horses and most interesting it was too and he and clinic attendees had some great successes. He did remind everyone though that it cannot always work, sometimes there is too much damage that cannot be repaired. He said he struggled for months and months with one horse, convinced that it would come sound but it had to be PTS in the end and he had a PM for it and said he felt ashamed of what he had put her through when he saw the internal damage to her feet. He said he always kept the image of that horse in his mind that so that he would know when the kindest, the only way when they reach the end of the road.