Our one horse was diagnosed with navicular. When we got her out of her box stall today, (which she had been in for 24 hours because it is brutally cold outside) she was Very lame. She always seems to get lame after being confined to her stall. After walking around inside the barn while we did chores, she was moving significantly better, although not sound. One thing l noticed was that her front hooves were quite warm to the touch while her back were definitely cold. Is this a sign of navicular or something else?
A stone bruise in both front feet seems very unlikely...l am allmost 100% sure that is not the cause. These symptoms are recurring (the lameness l mean, l can not say for sure about the temperature...)
Founder is caused by grain engorgement? and also by too much rich grass correct? neither of these things have happened.
An infection in both front feet?
We had her feet x-rayed a year ago, that is how the vet decided it was navicular.......
No l could not find her digital pulse.
She is on cosquin.....you said isoproxim (sp.) worked?

It is probably a symptom of her having navicular. Heat means increased blood flow. The increased blood flow is a natural response since the more blood flow to the area the more nutrients and oxygen that is being exchanged, this is just the body is attempt to ''heal'' the area.

Might be a stone bruise or Founder.. if an infection is setting in that will make it warm.. l have NEVER heard of Nevicular causing heat..

Laminitis (cause of founder) is caused by a metabolic shift that somehow sets off certain enzyme reactions. It does not necessarily have to follow an intestinal disturbance associated with feeding. Any stress can bring it on, like extreme changes in weather, standing too long, or overworking. Can u feel the digital pulses in her pasterns? They would be bounding, & not hard to feel. If she has these pulses, & heat in her hooves, l would get the vet there asap. Laminitis does not have to result in founder, which is the sinking of the coffin bone. The earlier it is treated, the better the prognosis.

Because l have dealt with this myself.. if u can get the feet xrayed, l would.. to confirm or rule out founder. Founder is not always caused by feeding.. it can be caused from over weight, extremely wet ground, white line disease can predispose it.. many things can cause it.
Personally Id do the xray to at least see if it is founder or not.. if it is & u do nothing, u may very well lose ur horse!! Heat is one of the first signs along with mild to severe lameness. They need to be iced, so being in the snow would be GREAT!! Do not take the chance!!

call a vet

http://horses-and-horse-information.com/articles/1000usualsuspect.shtml

l found this to be very informative on Navicular.
X-rays can be helpful, but it is not always clear that that is what the problem is. l had a horse a long time ago that was first diagnosed with Navicular, Then after continuous problems, degenerative heels was diagnosed.

Add;
How old is your horse? Both Navicular and Degenerative Heels can be from lots of hard use.

Take her temperature & write it down. Call ur vet. But in the meantime if she has heet in her feet/lower legs adn if there is some welling u could ice bandage her lower legs or if u have snow onthe ground take her out for a 5-10 minute walk. You can also put some iodine on the sole of her feet which will help promote circulation. If she has a temperature, u can give her a 1-2 tablets of bute then retake her temp 4-6 hours later.

Furthermore, since she has been diagnosed w/ navicular r u on a daily regimen of Isoxusprin? My vet prescibed my QH mare that & it did wonders.

First of all, what is navicular disease? This disorder is caused by a gradual deterioration of the navicular bone at the back of the horse is foot, near the heel. Some veterinarians will diagnose navicular syndrome, using the term to broadly include all the soft tissue surrounding the navicular bone.

Veterinarians r not sure exactly what causes the bone to deteriorate, but most feel that navicular disease is a degenerative condition like arthritis. Frequently, navicular disease strikes horses that perform hard work, often on hard surfaces. Once thought to be an extremely common condition, many veterinarians now think that it is less common than was once believed.

Foot problems r the leading cause of lameness. However, before accepting a diagnosis of navicular disease, there r other factors that the veterinarian should consider.

While there r certain people who believe the shape of the hoof can indicate that a horse is at greater risk for navicular disease--such as horses with upright, small hooves, or horses with large, platter-like hooves--there is not much evidence that hoof shape is a very important risk factor. However, some risk factors r proven, such as performance horses that spend more time running hard, & in whom the condition is most bothersome. Also, age is a factor, with navicular disease most often striking horses between seven & eleven years of age.

The signs of true navicular disease can be identical with those of sore heels, which can complicate the diagnostic process. ''Pointing,'' which refers to a horse standing with its front feet far in front of its body, is a common symptom of both navicular disease & sore or bruised heels. Also, riders may notice the horse is reluctant to turn, another shared symptom.

Many diseases can mimic navicular disease besides sore or bruised heels. Chronic heel collapse is another, as is a torn deep flexor tendon at the point where it inserts into the coffin bone. Simple stress & strain from overwork can result in a horse showing the symptoms of navicular disease. The soft tissues around the navicular bone can also be strained, such as the impar ligament or the suspensory ligaments surrounding the bone. The coffin joint can also become inflamed. The list is long & this is not a complete list of things which share the symptoms of navicular disease, which is why it is important that the veterinarian not jump to this diagnosis without more tests.

No one test can definitively diagnose true navicular disease. A diagnosis is made by performing a series of tests--hoof tests, nerve blocks, x-rays, stress tests, bone scans--and reviewing all the results to find the most likely cause of the horse is lameness. Studies r progressing regarding the use of ultrasound or MR l to help veterinarians to determine what is going on inside the foot.

Many veterinarians will not diagnose navicular disease until the horse has failed to respond to any treatment for at least ninety days. Keeping all this in mind might help if ur veterinarian diagnoses navicular disease after only a cursory examination.

In the case of true navicular disease, caused by the deterioration of the horse is navicular bone, there is no cure. However, horses affected by navicular disease can be made more comfortable in a variety of ways. New shoeing & trimming techniques can relieve stress on the bone, & pain-relieving & anti-inflammatory medications can also help. In horses that r more severely affected, the only effective treatment may be to remove the nerves to the area via a surgical neurectomy. While this does give relief from the heel pain, it is only a temporary solution.

Surgical neurectomies can produce occasional side effects. Most commonly (but still only rarely seen) r neuromas. These painful lumps r caused when the ends of the severed nerves grow back together in a large ball, forming a lump which can be felt under the skin. Very rarely, a horse may experience a complication which could necessitate the amputation of the foot, but this is extremely uncommon.

More commonly, horses will have bad results if they receive a neurectomy when they do not have true navicular disease. For example, if the horse is lameness is due to a deep flexor tendon problem rather than the navicular bone, the horse can severely damage that tendon because it will be unable to feel the pain from the injury.

If ur veterinarian diagnoses navicular disease, it is therefore prudent to seek a second opinion. Presenting a second veterinarian with the films from the bone scan & x-rays can allow him to give an opinion without putting ur horse--and ur wallet!--through another round of tests. Taking the time to do this can prevent a costly & painful misdiagnosis.