Tiny's Battle with End Stage Navicular Disease

This sweet boy Tiny was an abandoned horse turned over to EOI last December.

 

Very soon after joining our herd a lameness in both front limbs became apparent. Our vet at Bend Equine Medical Center performed the necessary diagnostics and found that Tiny has very severe and chronic navicular disease. Navicular disease is an incurable and painful bony and soft tissue abnormality of the navicular apparatus that is within the hoof. It is progressive over time and in the earlier stages it can be managed with appropriate treatments.

 

Tiny's case, however, is quite severe. We started checking off the recommended treatments - He had several rounds of special shoes, coffin joint injections to try to reduce the inflammation in the tissues surrounding the navicular bone, and he had an administration of a special drug called Osphos that is used in people with osteoporosis to reduce the pain from bony remodeling in navicular disease. He is on systemic pain medication. Each treatment has only resulted in brief periods of relief and EOI has spent $4,500 to date trying to help our special boy.

 

Due to treatment failure, his only option now is a procedure called a neurectomy where the nerves to the feet are cut so that he can no longer feel his navicular disease. While there is no cure, we can help Tiny live a more pain free life! We are asking for contributions to Tiny's surgery which will cost an additional $3,500 on top of what we have already spent. Help us Help Tiny!