Fifty-four horses with hoof cracks were referred to the Equine Hospital of the University of Zurich, for treatment. The horses were admitted because of lameness or other symptoms caused by the cracks. Deep or complicated quarter cracks were the most common type of cracks diagnosed. Poor conformation and abnormal hoof shape were the most important causes of hoof crack development, whereas injury to the coronary band was a less frequently encountered cause. Effective treatment of this problem includes corrective shoeing, removing horn from the weight-bearing surface as well as from the crack with a Dremel tool and immobilization of the borders of the crack. However, even with such a therapy, the recurrence rate of hoof cracks was with 20% very high.
An analysis of the pool of our patients revealed few disturbances during pregnancy. In two cases the malformations were possibly due to drugs. Prenatal sonographic diagnostics were performed in one-third of the cases or documented: in 60% of the investigated cases a hydrocephalus was found, this being only 20% of the whole pool. The major part of the births were performed by Caesarean section, mainly because of a prolongation of the birth directly or indirectly due to the large circumference of the head. The hereditary trait of associated malformations and malformations of the central nervous system was frequent. Therefore, we advocate a better prenatal work-up and a birth by planned Caesarean section.
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