[The treatment of podotrochilosis with oral anticoagulants. An instruction insert desired].

Summary

# Editorial Summary Navicular disease represents a significant source of chronic lameness in equine practice, with most conventional treatments offering only symptomatic relief rather than disease modification. Van den Bogaard and colleagues reviewed the evidence for warfarin—an oral anticoagulant—as a therapeutic intervention for this condition, proposing that preventing thrombus formation within the navicular bone vasculature could arrest disease progression. Whilst warfarin therapy is straightforward to initiate, the authors emphasise that practitioners employing this approach must understand its mechanism of action (vitamin K antagonism), monitor treatment efficacy and safety through laboratory testing, and remain alert to potential drug interactions and toxicity risks. The critical balance required—preventing new clot formation whilst maintaining adequate haemostatic function—demands careful dosing protocols and regular coagulation monitoring, with vitamin K₁ readily available as an antidote in cases of overdosing. For equine professionals considering anticoagulant therapy for navicular disease, this review provides essential guidance on implementation protocols and the non-negotiable role of systematic monitoring in ensuring both therapeutic benefit and patient safety.

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Key Findings

• •Warfarin has been reported as effective treatment for navicular disease in horses, offering an alternative to palliative therapies
• •Careful monitoring of warfarin therapy is required to balance prevention of thrombus formation with preservation of normal haemostasis
• •Drug interactions with warfarin and toxicity potential in horses require veterinary practitioners to understand mechanisms of action and laboratory monitoring protocols
• •Vitamin K-1 treatment is the management strategy for warfarin overdosing

Conditions Studied