Anhidrosis is Not Always Obvious
Order HereWhen Not Sweating is Not Obvious, Take the Guess Work Out of It.
Published August 2, 2016
You’d think it would be obvious when a horse is not sweating appropriately. Sometimes it is, but other times, the lack of sweat makes some horse owners initially think their horses are super fit. YEAH! Sometimes labored breathing, a natural response to overheating, is suspected of being a respiratory issue and the sweating issue is missed. And because the labored breathing is combined with lethargy and a fever, the horse may be treated for an infection rather than for non-sweating.
Naturally, it’ll be misdiagnosed more often in cooler climates where anhidrosis (non sweating) is less common. In hot and humid climates like the Gulf states, where anhidrosis is more common, the vets are more familiar with non sweating horses and therefore recognize it more easily. In addition, inefficient sweating can be harder to diagnose correctly than the extreme cases when a horse has completely shut down.
Here are two examples of sweating issues that were more difficult to figure out.
Class Bopper, and how his trainer, Lilith Boucher, figured out
why he’d always go off his form after one or two races.
Dr. Elizabeth Maloney DVM depends on a more accurate tool to take the guess work out of it.
Dr. Elizabeth Maloney, DVM of Equine Therapies in Franklin, MA, uses a sweat test to determine if a horse is sweating appropriately. It is a simple test where a vet injects a small amount of medication (Terbutaline) to measure how well a horse is sweating. A normal horse will sweat profusely within 15 minutes of this injection. Performing this test has helped her to diagnose severe anhidrosis and some cases of insufficient sweating.
Dr. Maloney performed the Terbutaline test on Yankee, a 12 year old Percheron/TB cross. Based on Yankee’s body temperature, respiration rate and amount of sweat produced, his owner suspected he may have anhidrosis and the test confirmed the diagnosis. After treatment with the Equiwinner patches, Dr. Maloney visited Yankee to try the Terbutaline test again. This picture illustrates how the Equiwinner treatment helped Yankee to sweat normally.
Equiwinner, a simple 10-day treatment, resets electrolyte balance to optimum, making electrolytes work properly, making them smart. Smart Electrolytes™ are essential to good overall health and sweating efficiently is just a part of it.
So treat your horse now to help him get through the rest of the summer, and enjoy a healthier horse all winter too, because Equiwinner will keep the electrolytes working properly for up to a year.