It’s a familiar sight for equestrians: you finish your
morning training routine, and your young mare or gelding is sweating off their
workout. Their coat glistens as their
skin secretes moisture to cool off their flushed body. Sweat is a horse’s main method for regulating
their internal body temperature, and large percent (65-70%) of a horse’s body heat is lost
through sweating.1
It is important that your horse exhibits a sweat response to
stimuli such as increased environmental temperature and vigorous exercise.2 When this vital function is
disrupted, your horse can have trouble lowering their body temperature if they
become overheated. This can be especially problematic for performance horses
that are prone to overexerting themselves; however, decreased sweat production
can be a problem for any horse as the weather gets hotter in the summer.2
There are several signs that may indicate that your horse is
suffering from anhidrosis. They may act lethargic, seek shade, or breathe very
heavily after exercising, on top of having a body temperature higher than the
normal range (99.5-101°F). If this happens,
your horse will be at a higher risk for developing heat stroke and
hyperthermia.3
The exact cause of anhidrosis is not fully understood yet
and the specific contributing factors may vary from horse to horse. Some research has suggested that atrophied
sweat glands or thyroid dysfunction may be involved1 and exhaustion of your horse’s sweat glands through extensive physical activity or
heat exposure may also lead to anhidrosis development. One thing that has
consistently been linked with equine anhidrosis, is low levels of
electrolytes. These elements, including chloride, potassium, and sodium, are
essential molecules for your horse’s health and are secreted with sweat.4 The lack of these nutrients, only add to the problem.
Providing total body support, this one product (see link below) proudly contains one of the most complete nutrient profiles you’ll find anywhere on the market... and we guarantee it!
Resources:
1. Breuhaus
BA. Thyroid function in anhidrotic horses. Journal
of veterinary internal medicine. 2009;23(1):168-173.
2. Mayhew IG, Ferguson HO, 2nd.
Clinical, clinicopathologic, and epidemiologic features of anhidrosis in
central Florida Thoroughbred horses. Journal
of veterinary internal medicine. 1987;1(3):136-141.
3. Gariboldi J. Anhidrosis in Horses.
Hagyard Equine Medical Institute
Newsletter. http://hagyard.com/custdocs/Anhidrosis%20July%20Practice%20Newsletter.pdf.
Accessed 2/17/2018.
4. Wilson DC, Corbett AD, Steel C,
Pannirselvam R, Bovell DL. A preliminary study of the short circuit current
(Isc) responses of sweat gland cells from normal and anhidrotic horses to
purinergic and adrenergic agonists. Veterinary
dermatology. 2007;18(3):152-160.