Use the navigation bar above to access articles and more discussions on this topic.
| Author |
Message |
    
Dawn Jorgensen (Dawn)
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jan 30, 2002 - 10:10 pm: |   |
I have recently purchased a five year old Thoroughbred ex-racehorse; he was approximately 100-150 lbs underweight when I bought him three weeks ago, and will need nutrition/conditioning for some time to get to optimum shape. I am curious about a sweating condition that I have never seen before; he often sweats only around his flank area, even when just lazing around the pasture, but shows no signs of distress. He is (or was) capable of sweating normally, which I observed several times during his initial adjustment to his new home. When I bought him, I was unable to confirm his previous diet, which was obviously insufficient; all of his pasture mates were thin, too. I slowly began to give 2 lbs of high-quality 12% sweet feed and plenty of orchard grass/timothy/alfalfa hay, which he tolerated very well. In three weeks I have gradually increased his feed to five lbs of the feed, a cup of corn oil and a coat/hoof supplement, all split into 2 feeding per day, with the same hay as noted above. I have also given him free access to a plain salt-only block and free-choice loose minerals, and he is already gaining weight and looking better. My trainer and I have both recently noticed that he sweats heavily on both sides of his body in the flank area while his neck and shoulders remain dry; the sweat seems cool and wet, and the horse is not hot anywhere. He will sweat under the bridle and saddle, but not to the extent of the flank area. He sweats like this even while grazing in his pasture. We live in central Florida and have been experiencing 70 and 80 degree weather this winter, but his coat is not extremely thick. Does this situation point to any common diseases or problems such as tying up (no other symptoms), thyroid, or maybe EPM? Could he be reacting to the food or corn oil? He is a beautiful mover, does not tremble or get overly excited, does not seem to be in any pain or seem ill, and is not uncoordinated. When I first brought him home, he was chased by my other horses and sweated heavily all over, but now, three weeks later, he has calmed down and adjusted to the herd. I am not working him hard at all under saddle since he is still in poor condition, so I am not sure if he can still sweat all over. Should I have my vet look at him ? Please respond back with similar occurances or any other information that may be of help to me. |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM (Dro)
| | Posted on Thursday, Jan 31, 2002 - 8:32 am: | |
A few comments Dawn, first is that unusual sweating patterns is a commonly reported event in horses and rarely indicative of problems with the notable exception of older horses and a symptom of Cushinoid disease. Second is that at 80 degrees it does not take much coat at all to get some horses, particularly dark horses, hot enough to sweat. Horses are like people, some sweat more than others, in Fla the worry comes when they quit sweating.
DrO |
Heather Matthys (Equus)
| | Posted on Thursday, Jan 31, 2002 - 11:02 am: | |
Dawn,
Identical situation here. Kinda eerie reading it actually. I too live in central Florida, have a 5 year old TB off the track who was underweight, and sweats primarily in the flank region. The only difference is that I have gotten her up to weight now and have started a conditioning program. She sweats heavily all over, but always starts in the flank....right where the hind leg joins the belly. She will be dripping in that area. All I can tell you is that she seems to be just fine. Hope yours does as well. :-) |
Christine C. Mills (Chrism)
| | Posted on Thursday, Jan 31, 2002 - 4:55 pm: | |
One other comment - has the horse lived in FL for any length of time?
Sometimes it takes a year or two for a horse to acclimate to a new climate. My instructor purchased a horse from Canada and moved him to NC - he was a hot horse for probably a year or more!
Just a thought ... |
Dawn Jorgensen (Dawn)
| | Posted on Friday, Feb 1, 2002 - 7:15 pm: | |
Thanks for the replies ! It's good to hear that others have noticed this occurance. This horse was born in Florida and was raced until last May. In reply to Dr.O, I am aware that horses will often just sweat in response to the heat and that NOT sweating here in Florida is NOT a good sign ! However, I have never seen a horse that will not have a drop of sweat or heat anywhere else but is dripping in one particular area. It was particularly curious that I had observed the horse three times before purchasing him and he seemed to sweat "normally". I cut back on the corn oil after posting my problem, and I have noticed that the sweating in the flank area has greatly reduced. Dr. O, is there another type of fat or feedstuff that you would recommend to gain weight that is not dangerous and at the same time cost effective? (The corn oil was working wonders with his weight gain, along with the grain and hay). Could the corn oil have contributed to the sweating, or should I assume that the horse is simply adjusting to the better food and his new situation? By the way, THANKS, Dr.O, for providing an invaluable service - I love this site and recommend it all of the time ! |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM (Dro)
| | Posted on Sunday, Feb 3, 2002 - 8:52 am: | |
Hello Dawn,
Though you hear different folks proclaim different fats as being superior, oil is oil is fat. They all are pretty much the same from a nutritional standpoint (No flaxk about essential fatty acids please). For more on some of the differences see Care: Nutrition: Fat in the Diet.
I don't think it could other than the fact that a fatter animal will tend to stay warmer but let's assume nothing why attribute a cause when we do not know why? It may make you miss something important. Besides a little mystery in our lives is good for us. Thanks for the kudos.
DrO |
Tim Bradley
New Member
Username: Codemann
Post Number: 1
Registered: 6-2004
| | Posted on Sunday, Nov 27, 2005 - 12:30 pm: | |
I have recently adopted a 7 yr old thoroughbred gelding. He was severely emaciated with an abscessed foot. The adoption agency and then I have him up to weight and the abscess is healed but not totally grown out and he was also gelded approx. 4 months ago. I am working on accessing his soundness which I believe to be fine. (He never made it to the track but was in race training earlier in his life) The one thing that has me completely puzzled is, I have noticed him sweating just below his hip which then follows the curve of his hindquarters. I thought that he was laying a certain way that was picking up moisture from his stall. However, he had his blanket on the other night and when I pulled it off he had the same weird sweat marks on both sides. He was not sweating anywhere else (in fact he was cool to the touch) except just below his hip where the sweat was and then I did feel heat.... I have only ridden him minimally in the short time that I have had him but he has played very hard with our other horses in the field and has not come up lame or even sore. Any thoughts? It sounds similar to the flank sweats that were posted in January of 2002 but this horse came from Lexington, Ky and now reside in Cincinnati, Oh. which are far cry from the warm weather of Fl. It's also November and cool. He sweats normally when playing or being worked.... |
Anya
Member
Username: anya
Post Number: 7
Registered: 6-2009
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jun 24, 2009 - 12:25 pm: | |
My horse (also an OTTB, 4-year old mare) also has weird sweat patterns. She will start sweating (with heat) on her croup, both sides, but oddly enough not after exercise or moving, but when she is standing in her stall or in the cross ties for 30 min or longer. During the day she is out on the pasture, in the sun, and does not sweat.
When she gets exercised, she will stop sweating immediately as well. What could this be? |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: dro
Post Number: 23263
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jun 24, 2009 - 2:50 pm: | |
Hello Anya,
Can you tell us a bit more, for instance does she get nervous in the barn or is there little air flow in the barn?
DrO |
Anya
Member
Username: anya
Post Number: 9
Registered: 6-2009
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jun 24, 2009 - 3:40 pm: | |
She is not the nervous type, a very calm horse. The sweating only starts when she is standing for a longer period of time.
I noticed it first on 6/7 and called the vet the next day - I was worried about tying up - The vet did blood tests (they all came back within range) to rule out tying up. There was no lameness. As we were doing the fetlock x-rays I posted elsewhere in the forum, my horse started sweating again at the croup, only on one side, though (right side) and felt warm there. At this time, I was wearing my wintercoat, it was pretty cold at the barn. The vet thought it was a problem with nerves connecting wrongly (?) - neurotome (?)
Yesterday she was sweating the most I had seen her sweat at her croup, both sides, they both felt really warm, too. It was a warm day, and her stall is at the end of the barn, with good air flow. After walking her around and exercising, she stopped sweating there, and I only noticed sweat under her surcingle. |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM
Moderator
Username: dro
Post Number: 23276
Registered: 1-1997
| | Posted on Thursday, Jun 25, 2009 - 9:03 am: | |
Anya, it is important to note that horses almost always sweat but whether it collects on the body or not depends on the rate of formation and rate of evaporation. I wonder if these areas the horse is standing in are discouraging evaporation. Increase humidity or decrease in breeze for instance.
However there are horses that sweat when placed in unusual situations and rarely you see horses that have unusual sweating patterns that are hard to understand. I cannot think of any adverse health consequence of this however.
DrO |
