In some cases, a cooled box stall can help anhidrotic horses begin to sweat again. "The most economical and best treatment is to put them in a box stall with plastic sheets on the walls and a window air-conditioning unit," Gravlee suggests.
Veterinary Diagnosis of Anhidrosis
In skin tests, the veterinarian injects increasing concentrations of epinephrine into the horse's skin. Your veterinarian will be able to determine if your horse is anhidrotic and the severity of the condition by observing how your horse sweats in response to the various dosages. In a normal horse, a low concentration of epinephrine should induce sweating. Anhidrotic horses may only sweat after a dose of highly concentrated epinephrine or may not sweat at all.
Source: "No Sweat!" by Shawn Clark, www. vet.purdue.edu/horses/anhidrosis.html.
After a horse has suffered from anhidrosis, it may be necessary to pursue long-term treatment and prevention methods in order to keep the horse healthy. "Once they've been affected, they're more likely to develop it again," Gravlee says.
According to the article by Breuhaus, some long-term treatments include using fans or mist on the horse, providing access to shade, or permanently moving the horse to a cooler climate. An article written by Shawn Clark, a veterinary student at Purdue University, suggests that supplementing anhidrotic horses with iodine casein, thyroid hormones, or vitamin E and selenium may help treat anhidrosis as well. Exercise should also be limited to cooler parts of the day, Gravlee adds.
In some horses, nutritional support may help horses with anhidrosis. Hall discovered this somewhat by accident. The Texas veterinarian was treating several barrel racing horses that had stopped sweating. "I was treating them for some other issues, and I had them on organic iodine and on the [Life Data Labs] Work + Farrier Formula."
When his clients saw that their horses were beginning to sweat again, they asked Hall if they could increase the dosage of the Work + Farrier Formula and he agreed. "We intensified it just a little bit, and the horses got even more normal and started sweating again."
Hall contacted Gravlee to report this unexpected turn of events and get his take on it. Gravlee was less surprised by the result, explaining the reason that the Life Data Lab product may have helped treat the anhidrotic barrel horses is because it contains tyrosine, an amino acid building block. Gravlee says tyrosine helps balance and build thyroid and melatonin hormones which, in turn, help control the endocrine system.
Hall says organic iodine and tyrosine are important factors in horses' sweating processes. "There's no one single thing [that controls sweating], but if there's one important thing missing, then they can stop sweating."
Paying attention to your horse is one of the most important things you can do to prevent anhidrosis, Hall notes. His clients' "acute watchfulness" helped them identify the problem in their horses.
"They know their horses like mothers know their babies," Hall said. "If their horses' ears twitch the wrong way, they notice it and it means something. They pick up on those things."
The earlier owners observe symptoms of anhidrosis, the easier it is to treat.
"Horse owners need to be the first to look for the symptoms," Gravlee confirms. "Observe the horse for overheating. If they get overheated, cool them off. If you can't get them cooled off, call the vet. The sooner you can get them to start sweating again, the better they are and the less likely they are to have the condition reoccur."
Anhidrosis is a dangerous condition that can affect any horse. By staying vigilant and getting expert advice when you notice a change in your horses, you will be able to help identify, treat and perhaps prevent anhidrosis from harming your herd.
A Quick Check For Sweat
Dr. Frank Gravlee and Dr. James Hall agree that it is important for owners to observe their horses' physical signs to detect the onset of anhidrosis. One easy way you can check your horse's body heat and sweating processes is by running your hand under the horse's mane.
This area gives you a great indication of how hot your horse is and allows you to quickly check if your horse is sweating without having to remove your saddle. "The first place to sweat with a horse is under the mane, and it's also the last place to quit sweating," Gravlee explains. If your horse is working hard in hot, humid conditions and is not sweating, it could be suffering from anhidrosis and may need medical attention.
