Anhidrosis- Help Need Advice!

[arp14]

I have a 6 yr old tb with anhidrosis. Unfortunately it's a severe case and he is uncomfortable at rest in stall with multiple fans. He's developed every summer. Riding is absolutely out for three months during summers here- too hot for him! Been vet evaluated and I've tried everything- one ac, beer (although need to try guiness) He starts having trouble when temps above 92. I kept him in ac stall last summer, but not an option and I've moved further south. I'm going to try to set up a misting apparatus in stall. Any recomendations on misting fan/apparatus that will work in stall without getting too wet, that's not $$$$?

I adore this horse, but this condition it becoming too difficult to manage in my climate during summertime, so I'm considering finding home in better climate. Anyone know of any reputable contacts up north who may be able to help me find this horse a suitable home in climate where he'd be more comfortable? This is a special and very talented horse that I adore, but it's unfair of me to keep him in my climate with his condition. Any suggestions much appreciated!!!

[Pookah]

Aw, that sucks!! I have a horse who suddenly developed a case that severe last summer, and it was a nightmare for a few weeks, but he fortunately started sweating again. I would definitely try Guinness as it supposedly works better than other beers, and it wouldn't hurt to try Let Em Sweat, too--some horses respond to that better than One AC, and vice versa. I haven't fortunately had to do a mister in the stall, but in turnout my vet recommended a sprinkler (unfortunately the horse is too dumb to use it :-)). Someone else posted yesterday about ideas for a sprinkler system, so might be worth a search. I don't know if it's an option, but hosing/scraping/hosing/scraping every few hours worked best for our horse, since it sort of replaces the sweating function.

[Gayla]

The misters are available everywhere even at WalMart I think. I wouldn't feel guilty about keeping him. If you send him somewhere colder he might get less work b/c it will be so cold in the winter. If you live where I do in Florida winter is perfect! I think if you get the mister set up he will be perfect. Remember that your horse has a problem that will make him more susceptible to being passed around to bad hands. Even people you think you trust get rid of horses they don't want anymore. I would try everything before I let him go.

[LarkspurCO]

Try the Equiwinner patch. It was the only thing that worked for me, and there's a money-back guarantee.

http://www.equiwinner.com/sweating.htm

[ram10]

My Tb didn't sweat a couple of summers ago. He had a fan but on really hot days he'd had trouble and would start breathing heavily. On these days the BO would lay plastic grocery bags with ice cubes in them across his back -- two bags tied together with the handles. He didn't complain and it helped bring his temp. back down. We also moved him to a stall away from the sunny side. He put up with the plastic bags better than we expected. Perhaps blowing the fan across ice packs would help some. We tried one a/c -- not sure it helped. He wouldn't drink beer so that was out.

[arp14]

Thanks for the advice everyone! This condition is a beast to deal with- this will be third summer coping with it and it really does suck! I'm becoming an expert on this condition and don't want to be! I've tried so many things, and the only thing that really helped with him before was the ac last summer. Wish that was an option now! I'll give Guinness a chance and chk out let'em sweat and equiwinner- although I think I used let'em sweat before one ac yr before last with not results :confused: I've got one misting apparatus set up but it gets stall too wet. Just bought one from walmart will see how that one works? I haven't tried a sprinkler yet- that makes so much sense though! If he doesn't pick it up and run off with it in the pasture :lol: If all this doesn't help though, I'll have no choice but to seriously look for a home for him up north. It's just not feasible for him or me to keep fighting this losing battle with the heat every summer. At very least, I'll have to find him a cooler barn to live at that can give him the high-maintenance round the clock care that it takes just to keep him comfortable and the cost for that care to not be able to ride for three months out of the year just doesn't seem logical anymore.....ah, and to think summertime used to be my favorite time of the year- oh well!

[Eventaholic]

The July issue of Equus had an interesting article about this.

My best advice is take a trip to your local target, home depot, trailer supply, and big lots stores, you'd be surprised with the kinds of things they have that can be retrofitted for equine use.

Good luck!

[Pookah]

I don't have any magic solutions on the misters in the stall, but what if you change the bedding? It seems like if the mister is getting it too wet, maybe you could switch to more absorbent bedding to balance out. Maybe the pelletized stuff?

[dressagedevon]

I posted a homemade recipe on here last summer I think, if you can't find it pm and I will dig it out for you. I have a tb/old cross that doesn't sweat and we have tried everything else, my equine dentist gave me this recipe. It is some old track thing, but it worked he was sweating for two summers, he has stopped again this year so I need to head to wal-mart to get everything. Good luck it's frustrating and you feel so bad for them.

[Nickerdoodle]

dressagedevon

If you don't mind PMing it, I'd be interested in the recipe also.

This year we're trying acupuncture in addition to the Guinness and Let Em Sweat. OneAC only seemed to work the first year or two.

[pi and tofu]

I would love the recipe as well. Just started the guiness, which he likes, but it is so hot here, hope it doesn't get any worse.

[Pookah]

I would love the recipe too!

[Sugarbrook]

My wonderful brood mare, Rose, who has had 9 foals, started a few years not sweating. Last summer it did not get bad until August. We got the mister hose thing from walmart and put it up in her stall. With a paddle fan, regular box fan and the mister we kept her quite comfortable. Have not found anything to work on her, but have not tried beer.
May I please have the recipe you are talking about?

This year she got bad by the first of June. Its been terribly hot here in Fl.

[SMF11]

. At very least, I'll have to find him a cooler barn to live at that can give him the high-maintenance round the clock care that it takes just to keep him comfortable and the cost for that care to not be able to ride for three months out of the year just doesn't seem logical anymore.....ah, and to think summertime used to be my favorite time of the year- oh well!

I had a boarder with anhydrosis for a few years. He was a retired show horse. Unfortunately, I have no great solutions for you. I did rig up a shower for him in the field under a big tree. It was a pole attached to a fence post with a shower head at the top that I attached a hose to. The horse never went under it, although on hot days his pasture-mates gathered around it so the breeze blew a little mist on them. So it didn't really work to keep him cool.

I would just caution you that if you aren't willing to find the kind of barn he'll do well at pretty much no one else will be either. It is labor intensive dealing with anhydrosis, so it is expensive. I'm glad you realize that, I don't think everyone with these horses does! That boarder I had ended up needing to move to a barn with a staff (which was not mine!) so he could be hosed off regularly, kept inside during the day etc. The owners went from paying $425 to me, to over $1,000/month to get the kind of care he needed.

[Buffyblue]

A mister in the stall is a great idea. Is he on night turnout? I use One AC, ProSweat, and Guinness Stout (one beer a day) for my horse in New Jersey. When riding I keep a spray bottle of water with rubbing alcohol in it for a quick spritz. The alcohol really helps accelerate the evaporation/cooling effect.

[1ofEach]

I'd also like the recipe to keep on hand.

Not to toot my own horn, but I got my anhidrosis guy off of chron giveaways. I adore him and he is much more comfy up north, so there is hope for finding him a good home. His personality alone has earned him a forever home here. I agree though, it is tough to find someone willing to deal with the issues and isn't looking to make a quick buck by reselling him.

I took him off of One AC for the winter and so far I have not had to put him back on it. He's been sweating like a champ so far this summer. He does get beer when it's hot and humid out.

I wouldn't say he would get worked less up north because of the cold winters. People up here are tough and most only don't ride on the handful of days that it is so frigid cold that it's harmful to ride.

Good luck! I hope it works out for both of you.

[KrazyTBMare]

My boarders gelding shut down and stopped sweating completely 3 years ago. We did Let M Sweat, One AC, beer, misters, clipping him, electrolytes, and accupuncture.

Accupuncture did work the first summer. About 4 days after the session, he was sweating. It wasnt a full out sweat but it was an improvement. That lasted until the winter, which he did not have issues sweating during.

The next summer, he shut down again. Tried the accupunctured and it worked but only for like a month and then he shut down AGAIN.

At the same time, I decided to switch to a low sugar/starch feed (was feeding Ultium). I switched to Spillers (which is now Seminoles Wellness) and what do you know, he started sweating some.

After my mare started choking on the Wellness, I switched to Gro N Win, a ration balancer. Since I made the switch to a ration balancer and have cut the amount of sugars in my boarders food to almost none, he has not stopped sweating. He used to just get a little pilled looking if he was ridden. Now hes sweating just standing in the pasture. Its wonderful.

Obviously that doesnt mean your horse is getting too much sugar/starch but maybe something to check out. I would also highly suggest looking into the accpuncture. The type we had included "bleeding" the horse, which was having needles in certain veins on the body that let a TINY amount of blood drip out. Interestingly enough, some areas were bleeding bright red, healthy blood while others were dark and stagnant. Anyways, the final treatment was a B12 injection. That really did help as well as examining the diet.

Good luck. Its a really crappy thing to have to battle.

[Stono Ferry]

Who makes Let Em Sweat? I've been googleing (is that a word) for 30 minutes and cannot find it. TIA

[GallopHer]

I have a friend whose horse stops sweating in the summer. Our vet puts staples in the tips of Star's ears at the beginning of each summer and he starts to sweat again. I guess this method is similar to acupuncture. Sound odd, but it works...

Best of luck to the OP.

[KrazyTBMare]

I will find out who makes it. I believe it is either made in Fl or Tx. Im pretty sure my feed store carries it. My boarder ordered it so I am not sure where she got it.

[Nickerdoodle]

Let M Sweat web-site

http://www.equi-fab.com/anhidrosis.htm

[AlfalfaGirl]

I tried searching for the recipe and was unsuccessful. I have just started dealing with this last Wednesday when my 8 yr. old gelding stopped sweating. I ordered One AC and started him on it today. Hope to see some improvement. He went back into a stall today with 2 fans blowing on him and turn out in the evening til morning.