Science

SHOULD YOU GIVE ELECTROLYTES TO A HORSE THAT IS NOT DRINKING?

Written by Madaleen

Tuesday, 05 February 2013 09:08

Ten years ago my answer would have been "NO". That would have also been the answer from most vets, nutritionists and owners. However, in the past few years I have begun to question that and now my answer is very much a "YES". There are a large number of scientific studies and practical experiences that have led me to change my mind, and one cited below is an example. Its not dehydration per se that makes horses drink, it the concentration of electrolytes in the blood (especially sodium) that drive thirst. So if you remove water and electrolytes together (e.g. from sweating) then whilst the horse becomes dehydrated, it will not have a strong stimulus to drink. On the other hand, if you remove mainly water, the concentration of electrolytes will increase and there will be a stimulus to drink. This has been the conclusion from many scientific papers, and the one below by Butudom and colleagues published nearly 10 years ago is a perfect example. They demonstrated that “plasma tonicity” (the concentration or amount of electrolytes [primarily sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, phosphate) in the blood) was the more important in driving a horse to drink than “hypovolemia” (reduced volume of fluid [blood]) in the circulation.

Thus, if a horse or pony is not drinking and we think it should be (for example, after exercise or travelling), then it may simply be that the horse or pony should be drinking but doesn’t have the right stimulus to drink. That is it is dehydrated but the concentration of electrolytes in the blood are normal. In this situation, doing nothing could lead to more serious medical consequences. Dehydration may increase the risk of colic and can also worsen respiratory conditions.

The general wisdom with horses and ponies that are not drinking has been to NOT give them electrolytes on the assumption that this would draw water into the gastro-intestinal tract and make things worse. Actually, this is what would happen but it would not make things worse, perhaps surprisingly it would actually make things better and make the horse more likely to drink! If we give electrolytes to a horse that is not drinking, it will draw water into the stomach and small intestine, but this will also have the effect of increasing the plasma tonicity (plasma concentration of electrolytes) and therefore provide a strong stimulus for the horse to drink.

So, “Should you give electrolytes to a horse that is not drinking?” My answer is now “YES”, as it will not make things worse and has the potential to stimulate drinking.

Flair Equine Nasal Strips Article

Written by Madaleen
Wednesday, 19 May 2010 10:25
FLAIR Strips are self-adhesive strips that promote optimum respiratory health of equine athletes at all levels by reducing airway resistance and providing improved airflow when your horse needs oxygen most. FLAIR Strips provide benefits for all horses including intensively trained horses as well as for horses that only exert themselves during occasional weekend competitions or trail rides. During exercise when horses begin to breathe hard the soft tissues overlying the nasal passages are sucked in, reducing the airway diameter. This reduction in diameter causes greater resistance to airflow into the lungs. FLAIR Strips gently support the soft tissues over the nasal passages providing reduced airway resistance during exercise. By reducing airway resistance during exercise, FLAIR Strips help prevent fatigue related injuries, help protect the lungs from injury and bleeding and promote optimal athletic performance. FLAIR Strips support the nasal passages during exercise and improve the horse’s airflow when it needs oxygen most. Unlike humans, horses can only breathe through their noses. As horses begin to breathe hard during exercise, the soft tissues overlying the nasal passages are sucked in, reducing the airway diameter. This reduction in diameter causes greater resistance of airflow into the lungs. FLAIR Strips are proven to reduce airway resistance during exercise. By doing so, FLAIR Strips help prevent fatigue related injuries, protect the lungs from injury and promote optimal athletic performance. To visit the international Flair Strips Website go to www.flairstrips.com
Last Updated on Thursday, 03 June 2010 14:33

Electrolytes demystified – The bare facts

What Are Electrolytes?

Electrolytes are one of the most abundant compounds in the body after water. The major electrolytes include sodium (Na), potassium (K), chloride (Cl) and calcium (Ca). Electrolytes are not evenly distributed throughout the body. For example, red blood cells and nerve cells contain very high concentrations of potassium but the concentration in plasma (the watery part of the blood without the red blood cells) is quite low. Calcium is also low in plasma, but high in bone and muscle cells.

What Form Do Electrolytes Come In?

When electrolytes are fed to horses in supplements, they are in the form of compounds, such as sodium chloride (salt; chemical formula NaCl) or potassium chloride (KCl) or calcium carbonate (CaCO3). Electrolytes are also present in grass, hay and all forages. All compound feeds contain some electrolytes. A hay and commercial feed diet may supply adequate amounts of the different electrolytes for horses at pasture or in light work.

How Do Horses Lose Electrolytes?

Horses lose electrolytes continuously in urine, droppings, breath and sweat. The main loss of electrolytes during exercise is via sweating. The harder the horse works, the hotter the horse gets, the longer a horse works and the hotter the environment, the more sweat and therefore the more electrolytes a horse will lose. One litre of equine sweat contains approximately 3.5g of sodium, 6g of chloride, 1.2g of potassium and 0.1g of calcium. An endurance horse can lose 10 litres of sweat per hour on a hot day at a competitive pace. Over 10 hours this would equate to the loss of 100 litres of sweat and therefore around one kilogram of electrolytes being lost (1 kg or 1000g or 36 ounces!!!). We usually feed horses 25-100g of electrolytes per day so it could take up to 10-40 days to restore the electrolytes lost in one endurance race.