horse

Question
hey i was just wondering what are some of the symptoms of dehydration are ? due to think a retired horse may be dehydrated he seems not very bright and wobbles when lead but if you walk a long distance he almost falls over was wondering if you would know if its dehydration? thankyou stacey.

Answer
Hi Stacey,

Thank you for your question.  The early stages of dehydration in your horse can be detected by performing a skin pinch test (where you tent or pinch a small section of skin on the side of the neck and the skin should bounce back into shape immediately...if it stays wrinkled the horse may be dehydrated) or checking capillary refill time (press the horses gums long enough to leave a white spot...if the spot takes longer than 2-3 seconds to return to normal pink colour, the horse may be dehydrated).  Now, keep in mind that these tests can be subjective in nature and are not entirely reliable...but they are a quick field test that you can use.  Dehydration is normally easily remedied with access to clean fresh water.  Treating your horse with electrolytes (powder or paste) will help your horse retain water at the cellular level.

The best suggestion that I can give is to have your vet attend to the horse.  The symptoms that you are describing certainly can be attributed to more severe medical disorders than dehydration and should not be left untreated.

Thanks, Corlena