By TPH Intern KAITLYN CRAWFORD
Life Data Labs Inc., perhaps better known as the creators of Farriers Formula, has launched a new product called Life Data Sweat Formula which promotes sweating in horses.
In their Facebook livestream on July 19th, Corbin Delaney and Susie Holt explained anhidrosis and how their new supplement can help horses affected by this condition.
They described anhidrosis as the inability, or reduced capacity, to sweat. It’s estimated that 2-6% of the horse population is affected or has anhidrosis, and research has found no particular cause for the condition. Anhidrosis can occur in any horse regardless of age, sex, breed, color, or any other factor.
Horses, like humans, sweat in order to cool themselves off. Not sweating can cause overheating, heat stroke, organ damage, muscle damage, or even death.
Key symptoms of anhidrosis include: noticeable lack of sweating, heavy or labored breathing, flared nostrils, panting, increase heart rate and blood pressure, body temperature over 104°, lack of energy, refusal to work, constantly looking for shade or water, a coat that is dry to the touch, and dry or itchy skin.
If you are attempting to identify anhidrosis in your horse, you can ask yourself: Is the horse not sweating? Is there a reduction of sweat? Is the horse only sweating in certain areas rather than all over? Is the horse sweating as much as other horses in the same conditions?
Some things you can do to help your horse stay comfortable include: move the horse to a shady or ventilated area, use of portable fans, air conditioning, hose the horse down with cold water, provide plenty of cold drinking water, or even move the horse to a cooler climate.
They describe several ways to promote sweating in horses, including: feeding a dark beer, feeding an electrolyte and salt mixture, medical treatment, and supplementation. Oftentimes, success of these treatments varies between horses.
The Life Data Sweat Formula is one supplement that may help your horse sweat, but it’s not guaranteed to work for every horse. The supplement delivers essential fatty acids, amino acids, vitamins, and minerals that were found to be deficient in anhidrotic horses.
Delaney goes into detail about how fatty acids in the feed restore lipids in the sweat gland membranes, which help the transfer of fluids out of the glands. He explains how this particular function may not be successful for every horse with anhidrosis.
“With chronic anhidrosis, those sweat glands might atrophy when that horse has had that issue for so long, and if those glands have atrophied, then this may not help. Nutrition may not be the answer for that because those glands are no longer working,” says Delaney.
Anhidrosis can be a scary condition for horses, especially those who are in work. With monitoring and care, anhidrosis can be identified and alleviated, and the horses affected can continue to live and work safely and comfortably.
Owners who suspect anhidrosis in their horse are encouraged to contact a veterinarian.
