Just when you think you have heard it all...

Nobie, the beautiful Haflinger we dontated to Dream Catchers in memory of our son has been having a bit of trouble over the past few days. Significantly increased respirations had Nobie getting cool showers every two hours pretty much all weekend (no jokes, boys, he's a gelding :grin. When he developed swolen salivary glands yesterday, the vet was called.

While he may be developing a thyroid issue and this is being explored, the diagnosis today is Anhidrosis - the inability to sweat. (This is really funny in a way because I actaully have HYPERhidrosis - the exact opposite condition!! Go figure... I'M the one who sweats like a horse!!! LOL...) Supposedly with the horrific heat we've been having, the vets are seeing numerous cases of this not often seen condition. (The horses sweat glands literally get "overworked" and quit working).

The treatment for Anhidrosis? Beer. And not just any beer - Guiness Stout. So off to the store I went to buy beer for my horse. One bottle a day to start...

Tests should be back by Friday to see what else may be going on, so please send healing, positive thoughts to this sweet horse. I'm thinking very positively... I know Adam is getting a HUGE charge out of "his" horse getting beer.

Oh man, the beer part is funny!

The rest of it isn't...will send good thoughts to Nobie.

(I hate stout!)

I LOVE STOUT! must be an Irish horse

 Quote: Dennis Jones

I LOVE STOUT! must be an Irish horse

Well... my mum was from Ireland but Nobie is from Austria like Doug!

Word to the wise ... Don't let the horse see you pour. My grandfathers horse became a raging PITA to anyone with a bottle after he got into his beer a day habit.

Good point - Nobie is already "into his food" so he would be the kind to do just this.

So, has he had his first drink yet? How'd he like it?

Sending healing thoughts to Nobie!
I look forward to updates Barbara, I hope the
GS works!

Let us know how he does!!!!

I would keep an eye on him for the first few times.

Horses intox very easy and there are a few concerns we have out here on the farm as the result of that.

1) Is that they become very unstable on their feet. They can fall, run into or through stuff. And at 1000(are smallest horse) to 2100 pounds (Our Clydesdale) running into something can hurt the horse, and falling do to unsteady legs can also hurt the horse. Both inside and out.
For a horse that already has health issues, added injury would be bad. I know you know that. I was just typing it, for the sake of typing it.

2) They can become hyper, aggressive, overly playful ect. ect. This combined with reason #1 is also very dangerous.

This same thing can happen to a horse if you feed it silage (or for you old school horseman fodder).
It is basically from the fermenting process.

I would look into the active ingredient in the beer that is supposed to be affective and go from there?

Have you tried Apple Cider Vinegar? It is what we would use, or look at as an option first.

Good luck. Hope he gets better. I love geldings.