Is this normal?

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debradley

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I have a mare who is 17 and she has just recently taken, say over the last 4 months to drinking and entire bucket of water (say 3 gallons) in her stable over night. She has to empty her bucket everynight. She also seems to save her entire bladder contents for the stable. When the dentist was in recently to do both of them, she wee'ed in her stable three times in 2 hours - these were full on wees. Is it something I should be concerned about or is she just determined to want a clean bed every night? Otherwise, she seems very well in herself and is fed wet hay, and is what I would call a very good do'er. It just seems very strange that she should take to drinking so much, if I gave her more she'd drink that as well.
 
No it's not normal and may indicate a kidney disorder- I'd get the vet out if I were you.

You absolutely must not stop her drinking any more- put two big buckets in at night so she can drink as much as she needs or you'l be making the problem worse
 
Ok thanks - I've got the vet coming out to do a check on Honey just before I got back on board so will get them to do a kidney function test on Marble just incase. Gosh how exciting having to stand with a bucket ready to catch the wee. Lucky me!! But thanks for your feed back I did think it was a bit weird I haven't noticed this in her until winter this year and thought it might be down to the hay or something!
 
My mare crosses her bl**dy legs in the field until she comes in at night and then it's head in the feed bucket and UNcross the legs. She has a bladder the size of Loch Ness but I think this is just a habit thing. I also used to think she drank HUGE amounts of water but a fellow livery saw her happily chucking her water bucket about so I'm not too worried at the moment. She is a rescue and has severe liver damage from ragwort poisoning. When she first came to me, you could see the blood in her urine but it now looks and smells perfectly normal and at least I know how to get a sample! I guess if you're absolutely certain she IS drinking the water and not just splashing it about merrily then a urine test could be helpful. Does she also sweat lots or have a very heavy coat? It's so mild just now and my native is sweating conkers! Does your girl have a curly coat that might make you suspect Cushings?
 
No I don't think it's cushings I had an old pony with that so know what to look out for. I don't think she's throwing it around the stable because the water bucket is in the same place in the morning. She is a native so does grow a thick coat but it's long and curly just thick and she's not sweating a lot. My other horse is a bit of a bully and I'm wondering if she's stopping her from getting to the water trough in the field during the day - hard to know. She seems absolutely fine in herself, but will get the vet to run a check on her when he comes out to Honey.
 
It may well be Cushings! I had a mare here for 2 years who suddenly started drinking in continuation and flooding her box with wee, I had to completely empty it every day
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.Said mare had no other symtoms but was diagnosed with Cushings when recovered in a clinic for a few days. Once home the treatment was, restricted water and an injection of Prednasol every 15 days. Her owner found a place for her nearer her home so Wendy left nearly a year after her treatment started and shes still going strong today (5 years later).Wendy was 18 when she started drinking gallon upon gallon so she was quite young to have C's.
I hope its not C's and turns out to be something daft
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Mairi.
 
A simple blood test and urin sample will establish what the problem is,if it was a kidney disorder she would also loose weight very very quickly.
Symtops for cushins is also weight loss,dull looking coat and eyes,
 
Weight loss - god I should be so lucky she's a barrel!! It's my other that's lost a load of weight but that's down to shock and a lot of what happened to her. Marble's weight is consistant, she's bright bubbly and totally herself other than drinking loads; but I will get her checked out.
 
A normal stable bucket? That's about 15 litres.
Ours all have two buckets and drink at least half of each during winter, as they eat a,lot of hay eah night
OUr largets hrose has 3 buckets, and drinks equivlanet of two full over an 8pm to 8 am stabled time.
Worth ahving ehr chekced out, as its a change in her bahaviour, but cold be change in diet?
Also put a another tub in the field, so sh gets her share there.
 
My mare (15.3hh cob) drinks at least 2 (sometimes 2 1/2), 3 gallon water buckets (large stubbs flatback water buckets) every night in winter, I've had her since she was 6 (now 13) and she has always drunk this much, have discussed with my vet, but they didn't think it was anything to worry about.
 
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