My geldings urine..

[Turtlebay69]

My gelding is 20 years old, and in medium work just hacking. For the past year I've noticed his urine smells slightly fishy. His urine recently (6 months or so) is dark yellow and now like egg yolk. He sweats all the time when working a lot so I'm adding some electrolytes to his feed but is there anything else I can do or what this is a sign of?

 

[amandap]

Try feeding just plain table salt rather than electrolyte mix. It may be worth running it by your vet as well but sodium deficiency is common and can lead to dehydration through not drinking enough as low sodium levels reduce thirst. Grass is rarely short of potassium.

http://forageplus.co.uk/electrolytes-and-your-horse/
http://www.balancedequine.com.au/nutrition/electrolytes.html

 

[Turtlebay69]

Hi amandap. Thank you so much. It's really been confusing me reading about what to feed him. So just plain table salt will do for all his sodium needs? No need for an electrolyte supplement? I have noticed he's lacking his usual energy and hardly drinks - all makes sense when I just read your links!

 

[Turtlebay69]

Also amandap will this help with his excessive sweating ie replacing what's lost?

 

[amandap]

If you read what is in the eletrolyte it will most likely contain potassium. Sodium and chloride supplementation is needed for most horses. It may well reduce his sweating, I have read of supplementing salt reducing sweating and lathering. A tablespoon a day is a basic amount for say 15hh. Some feed more especially in Spring when potassium levels in grazing can spike. Supplementing salt can help with some head shakers too incidentally.
You will have to play it by ear a bit without testing forages etc. but I would try just the salt for 2-3 months and see the response. You can feed two tablespoons a day of salt if he will eat it which might be an idea to begin with. Gradually increase it if he doesn't like it at first.

 

[Turtlebay69]

Thank you so much. You've saved me a lot of money and time, honestly thank you!

 

[amandap]

Hope it helps.
ps. Make sure he has plenty of plain water to drink as his consumption will probably increase.

 

[cptrayes]

You should, I think, have had a vet out to him long ago. Dark urine, never mind now so thick that you call it 'like egg yolk', sounds very serious to me and this has been building up and up for a year. If he has kidney problems, you could be too late to treat it.

Please ask a vet, not us.

 

[Gloi]

The abnormal sweating could be a sign of Cushings, has he been tested? I do think he needs a vet to look at him in case he has kidney disease or a urinary infection. Adding extra electrolytes could be risky if you do not know what is wrong.
Also - have you checked him for a bean next to his uretha that could be giving him a problem?