testing for dehydration- the pinch test, anyone elses horse very dry!

[ester]

My pone seems to have the most inelastic skin ever,

I have always thought that to check for dehydration you should pinch the skin on the neck and it should return to its normal position after a couple of seconds. - standard practice in most animals I believe.

Now this doesn't really seem to work on my boy, if my results are correct he is always dry!

Take today for instance, he had the day off, spent all day eating wet grass in the field and had access to water all day. He turned to look at me tonight and then when he turned back to his haynet he had a bloody great crease still in his neck until I pressed it back down again.

Now I don't worry about this too much anymore as he has always been like this, he drinks really reasonably well at home and really well at shows. He always seems 100% fine in himself and doesn't drink more or less than I would consider normal. If he seems particularly bad like tonight I give him a really soupy feed.

I am going to ask the vet about it when he comes to do the jabs on tuesday as I haven't actually mentioned it to him before, but I just wondered if anyone else had experience of this, is it a possible symptom of something else going on? as far as I can remember he has been like this for the last 3.5 years.

If I find out anything on tues I will update!



Just wondered if anyone had any similar experience of this

 

[kerilli]

some proper tests were done fairly recently on this and i believe the results showed that the 'pinch test' is seriously unreliable for showing how dehydrated a horse is. as long as he has access to fresh water he won't let himself get dehydrated, imho, so i'd stop worrying about it.

 

[ester]

thanks kerilli, just need confirmation really I don't really pay much attention to it anymore only like tonight when I can't really ignore the giant immovable fold in his neck.

Mayflower in NL suggested less springy as he is 16 this year and to check his gums are moist.

 

[EnduroRider]

kerilli is right, studies have recently shown the the pinch test/skin tent is not a reliable indication of hydration in the horse. That said they are still using it in endurance rides!

One gelding I ride is always really 'sticky' and the vets get paranoid about it but that is just the way he is, so if your boy seems completely normal in all other respects I wouldn't worry.

Also, I think it should be done on the point of the shoulder rather than the neck, is he more 'normal' if you test here?!

 

[flowerlady]

[ QUOTE ]
some proper tests were done fairly recently on this and i believe the results showed that the 'pinch test' is seriously unreliable for showing how dehydrated a horse is. as long as he has access to fresh water he won't let himself get dehydrated, imho, so i'd stop worrying about it.

[/ QUOTE ]

This is normally the case but I have seen a horse last year that another horse kept away from the water every time it went near it. So just keep an eye that he's not being (bullied in the field). As you say though it won't hurt to check with the vet.

 

[ester]

Thanks flowerlady but don't have to worry about bullying- he goes out with his girlfriend and he's the boss, always has been, was boss of the geldings field before we moved him home.

Was quite a shock to the bird when she first met him.