Tag Archives: electrolytes

In the Heat and Humidity, Electrolytes to the Rescue!

When it’s time to sweat, Electrolytes must come to the rescue!

With record temperatures and high humidity plaguing our horses, care must be taken to keep your horse hydrated and healthy.  That is when giving your horse Electrolytes is essential.

Sodium, chloride, potassium and magnesium are the primary electrolytes (ions) needed by a working horse. When ions are balanced, they promote water consumption and retention, which can eliminate dehydration and other health problems. Electrolytes will keep your horse well on those super hot days.

A good sugar free electrolyte ensures a balanced blood chemistry level and does not burn or cause hind-gut discomfort. Watch out for electrolytes containing sodium chloride which immediately oxidizes in the hind-gut and creates sodium ions, which the horse cannot stop from being absorbed into the blood. If this should happen, then the sodium would replace potassium at the cellular level and hinder nutrient transfer.

KAM Daily Electrolytes were created with the idea of making all the ingredients available to the horse immediately.  So, when looking for electrolytes make sure this is one of the things you look for.  You also want to ensure a balanced blood chemistry level, by addressing potassium, sodium, magnesium and calcium blood levels.  Some signs of times you might want to use electrolytes are when tying-up, muscle cramping, anhydrous, synchronous diaphragmatic flutter or diarrhea present themselves.

This tip was brought to you by KAM Animal Services, home of KAM’s “Equine Learning Circle” FREE webinars, which will take place twice a month.  Go to www.kamanimalservices.com to sign up for the next webinar. Upcoming webinars include “Get It in Writing” on May 16 and “Electrolytes, Detoxing and First Aid” on June 13.  These webinars will conclude with a question and answer session, so be ready with your questions!

Electrolytes: Why Optimal Horse Health Hangs in the Balance, Not the Quantity

Recent research suggests a cure for equine anhidrosis, tying-up and more, based on findings that such negative effects on horse health result when electrolytes don’t always perform as they’re supposed to.

Mesa, AZ (Apr. 26, 2011) – Electrolytes are involved in every physiological process in the horse’s body including hydration, blood pH and maintaining normal muscle function. The typical equine diet of hay and grain usually provides all the electrolytes a horse needs but good health depends on how those electrolytes are balanced.

Researchers are now focusing more attention on electrolyte activity, rather than just level. When comparing healthy horses to unhealthy ones, they’ve found that simply providing electrolytes does not guarantee they’ll work properly. Abnormalities in electrolyte activity have been linked to tying-up and equine anhidrosis.

In Veterinary Dermatology [1], researchers from Glasgow Caledonian University and Michigan State University published findings that anhidrotic horses secrete chloride ions differently than normal, healthy horses do. Defective electrolyte transport mechanisms in the gland are likely responsible.

Continue reading Electrolytes: Why Optimal Horse Health Hangs in the Balance, Not the Quantity

In the Heat and Humidity, Electrolytes to the Rescue!

When it’s time to sweat, Electrolytes must come to the rescue!

With record temperatures and high humidity plaguing our horses, care must be taken to keep your horse hydrated and healthy.  That is when giving your horse Electrolytes is essential.

Sodium, chloride, potassium and magnesium are the primary electrolytes (ions) needed by a working horse. When ions are balanced, they promote water consumption and retention, which can eliminate dehydration and other health problems. Electrolytes will keep your horse well on those super hot days.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12120