Newer anhidrosis treatment options?

[saitou_amaya]

My 23 year old Friesian gelding has has anhidrosis for at least 10 years now. Once the temperatures consistently hit the 80s, his sweating mechanism just switches off completely until the fall. When he was first diagnosed and for a few years after that, I tried everything available including beer, 1AC, and the patch thing. None of them really worked well. 1AC seems to have the most benefit but he still doesn’t sweat like a normal horse.

Since then, I’ve kind of accepted this is the way things are and learned to work around it. He gets 1AC in the summer months, I avoid riding on the hottest days/times, he wears a fly sheet outside, and he gets hosed off every day. But now I’m seeing there are a lot more treatment options on the market that weren’t available before.

Does anyone know if these options are any better than 1AC and worth spending money on? In particular, I’m seeing Platinum Refresh, MetaSweat, Let-M-Sweat, and True Sweat, which I never recall seeing before. Do they all have pretty similar active ingredients and results?

[soloudinhere]

I have a horse that doesn’t stop sweating completely but is not a good sweater at all. He gets Horsetech’s sweatwerks and I have found it better than 1AC, personally.

[Victorious]

I’m not super familiar with anhidrosis, but I literally just overheard 2 vets talking about their success treating it with acupuncture-as in, completely treating it. Might be worth a look…

[mmeqcenter]

There’s a local vet clinic that has a whole system for it, I’ve heard it has good results. Acupuncture combined with a herbal supplements specific to each horse.

[lenapesadie]

I use the Platinum Refresh for my Friesian cross. This is his third summer on it. It works really well for him. He sweats normally on it. I still avoid heat stress situations of course.

I personally think it works better if it’s added to his supplements before the weather heats up.

[Renn_aissance]

My horse initially responded very well to One AC, but I found him developing tolerance to it pretty quickly within the season- his third year on it, or so, I was triple-dosing in July to keep him happy.

I’m now using Platinum Refresh and have been happy with his response to that so far- I think he’s been on it for about six years. I do sometimes have to double-dose in very hot weather, but I can usually scale him up in particularly difficult weeks, and then scale him back down to a normal dose, and still get a response at the normal dose. I start it in April, prior to the humid season, so that he has 6-8 weeks on it before the weather gets to a critical point.

My vet and I have talked about acupuncture and herbs as that is a part of her practice. In her experience, she has found that acupuncture can be effective if done regularly- daily to weekly. She’s offered to teach me the acupressure points this summer to see if it makes a difference.

[Sancudo]

I’ve used acupuncture on a severe non sweater the first summer he was in south Florida.

The first session he sweated normally for 4-5 days after.

The second session only got 2 days.

No improvement after the 3rd sessions, and then he became extremely needle phobic.

Beer, 1AC, herbal supplements did not work on him either.

[mfglickman]

Same - my vet said acupuncture has shown excellent results for this.

[cocopuff]

When my horse stopped sweating 2 summers ago I asked around in the barn what anyone else had experience with, supplement-wise. The only thing that had been tried was One AC and it worked slightly less than half the time, I was told. I looked online at other choices and decided to try True Sweat. This stuff was a lifesaver! I used it that summer and a little bit last summer. So far this year I have not needed it at all, although I do have some on hand for just in case.

If I had to guess One AC is popular because many tack shops carry it. True Sweat only seems to be available online. To me it is definitely worth the trouble to buy it and wait for it to show up.

[Rescueottbhunter]

Platinum refresh is amazing. My tb gelding was having anhidrosis issues and Refresh made him sweat again in a few days. Earlier this spring Platinum was having COVID related production issues and I had to get some one ac for a replacement and he stopped sweating on that stuff. I got the refresh a week later and he started sweating 2 days later!

[Equibrit]

Recent study;

Genomic Association of Chronic Idiopathic Anhidrosis to a Potassium Channel...

[ladipus]

@saitou_amaya I have a new Friesian whom I just found out this week isn’t sweating with the sudden heat … and was told by people who exclusively breed/train/sell them that Equine Total Gold Oil works very well for this

https://equinetotalgold.com/product/equine-total-gold-anhidrosis-formula-for-non-sweating-horses/

I just ordered it …hoping it helps. Iron Springs farm who breeds/trains Friesians also recommend giving Summer Games electrolytes and if still not sweating to use the Equiwinner patches

[MsM]

I have not tried that product. For my horse other products and acupuncture didnt do much. Guiness Stout jump started the system (and he loved it!) When I added in HorseTech Swetwerks he began to sweat pretty normally.

[whhisperbaby11]

I’m using the Platinum Refresh this year.

[quietann]

Just started up this year’s regime. One AC powder, and I will do the 10 day course of Equiwinner patches when it’s more consistently warm. (We just had 2 days in the 90s but are back to normal 50s/60s now.) Will probably add acupuncture later, too.

I was worried last year when I moved her to 24/7 turnout in what turned out to be the hottest, driest summer on record. She didn’t sweat much at first, but the above combination helped. Her shed has a fan, but BO said she spent a lot of time outside in the blazing sun anyway. Horses!

Oh one more thing I learned: if your horse has allergies, meds in the family of benadryl and hydroxizine can interfere with sweating.