Very Common
Less Common
You also might be observing
Observation
What you see. The starting point for addressing any equine health related issue is your observation.
YOU ARE OBSERVING
Drinking Excessively
Summary
Generally, water consumption for a normal horse is about 1 gallon (4 liters) per 100 lbs (50kg) of body weight per day. Horses in hot or humid conditions, and horses in work or exercise may drink significantly more.
Stabled, resting and otherwise healthy horses that drink far more than the average amount needed for proper hydration are likely engaged in excessive addictive drinking (psychogenic polydysia). This is a habitual behavior thought to result from boredom, confinement, or stress. It may be managed or resolved with management changes, such as increased turnout.
However, excessive urination (with excessive drinking) can also be a sign of other diseases. Common conditions that cause excessive urination include Cushing's Disease (PPID) and kidney failure. In most cases, horses with these conditions also show other signs of illness, especially loss of appetite, depression or weight loss.
Stabled, resting and otherwise healthy horses that drink far more than the average amount needed for proper hydration are likely engaged in excessive addictive drinking (psychogenic polydysia). This is a habitual behavior thought to result from boredom, confinement, or stress. It may be managed or resolved with management changes, such as increased turnout.
However, excessive urination (with excessive drinking) can also be a sign of other diseases. Common conditions that cause excessive urination include Cushing's Disease (PPID) and kidney failure. In most cases, horses with these conditions also show other signs of illness, especially loss of appetite, depression or weight loss.
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Code Orange
Call Your Vet at Their First Available Office Hours -
Code Yellow
Contact Your Vet at Your Convenience for an Appointment- If you consider this a chronic and relatively mild problem that is not changing rapidly.
- If the results of the Whole Horse Exam (WHE) suggest the horse is otherwise normal.
your role
What To Do
Assess your horse's general health using the Whole Horse Exam (WHE), look for other signs of illness or abnormalities and discuss your findings with your vet.You can help your vet by keeping track of the amount of water that your horse is drinking using buckets or water tanks rather than an automatic waterer. Your vet may also ask you to collect a urine sample for analysis.
What Not To Do
Without veterinary supervision, do not deprive horses of free access to water in attempt to control their intake.
Skills you may need
Procedures that you may need to perform on your horse.
your vet's role
Your vet's exam may need to be complemented by blood lab work as part of a diagnostic workup. The goal of the exam is to rule out disease states, leaving the most likely diagnosis as psychogenic polydipsea.
Questions Your Vet Might Ask:
- To your knowledge, have there been any recent changes in management?
- How is your horse's attitude and appetite?
- How hot and humid are the conditions?
- Does your horse seem normal otherwise?
- When did you first notice this behavior?
- Is the horse confined to a stall?
- What is the turnout or exercise routine?
- How much water is your horse drinking per day?
- Are you supplementing the horse with electrolytes?
- If so, what supplement specifically and how much?
- What are the results of the Whole Horse Exam (WHE)?
Diagnostics Your Vet May Perform
Figuring out the cause of the problem. These are tests or procedures used by your vet to determine what’s wrong.
Diagnoses Your Vet May Consider
The cause of the problem. These are conditions or ailments that are the cause of the observations you make.
Less Common
Rare
Treatments Your Vet May Recommend
A way to resolve the condition or diagnosis. Resolving the underlying cause or treating the signs of disease (symptomatic treatment)
