Endurance.Net Ridecamp Archives

>          As I see it, we have a problem--horses being overridden, some to
> their deaths.  We have two options--do something, or do nothing.  If we
opt
> to do 'something'--then what?  If we can't find a "perfect" answer, that
> satisfies everybody and causes no work for anybody, should we then do
> 'nothing'?

Okay, here's a thought, and it's just a thought at this moment, but maybe
somebody on the list has connections/experience in biochemical assays that
can further the concept.

Truman and I and others have been talking and it appears that the majority
of metabolic problems in the horse originate or are complicated by with
dehydration issues.  Thus, identifying horses at risk may largely boil down
to better methods for assessing hydration status.  Part of the problem is
that the current methods for assessing hydration in the field are highly
subjective---skin pinch, mucous membranes and so on are all educated guesses
that may or may not accurately reflect true hydration status.

By far, the best blood chem parameter to measure hydration is albumin---but,
at the moment, that requires a venous plasma sample and laboratory analysis,
can't be done on site at an endurance ride.

However, there are more and more "snap" tests being developed and marketed
for all kinds of stuff---most of them for immunology type things, but lots
of other parameters as well.  Think of those home pregnancy test kits, where
you pee on a stick and it tells you yes or no.

Although I am not a chemical engineer, it seems worth looking into to see if
a field snap test could be easily and economically developed to measure
whether a drop of whole equine blood (possibly collected via a human
diabetic lancet) measured albumin above a critical threshold defining
clinical dehydration (which then could be used to identify horses in need of
being pulled, treated or not starting in the first place).

Anybody around with experience in developing these sorts of things?  I know
a clinical pathologist at Heska that I might go buy lunch for and put a bug
in his ear, but maybe someone else knows another route to take.

Susan Garlinghouse, DVM



=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp
Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp

Ride Long and Ride Safe!!

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=