When you are saying dark urine are you talking a port wine kind of color? If
this is the case it sounds like you would be talking about myoglobin in the
urine (myoglobinuria). Myoglobin is the oxygen transport protein of the
muscle. Myoglobin in the urine indicates that there has been sufficent damage
to muscle cells that would allow the myoglobin to leak out. Once the
myoglobin leaks out it ends up being absorbed into the cirrculatory system
and then being cleaned out of the blood by the kidneys, hence the redish
colored urine. Injury like this can result from things like crushing trauma
or excessive muscle use (endurance races???) Also myoglobin is highly toxic
to tissues of the kidney resulting in some pretty severe kidney damage in bad
cases. The $50.00 medical term for this malady is Exertional Rhabdomyolysis.
Its also known as Monday Morning Sickness, Tieing Up, and Azoturia to name a
few. Horses that are experianceing this condition need fluid administration
to promote diuresis (make them pee a lot). This helps keep the myoglobin from
building up in the kidney and also helps promote its removal from the blood.
Some horses in a bad way are also treated with corticosteroids for there
antinflamatory effects and cell membrane stabilization effects.
hope this helps
greg meyer
_______________________________________________________________________________
From: Lois Crowley on Wed, May 31, 1995 12:09 PM
Subject: RE: tie up?
To: Sandy.Terp; endurance@moscow.com
Sandy,
Did your horse drink after you observed the dark urine? I know my
horse's urine is darker after he finishs a ride but once he drinks it seems
to
lighten up. I even notice this in my self. At the end of a ride urine
seems
to be more concentrated and after rehydration takes place its less
concentrated.
At least she going regularly! Some folks at the ride I was at this weekend
could'nt get their mare to urinate on the second day. She was really
uncomfortable. She finally went after they put shaving down on the ground
and
she was fine after that BUT her urine was very dark.
Don't know all the technical stuff but I think that concentrating urine is
supposed to happen to a certain extent under stressful conditions.
(Where are you Charlotte? Am I at least warm on this one?)
A Happy Trail rider
First Place at the Maine 80
LoisC & Indy
-------------------------------------
Name: Lois Crowley
DNI Product Support
Cabletron Systems Inc.
E-mail: lcrowley@ctron.com
Opinions mine alone!