Ridecamp: Re: [RC] Ice up...

On Wed, 19 Jun 2002 14:12:22 -0400, Lisa Redmond
<lredmond23@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

>This might be a stupid question, but how can shoving ice in an animal's
>rectum be considered the same as giving electrolytes?  Strikes me as being a
>little on the cruel side, actually.  I know I wouldn't want someone shoving
>ice up MY butt to bring down my body temperature or slow my respirations. I
>know some folks are going to counter with "but the large intestine is a
>major site of water absorption, so it's another way of rehydrating"...but
>purely from a nutritionist's point of view I still have to look at that one
>sideways.  Electrolytes are replacing critical minerals in a way that is
>both natural and not prone to shocking the system.  A rectum full of ice is
>NOT a natural way to bring down body temp nor is it a natural method of
>rehydrating an animal.  Plus, if vets are using body temp as a criterion for
>recovery, that's as bad as a kid holding a thermometer under hot tap water
>to convince mom he has a temp and shouldn't go to school.

It's not a stupid question at all.  I'll try to answer.

Ice is nothing but frozen water, a completely natural substance.  AERC
has no rule against putting ice in either end of the horse.

These were small smooth pieces, about the size of walnuts.  Kahlil
didn't seem to mind; he might have even liked it!

It wasn't done to lower his body temperature (a handful isn't enough
to do that), or to fool a thermometer.  In fact, they weren't taking
temperatures.  I took his rectal temperature myself prior to using the
ice, to be sure he was below 103 degrees.  As I understand it, the ice
"fools" the body and stops the panting.  It's quite temporary.  The
ride vet understood this; that's why he said "He's bringing his
horse's respiration down" not "he's cooling off his horse."

I do not advocate using ice as a normal means to cool a hot horse, or
even using this method to stop panting.  Actually, I normally don't
want to stop panting, it is helping him cool himself.  I used this
trick on this one occasion to avoid what I believed to be a very
stupid policy from getting us pulled when Kahlil was perfectly OK.



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