⚠️ Not veterinary advice. This guide is for education on minor issues only. If you are unsure, or your animal is in pain, call your veterinarian. In an emergency, call immediately.
Not drinking / dehydration in horses and donkeys
Should I call the vet?
Typical signs: Bucket still full, dry or small manure, sunken eyes, tacky gums or slow skin pinch. Adult horses drink roughly 10–12 gallons a day, more in heat, work or when nursing.
Call your vet now if you see
- Hasn't drunk in 12 h or more
- Manure small, dry or absent
- Colic signs
- Tacky or dark gums, skin tents more than 2–3 s
- Weak or dull
- Hot weather or heavy sweating
What you can do
- Check the water: frozen, dirty, too warm, an empty automatic waterer, or a stray shock from a heater.
- Offer clean water at a comfortable temperature (not ice-cold in winter); add a second bucket of plain water.
- Keep plain salt available.
- Soak hay to add water.
- Track water intake and manure.
When to call the vet
Same day if not drinking normally within a few hours of fixing the water; immediately with colic.
Normal adult vital signs (at rest)
Horse
| Vital | Normal | Concerning |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 99.0–101.5 °F | Over 102 °F or under 98 °F |
| Heart rate | 28–44 /min | Over 60 at rest |
| Respiration | 10–24 /min | Over 30 or labored |
| Gums / CRT | Moist pink, refill < 2 s | Pale, white, dark red, purple, tacky |
| Gut sounds | Gurgles both sides | Silent |
| Hydration | Skin pinch back in 1–2 s | Tents > 2–3 s |
Donkey
| Vital | Normal | Concerning |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | 98.0–100.5 °F (37–38 °C) | Over 101.5 °F |
| Heart rate | 36–68 /min | Over 70 at rest |
| Respiration | 12–28 /min | Over 30 or labored |
| Gums / CRT | Moist pink, refill < 2 s | Pale, dark, tacky |
| Gut sounds | Present both sides | Silent |
| Behavior | Alert, eating | Dull or not eating = urgent (hyperlipemia risk) |
Young animals differ. Learn each animal's healthy baseline and record it.
Sources
More from Should I Call the Vet?
All 51 topics · Horse records · Donkey records · Parasites & toxic plants by state
Other horse topics
- Minor cuts & scrapes
- Hoof abscess
- Mild colic warning signs
- Thrush
- Rain rot / rain scald
- Eye irritation
- Laminitis (founder) warning signs
- Choke (esophageal obstruction)
- Mild cough / nasal discharge
- Scratches / mud fever
- Lameness / limping
- Puncture wound / nail in the foot
- Nosebleed
- Fever (high temperature)
- Diarrhea (adult horse)
- Not eating (off feed)
- Tying-up (muscle cramping)
- Leg swelling / stocking up
- Hives (raised bumps)
- Weight loss / poor condition
- Dental problems / quidding
- Foaling problems (dystocia)
- Retained placenta (after foaling)
- Newborn foal problems
- Stumbling / neurological signs
- Snake bite
- Toxic plant eaten
- Cast horse (stuck lying down)
- Lost shoe / hoof crack
- Tail rubbing
- Vaccine reaction
- Lice / mange / skin irritation
- Heat stress
Keep every record in one place
Herd Papers keeps vaccines, Coggins, vet and farrier visits, weight and body condition for each animal, and reminds you before things come due.
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