Allergic reaction

[April86]

My horse over the last couple of weeks has developed lumps and bumps all over his body, called the vet out who said it was a very bad allergic reaction and was worse than it looked! He had a course of steroid injections and then returned to normal, but they still come and go, has anyone elses horse had any symptoms like this? My vet didn't know what caused the allergy but said he had treated a few horses in the area with similar lumps lately.

 

[gloster_image]

Get a blood sample sent off to york tests - they will do allergy tests on it. I did this a year ago when rock has the same thing and turns out hes allergic to wheat, mollases, barley, maize and soya - all of which was in his diet. His diet hadnt changed for 2years...but it was the build up and build up of something he could only tolerate a little bit of that eventually caused an outbreak.

 

[Marchtime]

I went down the yard this morning and found my boy's neck covered in small bumps. He seems otherwise well in himself and they are only on his neck. Thinking it might be his bedding because it's the first night he spent without a neck rug all winter. He's currently on eucalyptus infused chippings (supplied by our yard owner) but I'm going to change his bed to normal shavings tonight and see whether that works.
Good luck with your boy. I'd probably try gradually changing his feed slowly - one of the horses at our yard has the same reaction to pasture mix.

 

[ticobay831]

There seems to be allot of this about at the moment.
My lad came up in lumps last October, he had a biopsy which confirmed it was an allergy, blood test are a waste of time and money really, because you'll find that your horse will be allergic to most things.
best way to find out what it is, is to elliminate things from his diet one by one or go back to basics cut out all food and just feed hay then start him on one food at time over a week period, then add another food and so on.
I had to do tis with my boy ands unfortunalty it turned out to be his hay, obviously there was somthing in there that didnt agree with him, after taking him of it and feeding hayledge for a week the lumps dissapeard.
He is now back on his full two feeds a day and is looking stunning

Good luck,

Debs x

 

[Oliviax]

Rio my horse is allergic to hay, he is now on ryegrass haylage and hasnt had any lumps since, once youve sussed out the main cause they should steer clear !! Also when rio got them we put him out in a feild with just the grass in there and he had his eve/morn feed. With competing reguarly it not the best thing !

 

[Donkeymad]

If several horses in the area have the same problem I would be inclined to suspect something airborne.