Allergic reactions?! Please help!!

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issyking

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Okay, so here goes.... my mare came out with loads of swollen nasty lumps mid last week, she had had a virus 2 weeks before but had recovered fine. Anyway, she was really not herself, yawning constantly and just generally acting like she had collic, the vet gave her steroids (20ml) and the lumps went really quicky.... so she gave her the same again the day after, then I gave her 10 the next day, then 7 then the vet told me to give her a break.... which was last night.

So today I bring her in from the field, and start doing the usual stuff before she goes to bed, and infront of my eyes she starts swelling up again, just because she had a break off the steroids last night.

The vets are completely confused and they said she must be allergic to something, the thing is NOTHING has changed, absolutely nothing, she has been fed the same for months and we have not changed the hay, she cannot access hedges and all the other horses on the yard are fine, she is yawning again tonight which is making me think maybe her throat is slightly swollen!? :( She is a very special horse and I am quite worried.

Has anybody had else experienced anything like this recently? I don't usually post on this but I am at my wits end :(

Thank you, opinions much appreciated!! x
 
I assume horses are the same as people and can become allergic to things that have previously not caused problems. If you think she is uncomfortable I would give the vet a ring and at least have a chat. He might say give her more steroids or might say give her piriton or similar. In people viruses can alter the immune system so maybe this was the trigger. Hope she picks up soon for you.
 
misst said:
I assume horses are the same as people and can become allergic to things that have previously not caused problems. If you think she is uncomfortable I would give the vet a ring and at least have a chat. He might say give her more steroids or might say give her piriton or similar. In people viruses can alter the immune system so maybe this was the trigger. Hope she picks up soon for you.
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Thank you so much!! The vet I spoke to is just confused, she might be going on tablets tomorrow :(
 
My horse had a similar thing, she had 2 quite severe allergic reactions, the vet couldn't work out what had caused them, she then had a 2 or 3 episodes of a 'sort' of colic, she then had an allergic reaction to bute when it was given intravenously, after a few weeks of continued allergic reactions & colicky type episodes she was blood tested and it came back with cushings. She wasn't showing any other cushings symptoms so vet was quite surprised. She went onto pergolide straight away and (fingers crossed) has been her old self ever since! :-) Hope you find out what's causing your horse to have allergic reactions as I know how worrying it is, good luck & keep me posted!
 
Midges are back out in force :)

Two heaped tablespoons of tumeric may help too (anti inflammatory).

I would probably ask for skin biopsies (take lots, from sores and not sore bits) and get those examined first to rule out bigger nasties.

Then start an elimination diary - stop feeds, rugs etc - could e washing powder if recentt washed etc.
 
My mare had an allergic reaction to her bedding and came up in huge lumps where it had touched her skin. I didn't want to give her the steroids due to laminitis risk so gutted stable and changed bed, the lumps went down in about a week and haven't been back. She had been on the bedding for a few months, my vet said people/horses aren't allergic to something on their first exposure to it and that it may have been something added to the bedding like an anti-mould treatment rather than the actual bedding.
 
My horse also has now had 3 episodes of allergic reactions to something, I've had to move him to another yard! My vet said their have been a lot of horses this winter with skin problems - and it's usually something simple that is the cause.
We managed to write out a list of possible causes.... But same as
you, we had changed nothing.
So my horse is allergic to one of the following... Latex gloves, shavings/sawdust, mushrooms, synthetic dressage girth, or oats..!!
In a couple of weeks I'm going to try his response to the latex gloves and we shall go through all of the items until he reacts to one. Personally, I hope it's latex as that is the easiest one to treat- control.

Good luck with your horse, but I would clear out the bedding and consider keeping the horse out until she seems better.
HKJ
 
Can they not run tests to find out what your horse is allergic too?

A horse on my yard was having similar issues, and then they did some tests and it was a certain type of grass, she then had a course of injections (think it was about 9 weeks at one per week) with a small amount of this grass, and that seemed to to the trick.
 
You could request a referal to an equine dermatologist for allergy testing then be given a prescribed course of treatment.
 
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