Allergies 🤧

[Lauren1993]

Hi all,

Our Shetland pony has been suffering with allergies since the rape arrived in the opposite field.
We’ve had her 8 weeks & already know she’s not herself, just generally irritated, doesn’t want you to touch her head, ears nose etc. runny eyes, the odd cough if she canters down the field but nothing too worrying.
when ridden she’s the same just irritated & throws her head around a little. We’ve found she’s better with an ear bonnet on so we do that every ride.

The vet prescribed steroid for 10 days, this cured her & she was perfect again.

Since these have stopped she’s back to square one. Spoke to the vet yesterday & he said we’re better off just giving her some time to make some changes & see how it goes.

So I’ve swapped her off the straw bedding & onto shavings, already has soaked hay, swapped her to out at night & in in the day & she’s back on 7 antihistamine tablets twice a day so 14 tablets.
She also has pollenex liquid in her tiny feed, I’ve been feeding this a good while now & don’t see much improvement from this.

To be honest my gut tells me it’s the rape in the opposite field, I don’t have any other option for field turn out as we’re on a livery yard & she shared with a herd of mares - there is no alternative here & we are very happy where we are. I stared back on the antihistamines a few days before I spoke to the vet again as I knew it was what she needed.
I’ve seen improvement already in 3 days !
My question is …. Is 7 tables twice a day better or the 14 tablets at once okay ?
& how long before they are really in her system & have max effect ?

Any other suggestions welcome.
I’ve looked at salt therapy but I can’t afford that right now as it’s a big outlay - I’m on maternity leave as it is & money is tight keeping my daughters pony

Thanks in advance.

 

[ApolloStorm]

My vet said twice a day for antihistamines - which ones are you using? As one may not work where another would? I use Cetirizine but a girl on the yard uses Loratadine for hers - might be worth seeing if another Antihistamine works?
What about a fly mask with a nose net for the field?

 

[Lauren1993]

I use Cetirizine, okay so split the antihistamines to 7 twice a day.
She has a grazing muzzle on at the moment … for the forceable as we have some pounds to shift…. So I didn’t want to put her normal mask on her as it’s more bulky, I’ve ordered a Lycra style on so hopefully that comes tomorrow & see how that goes.
Her other fly mask has a nose net attached but obviously can’t use that with the grazing muzzle on.