allergy tesing...where to go

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lizzie87

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after lots of skin scrapings, biopsy, baths and sprays, my vet has come to the conclusion that my horse almost certainly has an allergy, this practise are taking ages fiddling around trying to get one of their vets to do the allergy testing, but its dragging on too long for me, so looking for a referral.

Anyone who has had one done, where did u go? i am sort off assuming newmarket..but any other good experiences?

thanks
 
our vets have just allergy tested my mums pony it took two days and kit was ordered from america. They injected 33 different things in her neck and had a rough idea what she is allergic to on the second day of it being done.
 
thanks for the website, had a look, and she sounds like an experienced lady!can get a referral from the vets no probs. thing is even if the local vet can get the kit surely will be beter to go with someone more experienced, they have been saying for a month they are in the process of getting the equiptment, sending vet of course, but im getting to the end of my patience keep having to chase them up for results, updates etc.

just out of interest how much has the allergy testing cost is you dont mid saying? from what they have said i am expecting about£1000 including follow up jabs
 
vets said the kit should be around £200 thats not including call out fees etc. they had to come out 3 times over the two days but i wouldnt have thought the bill would be that much. only had it done yest and today so havent had bill yet
 
What a coincidence. Just left my horse at the Royal Veterinary College in Herts for just that.
Will be able to give you more feedback in a couple of days.
They wanted him hospitalised for intradermal skin tests. They inject various substances into the skin and see if there is a reaction.
They prefer to keep them there partly because they do 2 hourly checks for reaction but also just in case something they injected caused a severe reaction and they needed to treat quickly.
I think will also do a skin biopsy and other scrapings.

It can take several days as if they do not get a reaction they have to continue with other tests and it could be 4 days.
However most likely I will pick him up tomorrow.

It's not cheap though, the estimate was £500 - £700 but it's already on a insurance claim and we have been trying to work out for months what it was.
 
I had my horse allergy tested a couple of years ago. My vet just took a blood sample and sent it off to I think its the Greenbank (not sure) Laboratory somewhere Guildford way (they have a website but you have to go thru your vet). It was amazing what came back.

We thought my horse just had sweetitch but when the result came back he was allergic to bloody allsorts incl nettles, yew, elder, wheat, the list goes on!!!!!
 
Having spoken to the vets it is generally considered that the blood test is signficantly less accurate than the intradermal skin testing, although slightly cheaper. so going to go for the intra dermal in the hope we get to the bottom of it!

they have said it can be done at home, depends on the vets preference, but i have said i want her to go in.

have also been told it will be a couple of days in, plus follow up de sensitisation jabs in necessary. also she has just had 2nd lot of skin scrapings done and skin biopsies, so im assuming this wont have to be done again, or did you have to have them repeated? this has been going on for bout 6 months now, so need to get it sorted pronto! shes got to have had min £1000 worth of pill/tests already!

criso....were you referred there or is that your practise?
 
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criso....were you referred there or is that your practise?

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Yes mine said the same re blood tests.
I use the RVC practice so it makes using the hospital there easy but they do get alot of outside referrals too.

They just called to give me an update and let me know how he was. They think they have positives to 2 things but didn't want to say what yet as it's a bit early.
 
thanks for the info!! hope they manage to find out what was wrong with yours! it is so frustrating having so much time not knowing!
 
A few years ago I had a headshaker referred to the REACT Equine Allergy Clinic in Dorking, Surrey Tel 01737 642392.

They tested for about 30 different substances via a skin patch system and following this I was advised to use the Miller technique (where you inject small amounts of the things that she was allergic to and try and build up the body's own defense) Unfortunately this did not solve the problem.
 
My friend has been told a place down in hampshire - is it Leashurt or something, and Liverpool also as her horse requires allergy skin testing. She was told they would inject 50-70 different allergens into him whilst he was there. She is just in the process of swapping bedding, cutting out various feed stuffs and changing rugs.
 
Just a little update.
Well we went for the testing - think the final bill was about £300 in the end including livery.
I'm honestly not sure how much help it has been.
Firstly the lumps went away overnight while he was at the hospital which led them to think something in his environment. Not feed which would still have been in his system so wouldn't have had such a miraculous recovery.
He came back with 15 positives including various pollens. mites, grasses and trees.
I can do a desensitisation programme for up to 8 of these and I may do that for some of the most common ones.
Took him back home with the advice to move yards.
The problem is that with him on rehab for a injury I don't think it's fair to unsettle him by moving at this point. Plus if he doesn't come right I could be looking for a retirement home for him anyway.
In the meantime I am keeping a lump diary.
They got really bad after I got back peaking on Weds. Last night they seemed to have vanished again leaving me wondering if the recovery was just coincidence.
I am going to try some Global Herbs stuff recommended by someone to boost his immune system and keep an eye on things.
Vets are happy that the lumps don't bother him so don't have to do anything immediately.
 
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