Allergy testing info, please.

S

Shilasdair

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I'm thinking of getting my 4yr old tested to make certain what she is allergic to (she has chronic urticaria), although I am fairly certain it is the 'sweet itch' midge.

Please can you tell me -
Have you had your horse/s tested for any allergies?
What did it involve, how long did it take?
How much did it cost?
Did it help you to manage their allergy/condition?

Thanks!
S
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my WB mare had blood tests done for allergies approx 3yrs ago now. it took about a week from the vet coming and taking the sample, to me getting the results back. it cost me about £300 and tbh it really didnt give me much of an idea as to what caused her lumpy skin. all it did show was that she has a minor allergy to wheat (1/5) they tested her for the midges/flies/pollen etc and it came back 0/5.
bit of a waste of time and money to be honest as no-one incl vet knows what triggered her lumpy skin
 
I had my horse allergy tested as he was itching in wierd places, hocks, underneath dock of tail, eyes. Vet did skin scrape for mites, came back clear so did blood test for allergies. It was quite interesting but so vague as they are tested for hundreds of things from the obvious to really way out things. My horse was positive to about 3 things, one being red clover, red ant?? and another wierd fly, then borderline positive to about another 5 or 6 things including wheat, alfalfa. I did try to cut things out but clover???? that just wasnt possible. Cutting out what I could didnt stop him itching. I could have had desensitization injections but I didnt bother as he wasnt really that bad and it is expensive. Dont get me wrong, if he was distressed or full of lumps he would have had them. Funny enough, he hasnt itched this year....... yet!!
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Oh I think it was about £200 for the blood test and results which came in an A$ sheet of paper full of different allergens
 
i think u know about my lads results, did i send u the test results? if not let me know and you can have a look.

cost.. about 270 including callout, vat etc.
 
My horse has Summer Pasture allergy. He struggled this August as he got a virus on top of it and had to be scoped as he was struggling to breathe. Vets talked about the REACT clinic. They shave a bit of ned's neck and skin test a dozen or so substances. Then when they have identified the allergens, they shave the other side and test the lowest dosage that will cause a reaction. Then they make up a serum personal to your ned that needs to be injected every day for 14 days, slowing down to every month, then every season. Advised approx £700+ for the whole thing. Problem is there are no guarantees. Could show that the horse is allergic to custard slices and Babycham. What possible use would that be? My vets said worth a try if the insurance would fork out for it but someone on here posted that her vets had told her not to bother as it gives false positives AND false negatives.

Are you sure it's not fellow vampires biting her?????
 
A friend of mine had a horse with a similar summer respiratory allergy that she had REACT tested. She was found to be sensitive to various feedstuffs, and things like hawthorn. Diet was changed and she had the serum injections. It definitely made a big difference to her - I used to help exercise her and owner asked me to keep a record of her resting respiration rate before and after treatment. Before treatment it was sometimes worryingly high, but after treatment it was always normal rate.
 
Hi there. I had my Andalusian allery tested a couple of years ago because I thought he had sweet itch. It turned out he had but it also revealed he was allergic to loads of other stuff as well like nettles, wheat, various types of grass. It was expensive at the time but it certainly helped be understand/discover how to manage him best throughout the summer months. I would advise most people who think their horses have sweetitch to have their horses allergy tested, it may surprise you but is very helpful. I was insured and so the tests and treatment were covered for the first 12 months. I dont treat him any more though I just let him wear his snuggy hood stuff and that works ok.
 
[ QUOTE ]
i think u know about my lads results, did i send u the test results? if not let me know and you can have a look.

cost.. about 270 including callout, vat etc.

[/ QUOTE ]

You did, thanks, LS - and the name of the allergy testing lab.
I was wondering if others had similar or very different experiences.
S
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Mine had skin tests rather than blood tests as he regularly suffered from urticaria and despite extensive exclusion couldn't get to the bottom of it.

He went up to the RVC and had intradermal skin testing.
They injected various common triggers just under the skin.

He came back with 15 positives including ryegrass various types of wood etc.

Densensitisation was a possibility but they can only do up to 5 or 6 so which to choose?

What did come out of it as he was up there for a couple of days while they observed was that it was environmental - up until that point they suspected food.
The lumps disappeared overnight at the college and anything he was eating would still have been in his system so they advised moving him to another yard.
I was intending to move anyway so not a difficult decision though not for a few months.

I tried to avoid the triggers as much as I could and he was better but would still get attacks but none of them were obscure, things like Oak and Hawthorne and Ryegrass which are everywhere.

I moved him and things got better.

I still avoid certain things, keep him on straw rather than wood based bedding, no hay as he reacts to the ryegrass in that but is OK with haylage but fingers crossed he is lump free at the moment.

Think the cost was a couple of hundred including an overnight stay.
 
I would need to check the results - it was in january but I'm pretty sure Nettles and Yew weren't mentioned, Elder possibly.

I remember various kinds of house dust mites ( tho not straw mites)
Various Poultry feathers and down (as far as i know he hasn't even seen a duck or chicken but i got really paranoid about my winter jackets being down filled for a while)
Ryegrass and a couple of other grasses.
Lots of types of wood - elm, oak, lime and lots more
Hawthorne
 
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