Allergy testing

[MagicMelon]

Ive always thought one of my horses has sweet itch. Every year he'd itch out the lower 1/2 of his mane. Its got worse because in the winter he began itching patches off his face and top of neck which he is STILL doing now. Its been almost a year!! I bought him a Boett in March which he's had on 24/7 (I even ride in it), although it didnt have the face cover. I now have a face cover but he keeps getting it off (dont ask how!). Ive tried anti-itch creams etc. Tried feeding garlic earlier in the year and he's been on Brewers Yeast for the summer. I took him off all molasses and barley so he's been on a basic diet of Alfalfa and soaked oats (with supplements). The vet has been and said that it could be anything (great.....), it could be sweet itch or it could be an allergy. She gave me some Steroid cream to put onto the itched patches on his face. It hasnt really helped. Have also treated for lice etc.

I assumed the Boett would have helped a lot, the only good its done is to protect the lower half of his mane a little (although it hasnt allowed it to grow much either).

He has a scurfy dry looking coat most of the time. I do try to wash him (with Tea Tree / Aloe Vera / Anti-dandruff type shampoo's) but he hates being bathed so makes it very difficult to do regularily, and I dont think it helps much anyway.

Im starting to think it cant be sweet itch and that maybe it is an allergy. Would he really get sweet itch in the winter? And shouldnt the Boett have helped even a bit?

So, how do I go about getting him tested? Do vets do a blood test? Do I have to get those things injected into him (to see what reacts)? My vet has just said the best way is to cut everything out and begin introducing things very slowly but that would take months!

This is what his face looked like 2 months ago. It doesnt look so bad now but is still there consistenly:

 

[Louby]

Awww thanks for posting this. Im having the same trouble with my boy at the moment. He has exactly the same syptoms and Im waiting for my vet to do the allergy test. Its a blood test which shows what your horse is allergic too but its not as straight forward as that. The results could show up many things so you then have to cut each one out. My vet says it takes a couple of weeks to see if the item you have cut out of his diet etc is the one causing the problem so in the meantime you have a itchy horse

. If its something like pollen or clover or something you cant control then they can use injections to desensitise your horse to the allergent but its no guarantee and is suposed to be quite expensive. Ive decided to have the blood test done and if its sweet itch then I will buy the Boett etc. Ive been on the sweetitch web site and have bee spraying his belly with the Avon Skin so soft and am going to get some sudocreem to put on his rub patches (which are on the side of his face). Ive also tried some horsey creams to try and stop the itch but they arent working. Im using coopers and also benzyl benzuate which seemed to be working until last night when hes rubbed the scabs off his hocks, itch his tail and both sides of his head. Its a nightmare. This started 2 yrs ago and returned last November which also made me think its not sweet itch. Ive also used mite lotions from the vet which didnt work. Hopefully he will have the blood test done this week. Please keep me posted.

 

[ColouredFan]

See my picture post and another post a month or so ago, Frankie has had the tests where they inject him to see what he is allergic to and he is allergic to LOADS from house dust mites to certain grasses, midges compound horse feeds and Alfalfa, he now has a diet of Chaff, speedibeet boiled barley and linseed (which i cook in a slow cooker at the yard) and have recently been giving him NAF liquid echinaccia and liquid Aloe vera from Holland and Barrett and he has been much improved since, he still wears a fly rug all the time but he is much less itchy now. hope that helps!

 

[LusoLover]

About 3 months ago my boy developed strange bumps on his belly. He had a biopsy to check if it could be anything other than an allergy and had blood sent away to York to be tested against various allergens. The test results came back to say he is allergic to wheat & rye in his feed, WHich I have cut out and also taken him off his wheat straw bedding. More trickier, he is allergic to grass pollen in the envirionment. It seems to affect his breathing when hacking through grass fields, so he has an inhaler before hacking out. The bumps have improved but not disappeared all together. I think the tests cost about £500-£600 pounds but luckily my insurance has covered it.
PS My vet has suggested Aloe Vera or Echinacea to help. I haven't yet but think I may.

 

[LusoLover]

Ooh forgot to say. My vet advised that if a horse is going to develop an allergy it is normally between the age of 4-7.

 

[ColouredFan]

My horses started the year in which he was 7, he is 9 now

 

[Louby]

Yes my boy started when he was 6, he is just 8 now.
Thanks for the tips, will try the ech whatyamacallit