Allergy to Agrobs Wiesencobs?!?!

[ycbm]

Am I the only person in the world with a horse with an allergy to something in Wiesencobs? It's beginning to look like it ....

I started using them and over the next few weeks he gradually developed UV sensitivity, got a too-pink third eyelid, breathed a bit heavily, started grunting when he never had before .... I took him off the new feeds I'd added, the Weisencobs and herbs, and got him blood tested, pulse rate was high, liver was fine, breathing was clear, but a marker for previous acute inflammation was raised and he still had pain indicators in his face.

I hoped it was a minor bug that had caught and when the UV sensitivity and pain indicators had disappeared I put him back on some of the Wiesencobs, but not the herbs. After 2 days the stables rang me today to say he was groaning when they brought him in. I went to check him and the third eyelid was too pink. Pulse rate is normal but strong.

I've given him antihistamines tonight because he's already eaten another tea with Wiesencobs in, and he seems OK.

Is it possible that this is just the August seasonal allergy that other people are dealing with? Is it too much of a coincidence with the timing of the reintroduction of Wiesencobs?

All insights gratefully received!


ETA I have checked for foot pulses, none, and also tested him on the stony car park for foot sensitivity and he's never been better. Gut noise normal. Eating well.
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[Caol Ila]

My two won’t eat the Weisencobs (anyone in Glasgow want some?? ?) but I guess anything can be allergic to anything.

 

[ycbm]

My two won’t eat the Weisencobs (anyone in Glasgow want some?? ?) but I guess anything can be allergic to anything.

Bloomin' typical that he loves them!
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[PurBee]

When i enquired via email with them what exactly were the marketed 60 grasses and herbs in their cobs, i got told (quote):

“The exact composition of our grassland is a trade secret.”

I enquired with Agrobs as i had imported 2 tonnes of ‘natural alpine hay’ from europe and found a lot of questionable plants, loads of clover and alfalfa (over 20% each weighed and measured throughout many bags to be accurate), aswell as undesirable weeds. The grasses were around 40% - the rest legumes and weeds - i was not happy, having ordered and told i was buying mixed grasses hay.
The company i was dealing with also made this hay into cobs. (No-one can identify plants in a cob)
Then i spent a stint researching natural alpine plants and concluded that most plants werent really suited to equines, hence my enquiry to agrobs.

If he’s showing sensitivity to them so soon after re-introduction, after having removed them, they’re likely the culprit, and wouldnt surprise me.
Try a removal/reintroduction again to make sure - maybe try a longer period of removal, then add them - to rule out coincidence or other factors.

 

[CanteringCarrot]

A lot of horses eat them here, with no issue. I have a horse with allergies to various plants/weeds/grasses and he was fine on their pre alpin flakes, and also their alpingrün müsli, but any horse can be allergic to anything really. Or even develop an allergy that wasn't there before. So it's not impossible.

I'd take him off again and see what happens. Does he have other food intolerance?

 

[ycbm]

Does he have other food intolerance?

Oh yes!

You wouldn't want him on any amount of alfalfa (stoved my crash hat in! ), and almost certainly pretty reactive to linseed and maybe also to oatfeed/wheatfeed.
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[FestiveG]

Our reactive appy is fine with weisen cobs, but I'm sure that anything can baa reactive to anything! I don't give her alfalfa or linseed either!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Our 2 are fine with Weisencobs but we won't feed any other Agrobs feeds because they contain stuff the Appy is allergic to. I can only remember carrot, off the top of my head. However I know from experience that any horse, or human for that matter, can be allergic/reactive to anything. I had one that could only eat alfalfa and others that couldn't cope with it at all!
I would take him off it again and reintroduce it in 3 weeks to a month and monitor carefully. Is there anything environmental that could be causing the problem?

 

[ycbm]

He was in a different paddock today but it's only 100m at most from the normal one. There may have been a bit more sun than recently.
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[SEL]

My Appy stays on Kwik beet and oat chaff because she's so flippin reactive to stuff. I've had problems which have gone away with a change in hay so I'm sure she's got some intolerances to certain grasses / weeds. Her muzzle is the first to show blistery like spots but she can also get red swollen eyes

 

[Caol Ila]

Both my horses refuse to touch feed that contains micronised linseed. My Highland will eat alfalfa products but they make him hotter and spookier than usual, which is not ideal.

Horses are weird.

 

[ycbm]

When i enquired via email with them what exactly were the marketed 60 grasses and herbs in their cobs, i got told (quote):

“The exact composition of our grassland is a trade secret.”

I enquired with Agrobs as i had imported 2 tonnes of ‘natural alpine hay’ from europe and found a lot of questionable plants, loads of clover and alfalfa (over 20% each weighed and measured throughout many bags to be accurate), aswell as undesirable weeds. The grasses were around 40% - the rest legumes and weeds - i was not happy, having ordered and told i was buying mixed grasses hay.
The company i was dealing with also made this hay into cobs. (No-one can identify plants in a cob)
Then i spent a stint researching natural alpine plants and concluded that most plants werent really suited to equines, hence my enquiry to agrobs.

If he’s showing sensitivity to them so soon after re-introduction, after having removed them, they’re likely the culprit, and wouldnt surprise me.
Try a removal/reintroduction again to make sure - maybe try a longer period of removal, then add them - to rule out coincidence or other factors.

Wow. I had already decided never to give him them again and this confirms it, thanks.
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[HappyHollyDays]

My two will eat anything and did eat the Wiesencobs to start with but then refused point blank to touch them. I gave the cows an almost full bag of the stuff as it was just going to waste.

 

[ycbm]

My two will eat anything and did eat the Wiesencobs to start with but then refused point blank to touch them. I gave the cows an almost full bag of the stuff as it was just going to waste.

Mine's just gone in the muck skip. Pink eye has gone this morning and we had a nice hack I'm going to keep him on antihistamines for a while just in case.
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[asmp]

What is it with appys? Ours came out in hives when fed Moles own brand chaff?

 

[SEL]

What is it with appys? Ours came out in hives when fed Moles own brand chaff?

I call mine the canary in the coal mine - toxins in the soil, dodgy feed, moon in the wrong star sign - she's the one who shows up with an issue. The others all continue to look fine despite being on same grass, food etc. She's not even a pure bred ?

 

[asmp]

I call mine the canary in the coal mine - toxins in the soil, dodgy feed, moon in the wrong star sign - she's the one who shows up with an issue. The others all continue to look fine despite being on same grass, food etc. She's not even a pure bred ?

Nor is ours - he’s half New Forest!

 

[Slightlyconfused]

What is it with appys? Ours came out in hives when fed Moles own brand chaff?

One of mine does that when fed alfafa the other turns into a hyperactive unridable idiot. Both appys.

I had a welsh mare who coliced everytime she had apples ?‍

 

[CanteringCarrot]

Edit: whoops, not at all relevant ?

 

[Fieldlife]

When i enquired via email with them what exactly were the marketed 60 grasses and herbs in their cobs, i got told (quote):

“The exact composition of our grassland is a trade secret.”

I enquired with Agrobs as i had imported 2 tonnes of ‘natural alpine hay’ from europe and found a lot of questionable plants, loads of clover and alfalfa (over 20% each weighed and measured throughout many bags to be accurate), aswell as undesirable weeds. The grasses were around 40% - the rest legumes and weeds - i was not happy, having ordered and told i was buying mixed grasses hay.
The company i was dealing with also made this hay into cobs. (No-one can identify plants in a cob)
Then i spent a stint researching natural alpine plants and concluded that most plants werent really suited to equines, hence my enquiry to agrobs.

If he’s showing sensitivity to them so soon after re-introduction, after having removed them, they’re likely the culprit, and wouldnt surprise me.
Try a removal/reintroduction again to make sure - maybe try a longer period of removal, then add them - to rule out coincidence or other factors.

I am feeding the Agrobs senior museli, which is specified as 15.% protein, 9.70 DE MJ/kg, 0.63% starch and 5.86% sugar



ingredients:
Myoalpin® fibres*, meadow grasses and herbs, linseed cake, sunflower seeds, Bierhefe Pur, apple pomace, milk thistle cake, cold-pressed oil mixture (linseed oil, camelina oil), carrot, cut rosehip, parsnips, beetroots, marigold blossoms, raspberry leaves, blackberry leaves, cornflower blossoms, rose petals

Myoalpin® fibres*= made of grasses, herbs, and legumes



I assume they have to comply with the sugar / starch / protein levels on the label.



I am less concerned with exactly what combinations are within the mash, if the overall specification is good and my horse likes it. I mainly feed it to carry his vitamins and minerals, as it is tasty and to give a bit of gut diversity.

 

[ycbm]

I call mine the canary in the coal mine - toxins in the soil, dodgy feed, moon in the wrong star sign - she's the one who shows up with an issue. The others all continue to look fine despite being on same grass, food etc. She's not even a pure bred ?

Nor is ours - he’s half New Forest!

Nor mine, half a Standie!
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[FestiveG]

My current one is half Welsh! ( yes I am an idiot!!)

 

[Slightlyconfused]

My current one is half Welsh! ( yes I am an idiot!!)

Oohhh i don't if thats worse than my Welsh D x TB ?

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Oohhh i don't if thats worse than my Welsh D x TB ?

It's very similar! YorksG and I used to have one of those, she was bonkers - and allergic to just about everything except alfalfa!

 

[Slightlyconfused]

It's very similar! YorksG and I used to have one of those, she was bonkers - and allergic to just about everything except alfalfa!

Mine coliced at the drop of a hat and was allergic to apples and was always cold ? sharp as hell and at only 14:3 had a neat trick of tucking her chin to her chest and you were sat on a saddle and held reins.....

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Mine coliced at the drop of a hat and was allergic to apples and was always cold ? sharp as hell and at only 14:3 had a neat trick of tucking her chin to her chest and you were sat on a saddle and held reins.....

Ours had a very poor internal temperature control. I've seen her shiver on a fairly mild but wet autumn evening and had to treat her for the beginnings of heat stroke on the only August day in the 90s when the temp got to 30° here. The 3 others in her herd were absolutely fine but we had to pour water over her and wrap her head/neck in wet towels. We had to bring her in because she seemed to think that she would feel better if she cantered round in circles!