JenJ
Well-Known Member
My new boy is a 'special' case and seems to have an allergy to barley. When he came to us from his racing yard last month, he was fed the same as the other ex-racers and within a day came out in hives all over. Call to the old trainer revealed he had in the past couple of years comes out hivey around this time of year so on vet advice they gave him a barley free diet. We changed him to Saracen Releve, with the same Alfa A oil and speedibeet and the hives disappeared (along with some phenargen from the vet).
Then he got kicked nearly two weeks ago and was quite sore we we buted him. The only things other than his normal diet he was given that day were polos, garlic and bute (first two to get him to eat the third!). Next day he was covered in hives again. Couple of days later vet came back, gave bute injection and anti-histamine injection - absolutely fine.
Then having been off box rest for a whole afternoon (!) he got a touch of white line disease and could hardly move. Vet back, gave more bute. Next day covered in hives again.
It is possible that some kind person may have given him titbits without my knowledge (sign is going up outside his box today saying 'NO TREATS PLEASE!', but it seems that bute is the common factor in the reactions. He didn't come out in them when he had the bute injection, but he also had an anti-histamine injection at the same time, which may have neutralised any reaction.
Can bute be an allergen? I've not heard of it happening before. He doesn't seem to be too bothered by the hives, but I'd obviously rather avoid reactions in future!
Then he got kicked nearly two weeks ago and was quite sore we we buted him. The only things other than his normal diet he was given that day were polos, garlic and bute (first two to get him to eat the third!). Next day he was covered in hives again. Couple of days later vet came back, gave bute injection and anti-histamine injection - absolutely fine.
Then having been off box rest for a whole afternoon (!) he got a touch of white line disease and could hardly move. Vet back, gave more bute. Next day covered in hives again.
It is possible that some kind person may have given him titbits without my knowledge (sign is going up outside his box today saying 'NO TREATS PLEASE!', but it seems that bute is the common factor in the reactions. He didn't come out in them when he had the bute injection, but he also had an anti-histamine injection at the same time, which may have neutralised any reaction.
Can bute be an allergen? I've not heard of it happening before. He doesn't seem to be too bothered by the hives, but I'd obviously rather avoid reactions in future!
