Does my mare have a grass allergy?

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NellRosk

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My mare has SI and has constantly itched all summer. I was looking forward to this stopping now the weather has gone cold but she's still itching :mad: Her diet is very basic, no alfalfa, molasses, soy etc so nothing really in this to trigger itching. Also she has these massive glands on each side of her face when she comes in from the field, like a hamster with its pouches full. A few people have said this is down to grass? I rung my vet and they said they could run bloods to check for allergies but they would cost a few hundred quid. If she is allergic to grass what do I do!? Because obviously she cannot live in forever! Do I just resign myself to having an itchy horse?
 
You ask your vet to run blood tests to find out what is wrong. Surely you have money set aside to cover your vets fees? Insurance? It might be something quite serious.
 
Yes obviously but I know many horses with these lumps on the side of their faces and they're not really much cause for concern, just wondering if anyone had a horse with a grass allergy and how they managed it?
 
How can you manage an allergy though, if you don't actually know what it is? It would be better to find out what is causing it and then work out how to treat and manage, than pointlessly manage something which is might not even be.
 
NellRosk, we've had some very mild days in the last month or so, so I wouldn't be surprised if you still have midges around (we do on the milder days, and I'm in North Yorkshire). So it's quite possible that the itching is still sweet itch from recent bites. Well worth keeping a sweet itch rug on underneath a thin turnout rug until we start to get into the consistently colder weather. I usually swop SI rug for turnout after bonfire night, but am keeping it on a bit longer this year as the daytime temps are mild enough for midges.

You do right to ask if anyone's come acrosss similar. I'd suggest posting pictures of these pouches so that others who've had horses with similar swellings can say if yours looks similar or not, and that might help you with a way forward. I've never noticed them on my gang so can't comment on that, but hopefully someone else will post soon.

I also don't have any experience of allergy testing, so will be interested to hear what others say.

Sorry I can't offer more help, but hope you resolve things.

Sarah
 
Hadn't thought of that, hopefully!! Thanks for that Sarah, my experienced yard owner has seen the lumps and said it's to do with the grass as there's been quite a few Autumn flushes this year. I'll get a pic of them at weekend when it's not dark when I'm bringing her in! xx
 
Mine has just stopped itching - he is worse on grass so I keep him on a minimal grass diet all summer, like a laminitic. When does yours start?
I know mine isn't a classic SI because he is fine until June, but I have just heard a couple of promising things - one is, is he getting enough copper? Apparently copper can reduce the histamines in the system if they aren't deficient (someone I know got a copper lick by mistake and her horse hasn't itched since!). You could speak to Sarah at Forageplus about minerals and which might help, if he is deficient. And a friend advised getting some neem oil to treat the areas (anti inflammatory and fly repellent) which I do think has helped.
My vet said the blood test was £250 BTW, that is plus a vet visit, and like you, I decided knowing the allergens is only the beginning. I tested mine (well, he got into a grassy field lol) and he was far far worse.
 
NellRosk said:
My mare has SI and has constantly itched all summer. I was looking forward to this stopping now the weather has gone cold but she's still itching :mad: Her diet is very basic, no alfalfa, molasses, soy etc so nothing really in this to trigger itching. Also she has these massive glands on each side of her face when she comes in from the field, like a hamster with its pouches full. A few people have said this is down to grass? I rung my vet and they said they could run bloods to check for allergies but they would cost a few hundred quid. If she is allergic to grass what do I do!? Because obviously she cannot live in forever! Do I just resign myself to having an itchy horse?
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Grass glands, they come up while the horse is out in the field and go down overnight in the stable. Some of mine get them on certain fields.
Midges tend to be about until we have had a few good frosts.
 
I've recently had my itichy horse blood tested for allergies. we thought he had sweet itch but he has no allergic reaction to midgies or any other biting insect. he has a grass and tree allergy. he is not allergic to dust or mites. its well worth the money to get the horse tested, it has cost me approx £150. then the vet can advise suitable treatment in my horses case its anti-histamines.
 
Many horses get grass glands, there are at least five on our yard that do, my old mare did, none of these exhibit any other reaction, just a puffiness of the gland that diminishes rapidly (within hours) when stabled. I would caution against linking one issue to another, as someone else suggested it is probably two separate reactions to two separate stimuli (grass and midgies).
 
my mare gets swollen lymph glands if the grass is flushing, for me it is a warning sign, the lymph system is there as a defence and swelling means it is responding. My research lead to looking at grass tetany in cattle and the role of salt in the diet and i find if she has access to loose salt this helps, also making sure she has all the necessary amino acids - arginine i think helps with fluid drainage and adding an amino supplement has meant that the swellings are reduced, she swells at the throat, udder and hind limbs. She is muzzled on grass as if i ignore the swelling there is usually laminitis further down the line, although we have others on the yard where nothing else happens aprt from the swelling.
 
Is the itching controlled by a rug? If so then its likely to be sweet itch. There are still plenty of midges about.
The grass glands could be just that but if they are new to the horse I would definitely keep an eye on them....swollen glands were the first signs of my mare's cancer.
 
Thanks for advice everyone, nice to know the grass glands aren't threatening. As I say the vet has seen the mare and didn't seem concerned. Looks like the SI rug will be dug out for another week or so!!
 
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