Feed advice - horse allergic to wheat and maize

Perissa

Perissa

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My horse is currently having allergy testing at Liphook Equine Hospital and he is having positive reactions to quite a few things.

He is very sensitive to wheat, horsechestnut trees and dogs - yes thats right dogs, the first horse that Andy Durham, Liphook's skin specialist, has ever come across who is allergic to dogs!! Apparently he is fine with cats and humans though!!

Amongst other things he is also sensitive to Maize.

I had already taken him off Alfalfa and Molasses but it turns out that these are OK.

I need a feed/feeds which do not contain wheat and maize. He is an extremely good doer so fibre based is ideal. Obviously I will ring round the feed companies on Monday having found it intensly frustrating that many of them don't have a full list of ingredients on their websites.
 
Sugarbeet, fibrebeet. I'd imagine some nuts wouldn't contain these though you'd have to check ingredients. Could you try feedng him something like alfalfa mixed with oil and prehaps sugarbeet for energy? Or even just make your own feed using straights so then you'd know that there was definately no wheat or maize in it.
 
If he's a good doer could you feed Happy Hoof or Dengie Good Doer? I'd be 99% sure that neither of these had wheat or maize in them.

Alternatively I've never used them but I know alot of people with sensitive horses use Simple Systems feeds.
 
A good chaff such as Graze On (grass) or Green Gold (alfalfa), and grass nuts if he needs more energy (grass nuts from http://www.northerncropdriers.co.uk/grass%20nuts.htm or ( http://www.simplesystem.co.uk/products/feeds.asp?id=2&name=Other%20Forages ).

Oil would also be a good alternative source of energy instead of grass nuts, but in a more slow-releasing way; you could feed pure oil (upto 250ml per day, more than this needs a Vit E + Selenium supplement too) or in something like micronised linseed ( http://www.charnwood-milling.co.uk/store/erol.html#727X0 ).

Most nuts (with the exception of grass nuts) will have wheat in, alongwith a number of other icky fillers, ditto a lot of mixes, although A&P's Cereal Intolerance Mix pretty much does what it says on the tin so to speak.
 
From what I've read most nuts and pellets contain wheatfeed which is the outerhusk of the wheat grains. Feed companies often don't state what is in the nut/pellets in their feeds, they just state fibre!

Found Allen & Page Sugar and Cereal Intolerance diet, sounds like it might what I'm looking for - will phone them before I buy any though.
http://www.allenandpage.com/products/sugarintolerance.htm
 
I wouldn't have thought this was too difficult aslong as you stick to straights. Alfalfa, sugarbeet, oats, hay, haylage, linseed, dried grass - you'vestill got quite a lot to play around with. Just be careful if you feed horse treats as they sometimes have things like wheatfeed in them.
 
Hi Perissa,
My horse was tested for allergies using the York Test (bloods) and came out with high numbers against wheat, barley, rye, oats, linseed, peas, soya & storage mites, so I sympathise! Vet put him on alfa-beet & alfa-a. This seemed to solve the problem, although he still always breaks out in a rash when hay is 1st introduced into his diet in the winter months and there is little grass. I do, however, believe that some of the results were indicative of intolerances rather than allergic responses. This is because I introduced, and have been using, bog standard pony nuts over the last couple of years due to his dislike of any type of sugar beet. he is fine on these, despite their wheatfeed content. I have found that intensely scrutinising bags of feed, you can usually find the contents - sometimes attached on a small label. Good luck!
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ETS - You are right - it is frustrating that you cannot find full ingredient lists on the feed manufacturers websites! I was looking at getting him the Allen & Page Cereal Intolerance, but when I checked the sack in the feed merchants it contains peas and soya/linseed (can't remember which!).
 
I think I have read every little lable at my feed merchants!! But that was when I was looking for alfalfa and molasses free so will have to look again for wheat and maize free.

He's such a good doer I was trying to steer away from the alfalfa. He's fine (sofar) with all grasses, barley, oats, linseed, peas and soya.

So far he is very sensitive to wheat, dogs and horsechestnut tree and sensitive to maize, mites and histamine.

I was thinking something along the lines of Speedibeet and oats but worry about it (less fattening than barley) being not a very balanced diet. So many balancers and supplements use wheatfeed as a carrier to add bulk. Or they buy in the vit/min formula ready made to be added to feeds.
 
I think you'll be okay with alfa. Mine's a good doer, and he's been fine with it. It's got more protein than, say, a mollichaff, which helps when you are restricted by the contents of the various mixes. I think being that wheat is the main problem, you should be able to find a number of suitable feeds - certainly from my experience! I found plenty that were cereal free, but always had the peas/soya/linseed/rye problem! From memory - I do believe that the Allen & Page Cereal Intolerance would be suitable for your horse - Back to the feed merchants you go! Good Luck
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!
 
Just had a long chat with the vet and he's allergic to

Wheat
Dogs
Horsechestnut
Maize
Mites and
Histamine

He wants him to have hay, sugarbeet and dried grass - nothing else. I will go for Speedibeet rather than normal sugarbeet as its got less sugar in it and something like Readigrass.

He's having a steroid jab, steroid tablets and antihystamines for 6 weeks. By then I am hoping that my fields are dry enough to turn him out.

'orses who'd 'ave 'em!!!!!
 
My horse is also allergic to a number of things and I found Allen & Page very helpful regarding feed.

My horse has fast fibre and ride and relax and is much better for it.
 
Sounds like a good plan! I found that my horse's rash would go after a steroid injection / course of steroids, but would just come back afterwards. I use piriton antihistamines - 500 for £10. I know a lot of people say they don't work, but they help him. Wen the rash erupts, he has 10 twice a day, and they promptly reduce. They don't go completely, but they become a few small lumps here & there as opposed to huge great weals & plaques all over his body. If I stop giving them, they come back quite aggressively. Might be worth keeping some on standby for a sensitive type! They don't work for all, but they work for him! Look forward to hearing your progress!
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Got to Liphook this afternoon to see that he has rubbed another massive sore on his bottom, and one on the top of his tail. The whole area looks red and angry again, its also weeping serum and pockets of pus. I washed the whole area with warm water and hibbiscrub and then applied liberal sudocream.

Vet said that it could take 2-3 days before the steroids kick in so I have left him out as I don't want him damaging it any more. His field is completly surrounded in electric fencing so he has nothing to rub on.

He's on Hydroxyzine antihystamine 20 x 2 a day and 20 steroid tablets a day.
 
It's awful when you get that sort of reaction isn't it. This is how mine gets without the anti-histamines - the lumps get risen & they burst & weep with that horrid thick liquid which sticks to everything. I clip now partly to aid the ease of cleaning up these swellings, although since using the piriton they don't really get this bad anymore - just small nodules. He used to get weals all over his body including his face
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. It took me four years to get to grips with his condition as the vets drew a blank with it. I have now been managing it succesfully for 2 years. Your horse is in the best hands though - I read a lot of interesting research from Liphook when I was looking into it. They really are at the top of their game & I wish I had them at my disposal when things were bad. I would be very interested to hear how you get on as I spent many, many hours reading case studies & treatments for a long time about allergies. Fingers crossed the steroids kick in soon
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x.
 
I looked at Fast Fibre but much to my dismay they put garlic in it. I won't feed my horses garlic anyway but have read that it really is a nono for itchy/sweet itch/allergic horses.
 
Thanks Natalie, I have to say that Andy has been brilliant and very thorough.

Dennis has those awful lumps all over his dock and bottom.
 
Mmmm, dunno about Happy Hoof. It's got those vit/min pellets in it. Don't know what's binding those together. Would have to check with Spillers, but it's bound to be cereal based.
 
My poor boy. Now he has small exploding pustules on his bottom and the underside of his dock. Vet said they are infected hair follicles. As I am gently rubbing them applying sudocream he really pushes into me to rub harder. If I knock the scab off a ball of pus comes out leaving behind a hole.

Hopefully the steroids will kick in soon, its been 2 days since he had the jab and tablets so fingers crossed.

A bonus is that he is loving the Readigrass and speedibeet, despite having 40 tablets in his tea and 20 in his breakfast he is still woofing it down.
 
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