Help - ive become allergic to my horse!

SNORKEY

SNORKEY

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For the past couple of months ive started to gave massive allergic reactions when i groom or even pat my horse.
I come up in rashy bumps, my throat swells so much i feel im having an asma atack, and i cant breath, and my eyes get very itchy and i sneeze loads. :(

Ive never been like this, and ive not changed anything, its def the horse and not the stable, im having to take allergy pills and eye drops every day, ive owned horses all my life and never had problems before.

Has anyone else allergic to their horse or just become allergic over night?
 
kharber21 said:
For the past couple of months ive started to gave massive allergic reactions when i groom or even pat my horse.
I come up in rashy bumps, my throat swells so much i feel im having an asma atack, and i cant breath, and my eyes get very itchy and i sneeze loads. :(

Ive never been like this, and ive not changed anything, its def the horse and not the stable, im having to take allergy pills and eye drops every day, ive owned horses all my life and never had problems before.

Has anyone else allergic to their horse or just become allergic over night?
Click to expand...

I was diagnosed as allergic to horses in my teens but only really got itchy eyes and sneezing. What you are having (throat swelling) is an anaphylactic attack which can be fatal without an epipen. You really should get to your GP and then an allergy specialist asap. Like tomorrow! Especially if you have to deal with horses daily.
 
Sorry to hear this :( No where near as severe in my case, but i think have a slight allergy to the ponies and puppies; cue lots of coughs, sneezes and itches. And yes it did appear over night, woke up one morning, went out to the horses and constantly sneezed. My sister describes it as tourettes lol; but instead of swearing i sneeze :p :L I try taking some anti histamines, but in your case i'd suggests the doctors :) x
 
Hi! I know exactly what you're going through. I'd had my horse for 2 years when same started happening with me. More so in the house though, my sinuses were constantly painful, my nose, well you really don't want to know! My asthma became 100 times worse and wasn't controllable at all. My doctor sent me to the hospital for some allergy tests. These showed that I'm allergic to all fur and feathers - so ANY animal that isn't bald basically! The doctor told me I would have to give up my animals and not keep any pets at all. I was 14 at the time and remember leaving the hospital absolutely GUTTED but adamant that I was not having a life without my animals! I'm now 40 and had the same horse until June this year when she was sadly PTS. I have 2 WHW shetland ponies and a border collie (who lives outside but is allowed in the porch). Up until May this year we were living on a sheep farm, had 5 collies, 3 pet sheep (which I still have) and my horse and shet. No way will I ever give them up. Instead I've learned how to cope with it the best way I can.

I have my "animal" clothes which I have to change out of straight away once dog is walked/ponies are done, wash my hands straight away and try to remember never to rub my eyes or face before washing them. My skin also comes up in blistery type lumps which is only really a problem in the summer times when I'm in a t-shirt and my arms aren't covered. All of my animal clothes are kept seperate and away from my bed.

I do feel for you, I know the disappointment you're going through. Do you have a nasal spray/eyedrops that you can use before going to do your horse? Certainly wash your hands immediately.

Good luck. If you want to PM me you're more than welcome :)
 
I agree about seeing the docs.

I suddenly developed an allergy to cats (having always had at least two in the home from being a baby). I found mine appeared after my sister got a cat. At first i was only allergic to him (itchy eyes, dry throat, runny nose) but now I am finding my own cat is affecting me.

Antihistamines help me but it sounds like you need to see a doc to learn exactly what you are allergic to. Perhaps someone else on the yard has changed things? Please get checked out though, if only to prevent your reactions getting worse as time goes on.

Good luck.
 
Get referred to a proper allergy specialist and explain that horses are a very important part of your life.

There is help out there but it is hard to find. When you know exactly what is causing this then you can address things individually stage by stage.

Good advice about seperate clothes etc and washing immediately. See your GP for an epipen.

My GP was convinced my daughter was allergic to her horses (had had them for years) and was very unsympathetic. When we saw an allergy specialist it turned out she is violently (as in almost anaphalactic) allergic to hay but not horses! She is very ill if she handles hay in short sleeves or inhales dust in the stables but we manage between us very well. She carries an epipen as she has other allergies and she is on some desensitising treatments which are helping. Get some good sympathetic specialist help.
 
I have always been allergic to animals and horses more so than anything else. I recall as a young child my eyes would swell up, I would be wheezy and consequently was constantly having eye drops put in and having to take my inhalers. It has got better over the years and I have never given up having animals and i don't have to take antihistamines unless i am having a particularly bad time.

However, any new horse can pose a problem for a few weeks and my skin will react and my asthma can get worse. My horse is the one I am most allergic to really but over time I must have built up an immunity. He was at college with me for a year and the manager there clipped him and she actually reacted badly to his hair, so much so her eyes swelled so much she couldn't see and was off the yard for a while. She was not allergic to animals!!!! I think alot depends on the individual horse and their hair, for some reason some seem to be more allergenic than others.

I would say it's unlikely you are experiencing an anaphalatic type reaction but to be 100% sure then i would go see your GP. It is more likely you are experiencing asthma type symptoms i would say but, because it's new to you you are bound to panic a bit and this will make you feel worse and could bring on an attack.

I would take care when handling your horse, try not let him put his muzzle on your arms or face or anything - I always find if my horses muzzle touches my skin I will get an itchy nettle type rash and that can also make me wheeze. Wash your hands after touching him and make sure you do not touch your face before washing your hands. I would also suggest wearing latex gloves or something (I do this when clipping) and maybe even wearing a face mask. It may be it is just the changing coat time of year ans that's why you're suffering. Have you owned him long?

I am sure it will be manageable so don't panic, just seek professional help and advice and be prepared!
 
As the others said go and get tested!

Its dealing with the allergic reaction!

I had a friend who was major allergic and had an epipen! She was told by her doctors to give up horses or she would die but she persevered!

She wore eye goggles all the time around them and when she groomed she wore a full nose and mouth mask (industrial kind) and she wore gloves also.

She then had hypnotherapy by a top hypnotist who taught her to deal with the reactions calmly-she also took aloe vera juice and then basically bathed in the stuff! AND somehow it worked for her!!!! She no longer needed to be 'darth vader' anymore! Still wore the goggles though but she needed the epipen less and less!
 
Thanks for the replys peeps, im going to book in an appointment with my doctor, and in the mean time carry on grooming etc with one hand over my face! lol

He's at home so I know nothings been changed so I really do have no idea where this allergy has sprung from!
 
Allergies definitely alter with age. Have you suffered a period of stress as that can bring them on? I rode as a child and always suffered allergies to horses which were similar to hayfever- I had to 'dose up' before my weekly ride. When I stopped riding while I was at Uni, I had a severe skin reaction from stroking a horse that I passed in a field. Since restarting riding 10 years ago I have found my allergy is gradually decreasing as I get older. My horse still gives me a nettlerash when he nuzzles me - but I react very badly to horses with trimmed muzzles as the hairs pierce the top layer of skin. My nose can 'close up' when I handle hay and I lose my sense of smell. Surgical masks and clear glasses (from ARCO) are helpful. I have the added problem in that I react badly to antihistamine tablets. So I just have to put up with it.

You may find your allergy will come and go. But the doctor will help!
 
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