Itchy bumpy horse

[dotty1]

My 22 year old mare has been really itchy for the past week, biting her sides through her rug to scratch. It is on her side/belly in front of the stifle and a bit round the girth on both sides. Thought it may have been her rug so changed it yesterday. Today she has fluid filled palm size flat bumps which are itchy and shes grumpy when I touch them. I shampooed them with maleseb this morning but no different tonight.
She was clipped but now has quite long stubble. The only different feed is hifi original as they had run out of lite. Her field is pretty flooded so she has been eating a lot of very wet grass.. No grass at night, just last years hay.
Any one got any ideas what could be going wrong??, it must be coming from the inside.

 

[DuckToller]

One of my ponies is prone to lice and itches like mad when he gets them. He is a cremello and he picks them up from the field but not normally at this time of the year. I can see raised lumps on the soft skin round his sheath and inner thigh when he has them, but not as large as you describe. Don't think lice are likely but have a look in case - you might be able to see them if you run your fingers backwards through the hair in good light.

 

[timmyhorse]

My horse has similar lumps and has been diagnosed with a number of allergies. I haven't fed Hi-fi since he's had this problem but he has reacted to hi-fi original before and came out in bumps which went went when I stopped it. Try eliminating things to see if that helps. Let me know how you get on

 

[dotty1]

Thanks Timmy horse, maybe it is the original hifi. Will stop that today and see...., she has always had hifi lite with no problems. This is the first time in the 18 years I have had her that she has been like this.

 

[ticobay831]

will PM you later

got to go to work now

 

[Nosey]

Sounds like uticaria?! Similar to hives which is often down to something they have eaten.
My horse had it recently. I rang the vet and cos she wasn't in any discomfort they advised me to try her on a course of bute first as an anti inflammatory. Unfortunately this didn't work and they got worse so vet came out and gave her a steroid injection. All gone in a few hours and not come back!!
Vet said there was probably no chance of telling what she had reacted to - she was in same field, same feed, bedding etc. Something may have blown in or she ate some type of plant she had not had before?!

Perhaps give your vet a call .. hopefully they can advise over phone?

 

[dotty1]

Well, I took her rug off this morning and thought 'oh good shes better...but she wasn't, the bumps are all joined up and she has a fluid filled pad on her belly from stifle to girth.
Vet has been and is pretty sure it is an allergy to something, has given her a fynadine injection and she has to have bute for a few days. She can't have steroids as she has had laminitis in the past so a bit risky.
She is soo itchy, you only have to touch her and she arches her neck and sticks her top lip out wanting you to scratch her.
Cant put cream on her as would have to cover her completly.
Bought some hifi lite today, it is still last years hay and pretty sure it isnt the haylege as she only ever had a very small amount and I took here completly off it at the weekend and she has since got worse.
Doubt we shall ever know what it is.
Poor itchy old lady!!!

 

[the watcher]

I know it isn't the weather for it really, but cool sponging may relieve some of the swelling, but don't use anyting other than water - and be wary about over rugging, those swellings will get worse if overheated

 

[william99]

Yep sounds like an allergy to me

 

[dotty1]

Well this morning the pads were bigger and starting to 'hang'.
tonight they are slightly bigger again but one is starting to break down, the fur was matted and sticky and a tuft came off when I investigated. It is now pretty sore and she doesn't want me near it. She looks like she has a pot belly with all the fluid. Have spoken to the vet and I have picked up antibiotics and a small dose of steroid for her.
She is eating well and doesn't seem too bothered..unless I want to look at them.
She has only had hifi lite/hay and grass so I think an allergy is starting to look unlikely.

 

[rcm_73]

My mare had something like this early last year about feb. Just like your horse she was incredibly itchy especially on her neck. chest, girth, sides and came up in lumps. She was treated for both lice and ringworm but in the end the thing whatever it was subsided on it's own and I had a hair pluck taken and a skin swab all which came back negative so it was all a bit of a mystery as to why it started. I can only think that maybe she had an allergic reaction to something, what, I still don't know.

 

[timmyhorse]

How are you getting on, is she any better?

 

[MagicMelon]

One of mine regularily itched (we thought it was sweet itch) until suddenly he came out with a huge rash all down his neck, chest and shoulder - huge big lumpy bits, it was horrid and they were painful to touch. We decided to have an allergy test done (was going to anyway with regards to the itching because a Boett didnt help etc.) - turns out hes allergic to most grasses (OMG!), hay moulds and dustmites... We've had a vaccine made in Holland for him which he's on now (6 month course).

It's well worth getting her tested for allergies if it doesn't go down soon or she keeps getting odd skin problems in the future.