Long acting steroid for allergies? Any suggestions?

[blood_magik]

Wondering if anyone has experience of, or knows of a long-acting steroid to help with allergies.

My big horse is allergic to a whole host of things (dust mites, horseflies and midges to name a few…) and we’ve been using Equisolon powder as needed to keep things under control when our usual methods aren’t working.

He’s been fine with it in his feed for the last two summers, however he’s now decided that he doesn’t like the taste and we’re struggling to get it into him. I had to phone the vet to get them to come out and jag him just there. Last time he reacted this badly he colicked.

any suggestions would be very welcome ?
My vet is going to look into other options but I thought I’d ask in case anyone knows of anything. TIA

today’s reaction

 

[quizzie]

I have a horse with multiple allergies which I have extensive long term experience of! Mostly they are gut related (food of various descriptions), but also some contact allergies (ingredients of some fly sprays), luckily not respiratory…..but if you saw the photos you would be quite happy about yours!

Luckily they are not pruritic (itchy), so I have had time to learn many control methods over the years, and also learned to live with them, as the horse couldn’t care less about them, though I hate the look of them. Indeed he has competed (eventing) at fei level with no issues with them.

It is too complex to write in posts, but I would be more than happy to chat to you about my experiences if you felt it could be of any use? I will pm you.

 

[horselover11]

I know from previously working at an equine vet that if an animal won’t take a medication anymore an unlicensed product for that issue can be prescribed for the animals welfare. In this case your vet could look at prescribing prednisolone 5mg tablets under the cascade system. Hope this helps.

We once had a horse that would not take prascend no matter what was tried so under cascade it was prescribed pergolide paste instead.

 

[iknowmyvalue]

You can get prednisolone tablets for horses now (they’re called equipred) but seem to be out of stock a lot so still often have to use the 25mg ones under the cascade. Otherwise might be worth looking into if someone like BOVA do a pred paste? (They probably do, they seem to do most things!)

 

[zoe352]

you could have a look at a drug called rapidexon (you will need a prescription for it)
it can be used in most animals

1.5ml per 50kg of body weight
withdrawal pierid 2 days
(not for use in horse producing milk for human consumption)