Poor Floss - allergic reaction to fly spray

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Thistle

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Floss was due to do Calvert Cup today, a PC Open (BE Novice) level comp, hosted by our PC.

We helped with preparations, Floss was bathed, mane pulled etc. This was to be her first event since mid May due to Exams and Floss having a sore back from a saddle problem (luckily sorted that by having another saddle that I owned altered for her). She went SJ last week and came 2nd and 3rd and XC schooled really well.

Arrived in plenty of time, got her ready and used fly spray, same as normal, bottle already open , used on both Floss and Hector in the last few weeks. She immediately started rubbing her nose on her knees but we didn't think anything of it.
She did a sweet test, but was a little flat and went back to the lorry. Poor mare had some sort of reaction, she was covered in big raised lumps and her head was swollen. Between her back legs was very sore. All these lumps were exactly where the fly spray had between applied, so we immediately started washing her off, I ran over to get the event vet to have a look. He said she was OK to continue as the lumps had gone down a bit already after she had been washed and to give her bute and antihistamines when we got home.

She jumped a nice SJ round but again was a little quiet and unusually rideable! Quick change to XC (was one of the last to go as late for SJ). Warmed up ok, very quiet at start (usually goes out like a rocket) B nursed her over the first two fences the F just said no thanks at the third. B pulled her up and retired as she was obviously sore. The heat had caused the lumps to swell again and she was moving like she was wearing a wet nappy.

A friends horse had a reaction to this fly spray - Phaser - a few weeks ago, but a different bottle and batch.

Lumps are down again now, having hosed her all over as soon as we got home, and she has had her bute and anti histamines. Fingers crossed she recovers ok.

At least it was a local comp and there was no entry fee for us as our PC was hosting. Feel a bit fed up though as she won a huge cup for the best XC round last year and B wanted it back (Willough won it 2 years previously so it has a good place on our shelf!)

Anyone else experienced this?
 
The grumpy bay one has white patches on him where NAF Deet fly spray burnt him! I did a patch test on him - fine, then when I used it, it caused the skin to blister and peel, and the hair grew back white. Looks like he has had an ill-fitting saddle now, not funny. I bathed him as soon as I realised, but too late and to no avail. I couldn't ride him for several weeks as it was under the saddle and where the girth goes, as well as down his legs.

Poor W - hope she is feeling better soon.
 
My boy is a redhead with fairly sensitive skin normally, the only flyspray I can use on him is the Barrier Animal Healthcare one (white sprayer with green writing), although I still haven't worked out exactly what it is he is allergic to.

Hope Floss is on the mend.
 
Poor Floss. I use Phaser too, it may be worth dropping them an email to let them know what happened and to see if they have changed anything?
 
It's a bottle from last year, been stored in the lorry and was used on her just 10 days ago, really bizarre. Only thing I can think of is that she had a bath on Fri so not much grease in her skin so possible fly spray absorbed mare easily.

The worst reactions were her face and between her back legs, neither of which were washed with shampoo though.
 
We've always used Phaser. My friend used a new spray on her mare the other day she reacted to it and came in lumps but they weren't sore at all and then we tried it again on a small patch but where she had lumps come up before and it was absolutely fine :confused:
 
I always use Deet on mine and Millie had a reaction last summer- wasn't a new bottle or anything, just one day reacted to it.

It was a few days before an event and the skin on her neck went solid and then peeled off- I think it was where I had applied the fly spray, then ridden her and she got sweaty and the reins rubbed the fly spray in if that makes sense?

gave her a good wash and it went down after 2-3 days.

I still use Deet now (Millie is also allergic to flies!) and she hasn't reacted since.
 
One of mine had a reaction to NAF Deet fly spray. She came out in huge lumps all over. Took a while to go down but ok afterwards. I make my own spray now.
 
On Saturday morning my mare also came up in loads of lumps over her face, neck and back legs. I had used Phaser the night before, however i had used it every day for the previous 2 weeks and no reaction. The lumps went down in a few hours and i used Phaser yesterday without a problem. My vet said it was more likely that it was something she had ingested - which makes sense as i don't spray it round her eyes and this was the worst area. Perhaps your horse had ingested some pollen or something and it wasn't the fly spray?
 
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