Skin biopsy to try establish horses allergy...how instrusive is it???

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Sharonr

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Well after 2 months of trying to establish what is causing my horses lumps and bumps all over his body, the vet is now wanting to go down the route of a skin biopsy.

I've tried everything, an exclusion diet, sterilising all his grooming kit and feed bins/buckets, washing all his rugs, leaving out 24/7, keeping in 24/7. The only thing that does seem to have helped by reducing the amount of lumps he has is bathing him in Nizoral shampoo.

However, he still has bumps coming up and some of them secrete serum causing him to have sticky scabs. The scabs have been tested and there is nothing to suggest any problems there. So a skin biopsy has been suggested prior to intradermal allergy testing.

Has anyone had any experience of a skin biopsy?? Will he require to be kept stabled for a time afterwards until they heal? I only ask as he stresses out being kept in!!

Thanks for any advice
 
One of my liveries was going to have one done but she put the horse onto NAF detox and the issues went almost immediately and never came back, we may not know the cause but it was probably a build up of something that just needed flushing out.
 
I've already got my horse on NAF Detox so it may be that that is helping reduce the lumps. Have ordered a bag of micronised linseed too as this is supposedly good for the skin.

My vet is going to call me back to arrange a suitable time for the biopsy to be taken as he's ill at the moment so will ask more then. Just didn't think when he phoned to ask what the procedure wil entail.
 
My old mare had it - local numbing, then they punch out 3 lots of skin/fat - on my horses back - and sent them for test. Did not look a nice thing to do, could not ride her till healed and had to put gel protection in them.

It turned into a bit of a waste of time - they could not identify anything and wanted to do another lot. I said no - i was not happy with the outcome.

I brought a BOET rug and noticed that the field next to her did not have rape in it the followoing year and the orse was fine there after.

So really not sure if it was an allegy to rape or to fly bites
 
A pony on the yard I am at kept coming up in all these lumps in bumps all over his body, he didn't seem to bothered by them. Not sure what the owner had done, but it turned out he has an allergy to apples, carrots & a few others things (not sure what tho) & all these thigns he had daily in his dinner etc. Once a month she has to give him an injection, she also tries not to let him get to hot as they also appear when he is hot.

Hope you get it sorted.
 
Hi, yes my old pony had millions done bless him!
Don't in two lots as the vet lost the first ones(??)
They inject a local anaesthetic before removing little circular bits. My horse had them from all over his body but not the saddle area so as far as I remember he was still ok to ride, he was pretty much retired though anyway.
They put a stitch into each one which I removed myself a set time after (this is very very easy and not at all unpleasant so don't worry if you have to do the same)
It's not awful all over and done pretty quickly.
 
poiuytrewq said:
Hi, yes my old pony had millions done bless him!
Don't in two lots as the vet lost the first ones(??)
They inject a local anaesthetic before removing little circular bits. My horse had them from all over his body but not the saddle area so as far as I remember he was still ok to ride, he was pretty much retired though anyway.
They put a stitch into each one which I removed myself a set time after (this is very very easy and not at all unpleasant so don't worry if you have to do the same)
It's not awful all over and done pretty quickly.
Click to expand...


Thanks for that!! Sounds as if it's not too bad. Was just imagining the vet bringing out a big apple corer and taking huge chunks out of him.

My guy is retired anyway so not worried about the riding, just being able to turn him back out in the field.

He's getting it done on Thursday as vet's receptionist phoned to book the appointment so couldn't ask what would be happening.
 
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