Urticaria (? feed related) - advice needed!

Fiona

Fiona

Well-Known Member
Joined
14 July 2001
Messages
10,150
Location
N. Ireland
Visit site
Sophie is a 10yo grey mare, we have owned her for 7 years (6 kept at home in the same yard) and suddenly 10 days ago she began to be lumpy on the back of her jaw/top of neck. She rubbed these and made a bit of a mess, so called vet on the Monday and she had steroid injection and penicillin. The lumps basically disappeared in 12-24 hours. However unfortunately they began to recur after ~7 days again on her neck/tummy and jaw, so vet back again today.

She has had a long lasting steroid (14 days) but he thinks it is feed related, and advised to use the next fortnight to cut back her feed to try and establish what the problem is.

She is fed at present on pegus cool mix, readigrass, happy hoof chaff, with benevit, joint and farriers formula supplements.

Nothing in her management has changed, she is out on grass ~8 hours per day (field has ash, birch and willow trees surrounding but was in this field this time last year with no probs). Neither feed or hay have recently been changed (still on last season's hay). Was clipped about a fortnight ago.

She is kept with my other TB mare, who is 100% with no bumps at all.

Tonight I gave her just damped readigrass with chopped carrot for her tea, she was eating this OK, but not the most exciting diet in the world. Should I add something ie unmolassed SB or perhaps fibre nuts or one of the cereal intolerance mixes, or just try to persevere with the readigrass in the hope that her lumps stay away, and I can gradually re-introduce her other feedstuffs and perhaps find out where the problem is arising.

I haven't changed her mix (pegus cool mix), but vet suggested that the feed company could possibly have just changed from last season to new season cereals. I can investigate this further with the feed company as they are fairly local to me.

I would be grateful for any thoughts at all on this problem as I really only have the next fortnight to sort it out. I see long term steroids as a very last resort in terms of their side effects, and really need to get sorted before then..

HELP!!

Fiona

(I may put this in stable forum as well)
 
That def crossed my mind, as it was within a week of clipping, and the graze under her jaw I thought could poss have been caused by me with the clippers. However..
1 it was wolesley clipper oil which I use (same can) every year
2 she has hunted twice since then and been washed off afterwards, I am thinking this would have removed any traces of the oil.

Thoughts????

Fiona
 
fiona i had the same problem from one of my horse and it came down ttime to come out.o a clipper rash. it may have just took this.

1) the oil could have been contaminated just because it was the same can as last year and has been lying the oil is lying at the bottom of the can,. there could have been small frgments of rust in the oil.

2) the rash could already have started internally and not been notice if it has been absorbed into the blood stream through the skin pours washing the horse after hunting would have made no diffrence as it will have alredy be in the blood stream.

it is more likely to be that the her diet as you have not change her feeding at all then you would have had a problem befor now.

hope this helps andrea x
 
Its still v possible that you're right, as its the only thing that 'changed'. If so, then this second dose of steroids should shift it, as its now a fortnight since she was clipped.
Poor Spohie - I am feeling v guilty now if it was me that caused it.

FIona
 
Yes could be clipper oil.
My boy suffers from Urticaria on a semi-regular basis.
It seems to be triggered by several things, one of which is clipper oil.
Fudge had an awful bout last year and we think it was caused by something he ate from a hedgerow.
It can be very had to get rid of, as their body seems to go into overdrive and become intolerant to things they are usually fine with.
My vet suggested I gave Fudge bran mashes with epsom salts and change him from haylage to hay until things calmed down.
Once I had got rid of the rash I started to re-introduce things slowly.
Thankfully (touch wood) he hasn't had a relapse this year!
 
I think it could be a reaction to the clipper oil - being washed off with water wont have removed all of the oil as it is insoluble in water
laugh.gif



maybe a warm wash with hibiscrub and espom salts in warm bran mash
laugh.gif


hope she is better soon
laugh.gif
 
Happened with my retired pony post clipping. She's never been allergic before but we know it was this because she wasn't fed etc.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top