Animal Allergies

Animal Allergies

Whinny’s Wisdoms

Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic

Hey everybody, Whinny here! You know what really yanks my whiskers? Allergies! *Achew!*

All animals suffer from allergies. Now that we’re getting into the summer, we’ll all see allergies rear their ugly heads even more often. Just like you two-leggers get a summer “hay fever,” us critters have much higher exposure to pollen and bugs during the hot months of the year.

Overview

There are many types of allergies, but the broad categories are seasonal, food, and insect. Animals can be affected by some or all of these. This time of year, the main change for allergic animals will be bugs, so let’s talk about those first!

Insect Allergies

The types of insects we are mostly talking about that cause allergies are gnats for large animals and fleas for small animals. The way both of these work, at least in the sunny southeast, is that these bugs are all around us, and tend to bother all of us, but they bother some more than others because some animals are allergic to their gross bug saliva.

I commonly hear animal owners deny that their pets are affected by insects because they aren’t seeing a lot of them, or aren’t seeing more than a few on their unaffected animals. But the trouble with allergy to saliva is that it only takes one or two bug bites to create an allergic reaction, which comes from the immune system. When an animal’s body is exposed to an allergen, (bug saliva, in this case) little antibodies called IgE are produced. These call in reinforcements to create inflammation and bring about histamine.

Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic

Food Allergies

Food allergens tend to be more of an issue for smaller animals like dogs and cats. Our illustrious clinic cat Tony doesn’t have any food allergies (though he has chosen not to consume rodents like yours truly out of the kindness of his heart), but lots of dogs and cats have food allergies and sensitivities. The most common food allergies are to proteins like chicken or beef. The humans who make advertisements on the television love to make claims about grain allergies, but the truth is those are about as common as a cube of cheese in a barn that’s not a trap. It’s possible, but very unlikely.

Horses can definitely deal with inflammatory gastrointestinal conditions, but they don’t tend to stack up with skin symptoms to the same degree as dogs and cats. See? Being a horse isn’t all bad.

Seasonal Allergies

The growing seasons of spring and summer bring about pollen. You may not be able to see it easily, unless you park a dark vehicle under a tree, but my light brown fur tends to get highlighter yellow tips this time of year as I run through the fields around Springhill Equine. So I can confidently say the pollen is out in full force. There are options for specific seasonal allergy tests through a veterinary dermatologist. For this test, the dermatologist will put little bits of the allergens under the animal’s skin and watch for swelling to indicate reaction. Some companies advertise a blood test to diagnose seasonal allergies for all species, but unfortunately there is no evidence that these have any diagnostic value, so don’t waste your money.

Whinny Wisdom: Allergies are cumulative. An animal that is only mildly susceptible to both a bug allergy and a seasonal allergy will be more severely affected if they are exposed to both.

Diagnosing and Management

If you are worried about your animals having allergies, the correct first step is to have them evaluated by a veterinarian. Our doctors will do a complete physical exam, including taking a temperature. Sometimes, certain kinds of infections can look like allergies, so it’s always important to start with a physical exam. If the physical exam is otherwise normal, then there’s a conversation about the most likely type of allergy your pet has going on and a conversation about diagnostic tests. None of the tests are straightforward or cheap but most also involve an element of treatment.

For food allergies, we generally have a diet change. For dogs and cats this involves a prescription diet, whereas for horses or ruminants it is more about elimination diets, first starting with removing all hay or all grain, then working up from there. This category definitely marries both diagnosing and treating. We start with a different, hopefully novel, diet, and we keep that going for at least 6 weeks. This is where discipline is important. I struggle with that, as doing my daily 1000 tail curls can be tough, but discipline is super important here: your pet must not eat anything but the prescription or elimination diet that their doctor has recommended for the full time period. Then, if we see improvement, it’s time to have a conversation about whether to continue with that diet, or try to challenge them to really get confirmation.

Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic

For diagnosing allergies from those pesky invertebrates, the doctors almost always treat in order to diagnose. This usually means both topical and oral medications. For dogs and cats this always, always, always involves prescription strength flea prevention. Even if they are acting like their main problem is one of the other allergy types, we absolutely must control external parasites like fleas to control their level of itch.

For horses, the external parasites that cause allergies are typically things like gnats, so we use products with a repellant in them like citronella. Horses also tend to be much more focal in their response to parasite allergies, so we treat topically at the area of interest. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen big boxes of bottles of Equishield products come into inventory. I don’t get to explore the boxes when they come in (something about “paw germs” or something, ugh) but I do get to play in them when they make it out to the recycling bin, so I love it! Anyway, the topical Equishield products are used a lot because they do a GREAT job of combating insect allergies in horses. Dr. Speziok has even recommended them sometimes for certain farm dogs with seasonal allergies. When it works, it works.

Seasonal allergies are tough to definitively diagnose except by a dermatologist. Pragmatically, we often just manage this, especially because they only affect animals for part of the year. There is the option of intradermal skin testing, which will reveal specific allergens. If you choose to go this route, allergy vaccines can be developed which can potentially improve the allergies directly (the closest thing to a cure we have). But they are very hyperlocal, so you’ve gotta stay close to your den, err home, and not move!                                                                                                      

Allergies in general are not curable, and often get worse over time. Allergies are unfortunately both time and money consuming. Managing them has to be a partnership between you, your veterinarian, and your pet (they have to cooperate and either get the baths and sprays, or take the pills and injections). Don’t let them get worse this year without treatment, get your critters in to see our doctors if you’re worried!

Until next week,

~Whinny

P.S. Are you watching the Horse Girl Goes to the Vet series on YouTube? It’s fantastic! Episode 13 just dropped this weekend. It’s only 90 seconds long, but it will make your day! Just click the blue text to check it out!

Whinny’s Wisdoms is the official blog of Whinny the Clinic Mouse at Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic in Newberry, Florida. If you liked this blog, please subscribe below, and share it with your friends on social media! For more information, please call us at (352) 472-1620, visit our website at SpringhillEquine.com, or follow us on Facebook!

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More Adventures of the Horse Doctor's Husband
Equine Asthma aka Heaves

Equine Asthma aka Heaves

Whinny’s Wisdoms

Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic

Hey everybody, Whinny here! This week we’re talking about breathing problems in horses. Equine Asthma, which is what we’re calling it now, has been known by several other names over the years. Some of the most commonly used terms were Heaves, Recurrent Airway Obstruction, and Inflammatory Airway Disease.

Equine Asthma is a disease primarily associated with lung inflammation. This lung inflammation results in the clinical signs that we observe with this disease, including coughing, mucous production, wheezing noises from bronchoconstriction, and a “heave line”. The heave line can be observed as an abdominal push near their flank area where they are exerting extra pressure to breathe. This is often accompanied by nostril flaring. As you can imagine, an Equine Asthma attack can be distressing for the horse and hard to witness for someone who is caring for them.

Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic

            Diagnosing Equine Asthma can be done with a thorough physical exam. My veterinarians will listen to the lungs of a horse with their stethoscope for a high pitched “wheeze” noise. This noise in an otherwise healthy horse that has a cough is often enough to diagnose Equine Asthma. More complex cases may require a BAL (bronchoalveolar lavage) where my doc takes a sample of the lower airway and evaluates it for the presence of certain types of cells to confirm the diagnosis. 

            Equine Asthma is often triggered by different allergens. The biggest culprit for horses tends to be dust. Additionally, mold, pollen and other environmental allergens can play a role in triggering an acute asthma attack. Asthma often occurs seasonally, but some horses do need to be treated year round.

Whinny Wisdom: Donkeys are just as susceptible to Equine Asthma as horses are! Make sure you keep an eye on their breathing, and be ready to manage them and their environment the same way you would with your horse.

            Since there is inflammation in the lungs with Equine Asthma, the mainstay of therapy includes a very potent anti-inflammatory: dexamethasone. This is a steroid medication that can be given orally, intravenously or intramuscularly. Since we are often giving this medication daily, many owners prefer to give the medication orally (the horses also prefer this way). The biggest risk to steroid medications is laminitis or founder. Due to this risk, nebulized or inhaled versions of steroids may alternatively be used instead of dexamethasone to treat the condition. This may be recommended based on an individual horse’s concurrent risk factors for laminitis. Yet another good reason to keep your horse at a healthy weight!

            In an Equine Asthma attack, a rescue medication may be used for several days in a row to help open the lower airways in addition to the steroid therapy to reduce inflammation. This rescue drug is commonly called Ventipulmen, or clenbuterol. This medication may be recommended to have on hand depending on the horse’s response to steroids.

            Additionally, an antihistamine such as ceterizine (generic form of Zyrtec) or hydroxyzine may help reduce the number of acute episodes a horse may experience depending on the allergens that are causing the asthma in the patient. While these medications can help reduce the number of episodes, they do not provide the anti-inflammatory effects that a steroid can provide, so cannot be solely used for management. (If you read between the lines, it says: don’t do any of this without the guidance of your veterinarian!)

Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic

            Finally, a key management factor is environmental management. This primarily focuses on reducing dust since this is often one of the main triggers for Equine Asthma. This can be accomplished by wetting any feed, both grain and hay. In more severe cases, some horses may not be able to consume hay due to the dust and allergens that are present. Hay steamers can also help in these situations as they reduce dust and kill mold spores and bacteria that may be present. Depending on the horse’s allergens, stabling time may need to be limited as the barn bedding can be dusty. If a horse with Asthma needs to be stalled, minimally dusty bedding such as hemp or flax should be selected. Straw should not be used as it often has a high level of dust and allergens. 

            Although it can be stressful to see your horse afflicted by Equine Asthma, it’s important to remember that treatment options are available to manage this condition and my docs here at Springhill Equine are ready to help. If you think your horse might be developing a breathing problem, give us a call at (352) 472-1620 to set up an evaluation.

Until next week,

~Whinny

P.S. Want more? Check out the podcast episode my docs did on airway issues in horses! You can listen to it right from your phone, and by the end you’ll know all about it!

Whinny’s Wisdoms is the official blog of Whinny the Clinic Mouse at Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic in Newberry, Florida. If you liked this blog, please subscribe below, and share it with your friends on social media! For more information, please call us at (352) 472-1620, visit our website at SpringhillEquine.com, or follow us on Facebook!

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More Adventures of the Horse Doctor's Husband
Allergy Testing

Allergy Testing

Tuesdays with Tony

If you’ve been by the clinic lately, you may have noticed my fancy new hairdo. If you haven’t, I’ve provided a picture for you all to admire. A few weeks ago, my staff felt the need to show me off to all the lovely people at the University of Florida Veterinary School. Of course, I was happy to oblige to my adoring fans.

Springhill Equine

 

My staff explained to me that the reason for my visit was not just to get scratches and loves from the veterinarians, technicians, and students at UF, but it was important that I get checked out for allergies. The dermatology department at UF spent the day checking me out and performing intradermal skin allergy testing (IDAT) on me, hence my fancy new haircut. Did you know that horses can have allergies too? And did you know, my doctors here at Springhill Equine can perform allergy testing on your horse to help figure out why he/she likes to itch his/her mane off every spring, or why they tend to have trouble breathing during certain times of year?

 

What is Allergy Testing?

You may be asking yourself the question, what is allergy testing? Luckily for you, I have firsthand experience on this matter and can give you the lowdown on what exactly allergy testing is. There are two different types of test available. One is a blood test that measures certain protein antibody levels in the blood that may be causing your horse’s allergic symptoms. While sometimes this is a good starting point for allergy testing, intradermal testing is much more specific. Allergy blood testing can occasionally cause horses (and cats) to test positive to allergens that they are not actually allergic to. This is why my doctors choose to test your horse with the intradermal method. Using intradermal testing, my docs can test multiple different allergens that may be causing your horse’s discomfort. In order to provide you all with a play-by-play of what occurs during intradermal testing, I had this testing done during my visit at UF.

 

Why do we perform Allergy Testing?

The main reason we perform allergy testing is for the comfort of your horse. The goal of allergy testing is to identify specific allergens that your horse is reactive to so immunotherapy can be developed and your horse can be treated.

 

How do the docs perform intradermal testing?

The first step of intradermal allergy testing in to discontinue all allergy medications. I know that up until my appointment at UF, I spent way too many valuable napping hours scratching. I suppose it was the price to pay to figure out just what was causing all my discomfort. Horses also must be off all allergy medications. This means steroids, antihistamines, etc., for at least 14 days prior to testing. After your horse has been off his/her medication, the next step is to bring them into the clinic to see my docs.  While you’re here you might even get a personal “cat” scan from yours truly. You’ll leave your horse with me for the day for monitoring, while my docs do the heavy lifting and perform the tests.

 

So, now you’re probably wondering what will happen while your horse is in my care.  First, the staff here will clip a rectangular pattern on one side of your horse’s neck. I keep a watchful eye on this part. I wouldn’t dare let a horse leave my clinic without an awesome new hairdo like mine. Next the staff will make a 6 by 6 grid in the clipped area with a permanent marker. This grid serves as a guideline to where the allergens will be injected to your horse’s neck. Next, 36 different allergens are injected just under the skin using a very small needle. This was my least favorite part of my visit at UF, though thankfully it was followed by lots of scratches and treats.

 Equine Allergy testing

A positive control (something we know your horse will react to) and a negative control (something we know your horse will not react to) are also injected under the skin, so my docs have something to compare the test allergens to. One hour after initial injection, the docs will compare the test allergens to the controls and mark those allergens which have any kind of reaction. Your horse will be looked at again three hours after initial injection and the reactions will be recorded. For the rest of the day, I will hang out with your horse and keep him/her company while he/she enjoys some tasty hay and my staff ensures no further reactions are going to occur.

 

What does all this mean?

So, you’re probably starting to think this whole allergy testing thing is sounding pretty cool, and you would be right.  You’re also probably wondering what the next step is after my docs have identified the allergens behind your horse’s discomfort. Now that reactive allergens have been identified, the docs will work with laboratories to develop immunotherapy specific to your horse. I too, got my own special immunotherapy developed specifically to treat the allergens my body was reactive to. I guess that makes me a pretty special cat, but of course we already knew that.

 

The goal of the immunotherapy is to slowly expose your horse’s immune system to low doses of allergens and gradually increase the dose. This will desensitize the immune system to the allergen so when your horse is exposed to it, it no longer reacts. And that means no more itching, no more mane ruined by rubbing, no more tails rubbed raw, and no more trouble breathing. Fortunately, once your horse’s immune system has been desensitized to the most reactive allergens, immunotherapy will no longer be needed.  A few shots for a few weeks/months seem well worth a life without scratching, if you ask me.

 

So next time you’re at the clinic, feel free to check on me and see how my immunotherapy is going. Actually, I’d be happy if you just give me pets and love. But, while you’re here, talk to my staff about setting up allergy testing for your itchy horse.

 

Until next week,

 

Tony

 

P.S. I listened to a particularly intriguing episode of Straight from the Horse Doctor’s Mouth this week. If you haven’t listened to it yet, make sure you put it on your list. It’s all about dentals, and I guarantee you will learn something you didn’t know!

Tuesdays with Tony is the official blog of Tony the Clinic Cat at Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic in Newberry, Florida. If you liked this blog, please subscribe below, and share it with your friends on social media! For more information, please call us at (352) 472-1620, visit our website at SpringhillEquine.com, or follow us on Facebook!

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The Ears Have It

The Ears Have It

Tuesdays with Tony

The Ears Have It 

 

First things first: please don’t forget that my biggest Meet Tony Event of the year- Open House- is coming up in just a few short weeks! Mark your calendars for Springhill Equine’s 12th Annual Open House on Saturday, September 29th from 10 am – 2 pm. This year you will visit booths themed after favorite movies, enjoy delicious BBQ, and explore what our local vendors have to offer, while getting entered to win a free Wellness Package for one of your horses! I’ll plan on seeing you all there.

Do you ever feel like your week has a theme? For example, you and two of your friends all get a flat tire, or you see a snake in your backyard then the next day you see one on your way in to work, or you hit 2 squirrels with your car within the span of a few days? Well, this week’s theme was definitely ears. We have seen itchy ears, swollen ears, abscessed ears, allergic ears, hyper-sensitive ears, and even an ear with a tick in it! So, I quizzed the docs on the common ear problems horses get, and how to recognize and treat them. Do you know what to do if your horse’s ears are driving him nuts?

 

My horse won’t let me touch his ear

So first, a few questions. Does your horse normally let you touch his ear? Because most horses generally don’t love it. Is it just one ear, or both ears? Both ears make it more likely to be an itchy, allergic, hypersensitivity condition. One ear makes us think of trauma such as a laceration or bruise, or perhaps a tick inside the ear. Side note: the docs tell me that in vet school they teach you that ear ticks are a super-common thing that you will encounter all the time…but in real life they are extremely rare. However, if your horse develops a sudden extreme hypersensitivity in one ear with no other symptoms, an ear tick is definitely on the rule-out list.

If your horse’s ears are irritated in any way, you’re probably darn right that he won’t let you touch them…they hurt! Spoiler alert: it’s going to require a good amount of sedation, a step stool, and a fancy light called an otoscope to get a good look in there. Read as: Call your vet.

 

But doc, this just happened today!

Far and away the most common ear problem our docs encounter is chronic, thickened, irritated ears secondary to a gnat allergy called “Culicoides hypersensitivity.” Often the vet doesn’t get called until the horse itches his ear so badly that he cuts it on something, and the owner finally takes note when blood and/or pus are streaming out of the ear. Without fail, they claim this “just happened” and the ears were normal a few days ago. While the wound may be new, the underlying condition that led the horse to be so uncomfortable that he self-traumatized his ear has taken months, or even years, to develop.

Springhill Equine Veterinary ClinicCulicoides (kyōō′lĭ-koi′dēz′) is a species of gnat very common here in Florida. Many horses are actually allergic to the saliva of this gnat, so every bite by one of these annoying little devils sends the poor horse into an itching frenzy. The early signs of this gnat allergy include frequent scratching and hair loss in the ears, mane, base of tail, and chest. Over time the skin in these places will become thickened, there will be multiple open bite wounds, the hair will be completely gone, and the horse will constantly be scratching on anything and everything he can find. Horses with chronic Culicoides hypersensitivity will often develop a “cauliflower ear” appearance over a period of years. Once this happens, the ears will never return to their original shape.

What can I do for my horse’s poor ears?

It is best and most successful when owners treat horses with gnat allergies early and often. Look closely at your horse’s ears. Is the hair thinning inside and around the edge of the ear? Are there tiny bug bites inside? Do you see any scabs or blood? Is the skin normal, or is it becoming thickened?

At this early stage, you should be able to get the problem under control with just some topical medication and fly gear. We always recommend a fly mask with ears for these horses; fly sheets, neck pieces, leg covers, etc. can be added at your discretion. The topical medication that works best for this condition is Equishield IBH (that stands for Insect Bite Hypersensitivity). It comes as a salve or a spray, depending on your preference. We find that the IBH salve works great for ears, but the IBH spray is awesome when you need to treat a larger area.

itchy horses Springhill EquineOnce the ear has gotten to a point where there is a secondary laceration, abscess, or hematoma, it can be difficult to treat. While we always try conservative options first, these horses sometimes have to undergo surgery under general anesthesia to drain the ear, followed by weeks with the ear taped down against the horse’s head to allow for continued drainage. No fun.

If you have tried the fly protection and IBH products, but your horse is STILL uncontrollably scratching, talk to our docs about a systemic treatment such as an antihistamine to break the chronic itch cycle. There is even a new drug on the market called Apoquel that has been used to treat itchy dogs, but is now finally getting some attention for use in horses. While the medication is pricey for a 1000 lb animal, we have seen promising results with it so far!

As a cat who suffers from itchy skin, let me tell you that constantly feeling itchy is no fun. If (God forbid) I lived outside swarmed by the very creatures that made me so itchy, I would be miserable! So thank you in advance for not ignoring your itchy horses.

Fondly yours,

-Tony

P.S. Want more itchy horse info? Check out Dr. Lacher’s podcast on itchy horses. It’s the latest episode of Straight from the Horse Doctor’s Mouth. You can listen right from our website, or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts! What’s a podcast, you ask? It’s just like a radio talk show, except you can listen to it on your phone or your computer whenever you want to. Try it out, and see what the thousands of other subscribers have already figured out 😉

P.P.S. If you haven’t subscribed to this blog yet, make sure you scroll down to the purple box and sign up. Don’t rely on Facebook to deliver my weekly wisdoms to you, they’re very unreliable!

Tuesdays with Tony is the official blog of Tony the Clinic Cat at Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic in Newberry, Florida. If you liked this blog, please subscribe below, and share it with your friends on social media! For more information, please call us at (352) 472-1620, visit our website at SpringhillEquine.com, or follow us on Facebook!

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Tuesdays with Tony – Skin

Tuesdays with Tony – Skin

Skin

Skin is a truly amazing organ. It keeps our bodies from drying out, protects us against infection, plus it’s waterproof! I love my skin. Heck, as a cat, I spend several hours a day grooming it just to keep it in pristine condition. But the trouble with skin is that sometimes this protective barrier that surrounds our entire bodies can break down. Let’s take a closer look at the 3 biggest enemies of equine skin: Rain, Sun, and Bugs.

Rain
Just about every horse owner has heard of Rain Rot. But, did you know that rain rot is actually caused by a type of bacteria, and not a fungus? And did you know that this same bacteria can cause skin problems elsewhere on the body, like the pasterns and cannon bones? Rain rot is so named because this bacterium happens to thrive in moist environments. This is why it is usually found on your horse’s back or flanks after heavy rainfall, or on the back of his pasterns when he has been standing in a muddy pasture. So, while skin is waterproof, it is not a fan of prolonged exposure to moisture.

Sun
sensitive skin horseYou wouldn’t go outside all day in the middle of summer without any sunblock on, would you? Well, the same goes for your white horse, or even your chestnut horse with that little snip on his nose. If you are one of the lucky ones to own a mostly-white paint horse in Florida, you may want to invest in a full-body fly sheet with UV-blocking properties. But, if it’s just a strip or a blaze you need to cover up, daily application of sunblock or a fly mask may suffice. Don’t forget to protect your horse’s skin from sunburn just as you would your own!

Bugs
Nobody likes being bitten or stung by flies, gnats, bees, ants, and the like. But many horses are actually allergic to the saliva of these pests. As you may have guessed, the skin and hair of these horses is a complete disaster during the buggy season. The owners of these horses may as well invest in fly spray at the rate they have to buy it! Wouldn’t it be great if there were a single product you could apply daily to repel bugs, soothe skin, take away the itch, and treat already-existing bug bites? Well, actually, there is!

To find out about this and other magical equine skin products, don’t miss our free seminar, Managing Skin: From Itch to Funk! this Thursday, June 8th, at 7pm. One of my favorite speakers from Kinetic Vet will be talking about how to manage these and a variety of other equine skin conditions. Oh, and most importantly, I will be there! Check out the Event Page on Facebook for more details!

So, bring a friend, and a treat for me, and I’ll see you Thursday! Be ready to take home some free stuff, but please make sure that I am not among the prizes that wind up in your barn. Sometimes I accidentally go home with people…

 

Tuesdays with Tony – Pollen

Tuesdays with Tony – Pollen

We in the animal world think it’s fun to display our allergies in fun ways designed to mystify our humans.  For instance, I myself suffer from allergies.  My allergies manifest themselves as itchy skin.  Luckily, I live at a veterinary clinic.  My minions do their best to manage my allergies, but I do my best to come up with ways to avoid their treatments.  Turns out cats and horses are similar in this way.

It’s not snot

Usually, horses don’t get the runny noses and itchy eyes you humans encounter.  Instead, they get itchy skin, diarrhea, and sometimes coughing and wheezing, but very rarely straight up snot.  Diarrhea is most often a food allergy.  Itchy skin can be caused by allergies to pretty much anything: food, oak trees, sawdust, gnats, the sky, sunshine.  Coughing and wheezing are more common with allergies to pollen and dust.

What are they allergic to?!?  

The best way to treat allergies is to avoid the thing you’re allergic to.  Right.  Because it’s easy to avoid bugs and pollen in Florida.  So what’s a cat to do? There are a couple of options.  One is to treat the horse for allergies to anything.  The other option is to identify what your horse is allergic to, then treat with a combination of allergy shots and avoidance.

Let’s talk about identifying what your horse is allergic to first.  Just like they do for humans, my Docs do what’s called intradermal allergy testing.  They take very small amounts of allergens, like oak pollen, and inject it under the skin.  Next, they wait a few hours to see how big a bump that allergen makes on the skin.  The bumps get ranked on size, and a custom allergy shot mix is made for your horse based on that.

The other option is the broad-based drug approach.  This is like you humans taking benadryl or Claritin.  Horses can take Claritin, too.  Okay, they do better on Zyrtec, but whatever.  These treatments are aimed at reducing the entire body’s allergic response, but, as you humans know, there can be side effects.  The most common side effect is drowsiness.  This side effect makes many of these drugs a big no-no for show horses.

Making life livable with allergies

Now that you know the options for treating allergies, let’s talk about real world management.

Allergy shots work really well for the coughing, wheezing horse.  However, they do take a while (as in a year) to kick in.  Allergy shots start with a low dose, then gradually increase over about 2-3 months.  These shots get the body to tone down its response to allergens.  This means less coughing and wheezing.

Cetirizine (the drug in Zyrtec) and dexamethasone are the most common drugs my doctors use.  Cetirizine is cheap and easy to give, but again, can’t be used if you have drug testing at your shows. Dexamethasone is even easier to give, and can be used if drug testing is performed.  Depending on your horse, farm, and situation, our Docs can help you design the plan that works best for you.

There is a new drug available to help allergic horses:  Apoquel.  This drug has been used in dogs with some pretty fabulous results.  My Docs are among the first in the country to use this drug on itchy and wheezy horses.  I hear the result have been spectacular.

Avoiding Allergies

Okay, so let’s just agree that this is not a possibility for most allergens.  The only one it is sort of, kind of possible for is gnats.  This is done by covering your horse with fly sheets and masks from head to toe, dousing them in fly spray, IBH salve (ask my humans, they have it at the Clinic), and keeping them in front of fans at sunrise and sunset.

Need help in the eternal battle against allergies?  Call my humans.  They don’t just treat allergic horses, they own allergic horses.

Until next week,

-Tony

Tuesdays with Tony is the official blog of Tony the Clinic Cat at Springhill Equine Veterinary Clinic in Newberry, Florida. If you liked this blog, please subscribe below, and share it with your friends on social media! For more information, please call us at (352) 472-1620, visit our website at SpringhillEquine.com, or follow us on Facebook!