Equine Allergies & The Difficulties In Diagnosing

When it comes to allergies, as humans we know they can be difficult to diagnose. It is important to be fully aware of any symptoms the horse may be displaying in order to assist in the correct diagnosis of the problem. Horse owners should be aware that symptoms can easily be mistaken for other common diseases or conditions and due to this; acute observation is always helpful in the determination of the problem.

There are wide arrays of symptoms that can be portrayed by the horse, signalling a horse suffering from an allergy. Some of the most common include;
Coughing
Raised lumps on their skin
Streaming from the eyes or nose
Behaving as though under the weather lethargic, irritable etc. A good horse owner will know when their horse has a change in behaviour away from the usual.

Causes of Equine Allergies
Many different items found consistently in many of our horses' environments can contribute to an allergic reaction.
Dust
Mould Spores
Some proteins found in certain pastures
Certain foods
Hay
Grains
Insect bites
Supplements

Like us allergies are very specific to the individual. Usually horses can fight off most of these with a healthy immune system but sometimes this can be overcome. The horses immune system produces antibodies called antigens to help fight off unwanted threats. When working properly allergies are kept at bay. When the immune system is overcome by a threat e.g. from one of the above causes, it can overreact to it causing a symptom of the overreaction. These are the signs you may see that a horse is allergic to something.

While some allergic reactions are minor, others can become life threatening, causing problems within the respiratory and cardiovascular systems depending on where the trigger acts upon.

Difficulties in Diagnosing Allergies
Horse owners are often advised by a Vet, when purchasing a horse, to enquire as the whether the horse has any allergies. By all means this does not mean that the horse should not be purchased, it just means that the horse can receive the correct treatment / care it needs. Allergies within horses can take a long time to fully manifest themselves. Horses never previously affected can develop allergies and age, gender and breed are not contributory factors.

Types of Equestrian Allergies
Skin Allergies one of the most common allergies experienced in horses. Showing symptoms within an average of 12 hours after exposure to the antigen. Most commonly seen on the neck and shoulders, then spreading over time across the body. Skin allergies can be caused by food allergies and insect bites.

Respiratory Allergies The most commonly termed respiratory allergy is called Heaves. Symptoms of respiratory allergies include coughing, exercise intolerance, wheezing and nasal discharge. Severe cases of this can cause weight loss. Respiratory allergies can often be caused by environmental issues, many of which can be found in a stabled environment.

Soaking your hay, reducing the time your horse is stabled and using paper bedding rather than straw will all greatly help reduce the possibility of allergic reaction to this indoor environment.