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  Discussion on Chronic hives
Author Message
New Member:
lant

Posted on Monday, Sep 28, 2009 - 6:08 pm:

My yearling came down with hives the first week of September and is still fighting them. He is currently on dex powder of 5 mg split into 2 feedings per day. He will be hive free and then without warning have a small outbreak of hives. Now he did injury himself requiring stitches and antibiotics which the vet said would effect how well the dex would work. Well he has been off the antibiotics now for two day and has hives. I have read many discussions about hives on this site but nothing this year. Is anyone else having a problem?
Member:
pschwab

Posted on Monday, Sep 28, 2009 - 8:53 pm:

Hi Terri,
My mare suddenly started breaking out in hives last month. After much elimination and trial and error I was able to isolate the fly spray as the culprit. As soon as I switched to Espree she has been hive free. Funny thing is that I have used the other brand for years with her and no hives. Just gotta love those horses....
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 29, 2009 - 10:45 am:

Welcome Terri,
I am unsure you have seen the article on hives, check out Diseases of Horses » Skin Diseases, Wounds, and Swellings » Bumps / Nodules / Warts / Tumors » Hives, Wheals, and Urticaria in Horses.

One think I want you to note is that dexamethasone has a long half life in the horse so daily treatment is not normally needed and for long term therapy not desirable. This is covered in the treatment section of the article and be sure to follow the link to alternate day treatment.
DrO
New Member:
lant

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 29, 2009 - 1:12 pm:

}Yes, Dr. O I did read your article. Also I do not like having him on the meds every day. However, without them he continues to have breakouts. As of this morning however I am going to try to wean him off slowly. I am giving him antihistamines and hope that that will take care of his problem. Also we have had a dramatic weather change so that may help if it is bugs. I know that it is not fly spray or anything that was on his skin as I had not bathed him with anything nor used a fly spray on him. What was new was hay. He first had diarrhea then hives with new hay. I had ordered a orchard grass and they gave me a meadow, timothy mix. I have given him that before and he would get diarrhea so I never purchased a ton just tried a bay. The feed store still insists that it is orchard but no one else including myself believe it to be orchard. I did not take him off it immediately because my vet was sure that it was bugs. I have had him off the feed now for just over a week and he was getting better. However the day before yesterday he grabbed a bite on his way by some I had thrown out and hives appeared within hours. How long does it take for this to leave his system if in fact it is the hay?
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 30, 2009 - 7:52 am:

Terri, which antihistamines are you giving at what dosages? You talk about the steroids as though it should be all on none. Toxicity from steroids is not so much how high the dose is but more related to the frequency with which it is given. Slow down read the article carefully explore the links in the article you still seem to have misconceptions about all this that are covered in that article.

There are no well characterized "food allergies" in horses. I don't know of a single case where a horse has been proven to have this disorder so we really don't have such questions as "how long..." known. It is presumed it happens though. If I thought it was possibly going on I would stay off the hay at least 8 weeks.
DrO
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