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Discussion on Hives and now swelling of the eyes and head
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Member:
Lsweeney
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 7, 2005 - 10:19 am:
My horse has been in the same pasture for about 8 years. A couple of weeks ago she started to break out in the hives. Bumps around the head and neck. She is a Friesian and usually is pretty rugged relative to insects. She gets sprayed every morning with fly repellant and has a fly mask.
Changes include: a different fly repellant, Rye hay (but she was eating it prior to the outbreak for a few weeks), and we have noticed a new yellow daisy (not star thistle) out in the field.
We removed the fly repellant and went back to the old one. While they hives subsided some, they have cropping up here and there.
We went camping with the rye hay, and she appeared fine over the 4th of July holiday. It looked like the hives were gone. She's been fine over Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday AM. Took off her fly mask, and her eyes are almost swollen shut. The swelling spreads out into the cheeks. Both eyes equally. It appears like an extreme allergic reaction. She wants to itch her face on you. She has an appetite and otherwise appears fine.
We are in Northern California. On the property are pines, oaks, star thistle, various other weeds. The pasture is dry with no grass now. They get plenty of feed, but still nibble on stuff during the day between feedings.
I have already had problems with acorns with a foundered mare, so I picked up every acorn during the fall. This mare also had kidney failure after I gave her a dose of bute and antibiotics. This was posted under kidney issues last summer. She has been fine and we recently ran blood on her and she was fine relative to kidney function.
Any ideas?
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Thursday, Jul 7, 2005 - 6:21 pm:
Hello Laurie,
Our specific treatment recommendations are outlined in the article on hives but as to the cause there is nothing in your post that is particularly likely. I would discontinue all fly repellents and give a thorough bath and rinse in a mild shampoo. At the same time I protect the horse from flies by stalling and fans. If the swelling around the head gets to where it seems that breathing becomes difficult, beside the pharmacological recommendations I would tie the horse in a stall with the head up.
DrO
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