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  Discussion on Relentless hives!
Author Message
New Member:
Clinton

Posted on Thursday, Jun 10, 2004 - 10:55 am:

Hi,
I have a horse that is 20 years old and is just this past winter and spring has developed hives. They come on all over his body and have been treated with recover and azium. They just keep comming back. I have tried changing the bedding in his stall, taking away all supplements and giving them back one at a time, and changing his grain. I can't figure this out and neither can my vet. He has consulted other vets on this issue however the only thing they suggested was very lengthy allergy testing. He is very healthy except for the hives. Do you have any suggestions? I'm at the end of my rope.
Member:
Clinton

Posted on Thursday, Jun 10, 2004 - 11:03 am:

Hi,
I have a horse that is 20 years old and is just this past winter and spring has developed hives. They come on all over his body and have been treated with recover and azium. They just keep comming back. I have tried changing the bedding in his stall, taking away all supplements and giving them back one at a time, and changing his grain. I can't figure this out and neither can my vet. He has consulted other vets on this issue however the only thing they suggested was very lengthy allergy testing. He is very healthy except for the hives. Do you have any suggestions? I'm at the end of my rope.
Member:
Shirl

Posted on Thursday, Jun 10, 2004 - 11:13 am:

Carrie,
What area are you in? My horse was terribly allergic to smoke in the valley last year from the fires on Mt. Lemmon and the White Mts of AZ.
You also might try rinsing his hay. Sierra is allergic to 'everything' and she is on the allergy shots that have helped immensely. However, even with that, she had to be put on 800 mgs of hyDrOxizine daily. I do have a holistic vet who does the NAET system and can magically clear some of these allergens from her meridian lines. Sounds like Voodo, but it does work. Yes, I know Dr. O, you are laughing now. But, what ever works.
My vet also recommends a shampoo called Relief that helps some. Best of luck, Shirl
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Friday, Jun 11, 2004 - 6:43 am:

Hello Carrie,
Since Shirley accurately uses the term "magical" to describe what the holistic vet is doing I will not comment further on this.

That said, unless you can figure out what is causing the allergies and removing it from the horses environment I cannot cure it either but do have suggestions for relieving the symptoms, for more on this see » Equine Diseases » Skin Diseases » Hives, Wheals, and Urticaria in Horses. I have little faith in allergy testing in horses. If antihistimines do not control the reaction I suggest using alternate day therapy, for more see Equine Medications and Nutriceuticals » Anti-inflammatories: NSAID's, Steroids, and Arthritis Treatment » Alternate Day Therapy.
DrO
Member:
Mrose

Posted on Friday, Jun 11, 2004 - 9:19 am:

I would just like to add that if the hives don't respond to antihistamines and prednisalone (sp?) you should perhaps get it some blood work done, esp. if you are at a stable where there is a lot of coming and going to shows, etc. One of our stallions had hives which initally seemed to respond to such treatments, then the hives came back and also his testicles started to swell. Blood work determined he had a bacterial infection similar to strangles, even though he'd had strangles vaccination. Dr. O hopefully knows which bacteria - a strep type? Anyway, after a long course of antibiotics all the swelling and hives went away and haven't been back since.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Saturday, Jun 12, 2004 - 6:47 am:

Hello Sara,
Did your horse have a fever?
DrO
Member:
Mrose

Posted on Saturday, Jun 12, 2004 - 12:48 pm:

No, none that we ever caught. We were so sure it was a reaction to something we had used on him we didn't take a temp initally. He first broke out in hives while at a show and had been bathed, sprayed, etc. Seems like our vet said he thought it was an infection caused by the same thing that causes strangles, but I can't remember what that is.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Sunday, Jun 13, 2004 - 6:14 am:

Sara you may be confusing a immune reaction called purpura, a common complication of Strangles and Strangles vaccination with the infection Strangles, though the reaction you describe really does not fit either just exactly.
DrO
Member:
Mrose

Posted on Sunday, Jun 13, 2004 - 10:21 am:

Perhaps. Is it possible to have a reaction to the Strangles bacteria without having the desease itself? (no normal Strangles symptoms) His vaccinations were given quite a while before his symptoms appeard.

Is Strangles bacteria always present in some areas and it just takes either certain climate conditions or weak immune system in the horse for it to have effect on the horse? We are in the midst of a DrOught and have had warmer, dryer, and windier conditions than normal, and our vet mentioned that he saw a lot more unusual conditions in horses around here last summer, things he had never seen before.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, Jun 16, 2004 - 10:43 am:

Yes the reaction without diseases is possible Sara for more on this see the Purpura subtopic in the article, Equine Diseases » Lameness »
Swollen, Painful, Legs. For information on how Strangles is transmitted see, Equine Diseases » Respiratory System » Strangles & Streptococcus equi.
DrO
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