Last summer was harsh on horses in our area.  Respiratory problems were rampant, particularly heaves or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).  Cases of skin allergies were also rising.  Most likely this was caused by the large amount of rainfall we received early on in the summer followed by the typical summer’s heat.  These initial wet conditions followed by the heat allowed fungi and mold on pastures and therefore hay to grow wildly.  In the late summer there were horses exhibiting skin and respiratory allergies that had never had problems before in their lives.This was even occurring in younger horses, which is unusual.  Horses with allergies in previous years were having more difficulty this year. also observed that some of the horses with COPD were having difficulty sweating.  While we may not have the weather conditions that caused these problems this year, let’s discuss what we can do help minimize these problems./p>

     If you know that your horse has COPD or skin allergies from year to year, it is helpful to know exactly what your horse is allergic too.  Allergy testing is the fastest and most expensive way to determine this.  Fall and winter is the best to do this testing as most of the allergens are at a lull in the environment and the horse’s immune system is also a little quieter because of this. This lessens your risk of getting false positives on the test.  Also, at this time of year, your horse is usually off all medicines for allergies so the medicines will not be interfering with the test results. There are many things in the air and feed that horses can cause horses to become allergic. Timothy, bermuda hay, various fungi and molds, oats and corn are all common.  Skin testing is considered the gold standard test but usually must be performed at a university or referral hospital.  Blood testing for allergy antibodies in the blood can be performed at the barn with reasonable success.  Once the particular allergies are known, then you can remove those substances by changing their hay or feed or changing their pasture.This may involve keeping them off pasture all together.  Another option is to get hyposensitization shots made according to the results of the tests.These are shots that can easily be given by the owner at home on a schedule.  The blood test costs from $170-$200 and the allergen shots can cost from $100 to $170 depending on the number of allergens that are present. cheaper but more labor intensive method is to remove all potential allergens from you horse’s environment while they are showing symptoms.  After the horse has improved, then one by one reintroduce each week. This requires attention to detail and good record keeping.  Items to start with would be pasture turn out, their usual hay and their feeds.

     If you are unable to determine what the allergen is or unable to remove it, then medications or herbal products will need to be given to reduce symptoms. Anti- histamines only help when the horse’s condition is not very advanced.  Unfortunately, allergies tend to get worse with each passing year. Steroids are frequently needed to control symptoms and usually in increasing doses every year. There are herbal products available that claim to cure allergies; however, limited studies have been done to prove their claims.  It’s difficult to prove that any one thing helps as each horse responds or doesn’t respond individually.  Removal of the particular allergen is often the only treatment that works. Often horses with allergies also have difficulties sweating.  They may not sweat enough or at all.  Sometimes this goes unrecognized because the horse is not being worked due to the allergy problem.  If you suspect your horse may not be sweating enough, then put her on One AC.You can find this at most tack stores and it is completely safe as it is minerals.  It is very successful if given prior to the hot weather. suggest starting it in late March or early April.  The same can be said for most preventative programs… start before you actually need it.  As we provide better care for our horses and they live longer such problems arise.  However, with the advice of your veterinarian, you can stay on top of them.

Dr. Angela Chenault owns La Paloma Equine Clinic in Waller and services the surrounding areas.