I'm getting discouraged - seasonal allergies and conditioning

[hundredacres]

You guys have given me a lot to think about and discuss with the vet. I called the vet a couple of friends recommended today but I didn’t realize she is really in to acupuncture and herbs - I honestly don’t mind that stuff but I’m not comfortable attempting something anecdotal right now. I want her better. I think I’ll talk to my vet again, ask him why he didn’t suggest allergy testing and we’ll talk some more. I’m feeling hopeful.

FWIW, I haven’t heard her cough in 2 days.

Oh, and I had to laugh at the idea of the redneck hay steamer! The price sure is better than the fancy one!

[rmh_rider]

Any update on your mare 100A?

Allergy testing sounds like a GREAT idea. Then you will know.

[hundredacres]

Thanks so much for asking rmh. I did have my vet out, he still insisted that he didn’t want to do testing so we discussed Rx alternatives - I was going to do some more research and he was going to talk to me about withdrawal times and our goals, but I got side tracked and we haven’t talked again (I’ll explain) - in the meantime, my mare is doing just fine now that she’s on pasture again. She’s got a runny eye but she isn’t coughing.

Sadly, about 2 weeks ago we found out that my brother has stage 4 lung cancer, and it’s not looking good - the doctor said the best case scenario is he has 12 months, worst case, they will manage his pain through the end…:(. What’s so hard for us, is he lives in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates - and to complicate things further, he was just married a month ago, and his wife is Chinese…he doesn’t want to come back to the US because she can’t move here for at least 6 months from their marriage date, and it’s iffy at this point if he even has that much time (they’ve started aggressive treatment though). So we’ll have to go see him there, and it will be in the next few weeks. This distraction for the family has detoured my original plans for riding in July.

Next week I’ll get with the vet again and we’ll talk about Rx treatment and I’ll have him look at her one more time (since now she’s not coughing)… I’ll possibly be travelling to UAE in early June, so I’ll want to do a fall ride this year instead of the one in July. That way I’ll still have a couple of months to get back on track again. We’ll be handling some of my brothers affairs - he has some personal property here in the states that he wants me to get in order for him (this part is so hard for me…trail riding will do my soul good, I’ve already blotted my tears in my mares neck a couple of times this week alone).

Anyway (thanks for listening!), does anyone have any tricks for the weepy eyes? Banamine clears it up, but I’m just wondering about alternatives.

I really appreciate all of your help an direction with this! I was feeling SO overwhelmed when I originally posted but your combined experience and wisdom really eased my mind and made me feel there is hope that we’ll still be able to do some LD’s this year and that my long term goal isn’t shot, just yet.

[Countrywood]

I am so sorry to hear about your brother, and wish your family the best and hope you can spend as much time as can with him.

Horsie will be fine!

[rmh_rider]

Oh 100A how sad for your brother, his new wife and your family. Sounds complicated.

Yes, your horse will be fine. She will still be fine for a LD.

Since your horse has allergies, get her tested. Then you will know what the culprit is, and you will know.

[hundredacres]

Thanks guys…again, your kind thoughts are always appreciated. We took a short ride in the awful mugginess and then we took a swim in the lake yesterday. She is back to her old self again (aside from the weepy, slightly swollen eye) which makes me suspect it’s going to be a dust and mold allergy when we finally get to the bottom of it.

[Countrywood]

It is still puzzling why your vet won’t do an allergy test. If she is highly allergic to a substance such as mold , shots will help reaction to it. Anyway, sounds like she is coping well with the allergy and hope you enjoy some nice rides!

[hundredacres]

Well, it’s not that he won’t, it’s that he keeps discouraging me because I think he’d rather just treat the allergy. The last we talked he told me he’ll do them, if you really want to……So yeah, I really do :).

Another excellent ride today and not a single cough.

[Countrywood]

My vet was the same way. It’s not like the test is thousands of dollars, it was a few hundred dollars. I had to be the pro active one and order him to do it.

Anyway, best of luck, your mare is in good hands !

[rmh_rider]

Your vet wants to treat what allergy? Allergy to ???

Do the test. Then you will know WHAT the allergy is so it can be treated.

I find some vets and doctors just want to sell meds to treat X condition.

You have to be pro-active and find out what it is. What if you go to a ride and your horse has a major issue, and the vets ask what is the allergen, you will only be able to say, I do not know, but here I have drugs with me on me which may fix it. The allergen may be simple or complex or not at all.

Drugs are easy to give, and blanket the situation/allergy.

But what if . . . . . . .

Test Test Test, then let us know. I am really curious as to what it is. Everybody here has knowledge to gain from your test.

I am very allergic to mango and the poison evil it is the urishol oil in BOTH. I can not carry around a 5 day dose pack of prednisone, a steroid shot, and intense anti histamines all the time. I know the allergen and seek to avoid it at all times. But I know what it is. No eating and finding out later there is mango in something I have eaten. Been there done that and the results were really scary.

[Countrywood]

I concur. My horse was allergic to mold (well, virtually every horse adverse to mold to some small degree), but he turned out to be highly allergic to oats and corn, which I was unknowingly feeding him while vet was giving predinsone for symptoms. Could have gone on for years without the test . Makes me upset to think about it.

The problem with just treating the symptoms is they recur and each year the throat builds up scar tissue from coughing and chance of developing COPD increases. My horse has an extremely mild case of it (coughs one or two times as we start work)

Mold in hay is interesting topic I never thought about till the issue came up. Most horses are adverse to it though manage okay without showing symptoms. Even good quality fresh hay has mold from the curing and storage. We expose our horses to this, in nature they eat grass which is not moldy (though there is some mold present in soil)

[hundredacres]

Oh I’m with you guys 100%! I just want to know what it is so we can adjust living quarters or food, or whatever it is. And yeah, the mold surprises me too - I see it in tiny amounts even in really nice hay, if I look close enough. I’m not opposed to getting her her own processed or cured hay, or buying that steamer…but I’m not going to if I don’t know what in the world we’re againt. I agree completely and want an answer vs. experimenting. While she’s fine now, this WILL flare uyp again. It has every year for the 4 years I’ve had her :(.

I’ll keep you posted for sure. With life being crazy, I may not get to it right away, but I’ll be off for a summer break in late June and I’ll get it done by then at the latest.

Thanks again to you both for your support. It helps so much!