Let’s talk about allergies!

[quarterhorsemom]

Yesterday I noticed my mare’s eyes were swollen. She was not squinting, but they were quite weepy. I called the vet right away and we made an appointment for tomorrow (decided it wasn’t an emergency since it’s likely allergies due to all the grass pollen in our area right now). Gave her some Banamine. I’ve had her for about a year and never noticed this puffiness (although she has had conjunctivitis before, and tends to have watery, boogey eyes).

Has anyone experienced allergies like this with their horses before? What kinds of treatments have you elected and how have you kept your horses comfortable? Would love to hear any insights and experiences!

[walkinthewalk]

She could be rubbing her eyes because they itch so much, thus the swelling.

Does she wear a fly mask? One with UV protection? If not she needs to:)

Since the vet is coming tomorrow ”‹”‹”‹, he will likely give you something to put in her eyes. I might call him back, however, and ask if human eye wash might be ok to wash her eyes out to help with the misery.

I keep Bausch & Lomb “Eye Wash” at the barn for both myself and the horses — unlike me they rarely need it but they will stand for a couple of squirts if necessary:)

[quarterhorsemom]

@walkinthewalk great thoughts! I do have a mask on her right now to keep the flies from further irritating her, but hadn’t thought of one with UV protection.

[candyappy]

I just noticed in my mare that battles Uveitis, that when she has had a round of Dex (for allergies that give her heaves like symptoms) that her eyes go a long ,long time with no flare ups at all. It has me wondering if a lot of times her flare ups are due to allergies alone and just due to rubbing them.
She is masked 24/7/365

[PamnReba]

@walkinthewalk

I keep Bausch & Lomb “Eye Wash” at the barn

I thought I was the only one! Any good saline solution will do the job.

[4horses]

Could be a bug bite, allergies, conjunctivitis, or uveitis.

[CanteringCarrot]

I experience this almost every summer with my horse. He has allergies. However, if he keeps his fine mesh flymask on, that also has UV protection, he is generally ok or only a little runny.

If they get swollen at all, I get some drops from the vet.

So keep the fly mask on, and get some drops from the vet. You could also wet the hay to minimize dust exposure.

[vali]

You might want to try powdered quercitin. It’s in the platinum performance allergy supplement but it’s cheaper to feed on its own. There’s been some studies showing it can act as a natural antihistamine in horses (more studies in people) and we use it on my mare who’s allergic to a few things and gets weepy eyes. My vet has also recommended it to several of her other clients who have used it on their horses. I give a tablespoon but double it if she’s having a reaction. Recently we discovered she’s allergic to some types of shavings so we have to bring our own shavings now.

[slp2]

Yes—my horse used to get swollen eyes during the spring and early summer (and she would press them against my arm while I was handling her because she was so miserable). And, she was a headshaker (and always was worse when her eyes looked like this). I got her allergy tested (intradermal) and with those results, started her on allergy shots. The allergy shots have worked. She know longer gets swollen, itchy eyes and is so much more comfortable. It also almost completely eliminated the headshaking (she will occasionally headshake in the cross ties on really bad pollen days—but not when being ridden).

The shots are also much cheaper than the Platinum allergy supplement (which I tried, and it did not help). So—it’s another option to try for your horse.

[Brown_Derby]

You may want to clean her muzzle and nostrils with a damp sponge. The eyes’ tear ducts drain through the nostrils, and may be blocked. If it is just dust or pollens, this can help significantly.

[walkinthewalk]

@Brown Derby

You may want to clean her muzzle and nostrils with a damp sponge. The eyes’ tear ducts drain through the nostrils, and may be blocked. If it is just dust or pollens, this can help significantly.

I didn’t even think about that - great idea:).

This is something I do every single day, 365 days/year. I also wipe their ears out. I do it mostly to keep them used to being fussed with. One horse does have environmental allergies, so maybe I’ve been helping him much more than I realized:)

I put Vetericyn on a paper towel and wipe the “sleepers” from the eye corners, inside the ears and nostrils. Their butts also get wiped and I noticed the Midge flies seem to leave the sheath opening alone if I also wipe that area, this time of year.

[Brl_Racer_amp_More]

@slp2

Yes—my horse used to get swollen eyes during the spring and early summer (and she would press them against my arm while I was handling her because she was so miserable). And, she was a headshaker (and always was worse when her eyes looked like this). I got her allergy tested (intradermal) and with those results, started her on allergy shots. The allergy shots have worked. She know longer gets swollen, itchy eyes and is so much more comfortable. It also almost completely eliminated the headshaking (she will occasionally headshake in the cross ties on really bad pollen days—but not when being ridden).

The shots are also much cheaper than the Platinum allergy supplement (which I tried, and it did not help). So—it’s another option to try for your horse.

How often do you give the allergy shots? Do you have a full supply of shots on hand or do you get them from your vet as needed? And what region do you live? Just wondering if the seasons help or make the allergies worse. Thanks!