Success stories with allergy shots please Update Post #9 shots made mare worse

[ljc]

I just got the lab report testing for allergens in my mare, who has had both hives and bites on and off since she arrived last year. Allergy pills and supplements didn’t help. I was dismayed to see how many things she’s allergic to and the next step will be to start shots. Unfortunately none of the allergens are things I can simply remove (like a type of hay).

I know shots are quite expensive and I will do whatever I need to do to make her comfortable but I would really appreciate success stories of horses who received shots. How long did it take before you noticed any improvement? How long did you give the shots (I’ve read some horses need them for the rest of their lives)? Any tips? Thanks you!

[IPEsq]

Once the bugs come out in full force this season I’ll be able to report if it’s a success or not for my horse. He is the most allergic to insects, and all of them. We are getting near the end of the initial course. It’s recommended that he do a maintenance schedule which I think is once a month. I don’t know if we have to continue that through next winter—possibly since dust mites are what had the highest allergy score. I expect he will need ongoing support of some kind given that I can only do so much for the bugs (as we all wish we could do more bug control as it is!). He already gets turned out in full armor.

He got his first full dose of the highest concentration serum today (two more to go, each a month apart). And for the first time since we started the shots, developed a significant hive. Started out very itchy. Then got very sore. I couldn’t massage it but fit ice and cold laser and it was getting less sore and more diffuse. The shots are subcutaneous so it wasn’t affecting his ability to use his neck, eat, etc. Hopefully the next doses aren’t so bad. I may have gotten some into the skin instead of under it, since he tensed more than usual for this shot, which would react more.

[ljc]

I’m curious - I have a huge phobia about giving shots (more than one vet has tried to show me how to give them in a muscle and all have suggested I stop trying!) My vet says the allergy shots are very easy to give. True? I know they don’t go into a muscle and I’ve watched the you tube videos but put me ear a needle and all bets are off. Your comment about maybe getting some of the swum into the skin rather than under semi-terrified me! My husband has become the de facto shot giver.

[Critter]

I’m following this thread as I am about to start the shots with my mare. We’ve had headshaking, coughing and sneezing. Got the test results last week…the dust mites, molds, and ragweed (along with some other weed and insects) we can’t control, so I am opting to try the shots. She also came up allergic to apples, wheat, barley and soy. She is very miffed that I’ve stopped feeding her favorite apple treats…but we are experimenting with other treat options since she is not a huge fan of carrots.

Since adding zyrtec and changing her feed to remove allergens, we’ve stopped the cough…and the sneezing is less. But this is only the start of the season for what triggers her.

[EmilyM]

I have one that would rub his tail at the dock to nothing and have extreme midline dermatitis as soon as the bugs came out. He had been on allergy serums for 3(?) years. He keeps his tail and his midline dermatitis is maybe just a little around sheath and between front legs. It really helped.

It’s a bit of a PITA to do all the loading doses but when they get to once per month maintenance it’s not that bad.

ETA: the shots are subcutaneous. I learned how to do them on my dogs years ago. The vet showed me on the horse. It’s a little harder without as much loose skin but it really isn’t hard. The needles are very small as well.

[IPEsq]

The needles are super small—short and 25g. It’s not a terrible thing to get it into the skin—just more likely to have a stronger reaction if that does happen. I don’t know if that was the issue today or not (as we also started the highest strength, highest dose shot also), but he was a little more tense than usual so not as much slack in the skin, so might be a combination of both factors. You don’t want to get it into a blood vessel or the muscle. So you use a tiny needle, pinch the skin and go in at an angle. My horse does not like shots in general, and he has done fine. We are on the third vial and it’s been a lot of shots, so one not ideal reaction isn’t too bad. You start with like 0.1cc with a weaker serum at first. He got a small lump with the first shot and no reaction at all with probably a dozen other shots until today.

[IPEsq]

Oh, and prior to the shots, a lot of his mane and tail would fall out and he was so itchy last summer he ripped a large chunk of his eyelid off, so I will take one hopefully short-lived welt over all of that.

[Cowgirl]

I am also at the end of the initial course with my guy–we are now spaced 30 days apart and he has one lower dose (.8cc) before he moves on to the dose of the higher concentration (12x) that will be his maintenance dose (1cc). We had a rough patch about 2/3 the way through the second vial (ours had three vials of different strengths 1x, 4x and 12x, I think) and had to give a course of hydroxazine, which stopped the breakout he had. But pre-shots, hydroxazine would not have been enough. I was very worried when we went to the third vial (12x concentration), but it was a non-event.

I raised this horse from a foal, and he started getting horrible all over his body hives last spring (age 5) and we couldn’t get control over them. The testing showed that he is allergic to most of the weeds that come up in my pastures, and oats/flax/soy. I changed his diet and administered shots. The shots are easy to give and I bought two sizes of syringes (a 1 cc syringe and a 3 cc syringe) to make it easier. I also had to buy a calendar to write down the days of the shots because the schedule is kind of irregular. I intend to give these monthly shots forever if he needs it. I also am doing some pretty stringent weed management, although I cannot control the fact that my neighbors do not. I do not think that the shots are expensive compared to the number of vet calls I needed last summer.

I also do not think that the testing I used captured all of his allergens. I believe he has contact allergies from chemicals in new blankets and saddle pads–the triggering event during vial 2, I think, was using a brand new blanket without washing with non allergenic soap and double rinsing it first (he only was covered in hives where that blanket touched). Lesson learned.

I won’t know if the shots worked until the fields green up and the weeds come out.

[ljc]

Well, the allergy shots were a bust. Poor mare was basically allergic to them. Every dose (even mildest one) caused fever, lethargy (I mean she would lay down literally all day, getting up oh for food, grazing and riding) and worst of all, they made her itch like crazy (her mystery hives never itched). Finally vet and I agreed to stop the shots. We only got part way through second of three vials and we could never get above the lowest dose of that one.

So I’m back to square one. She was on hydroxyzine most of last year and I put her back on it when she got so itchy . Vet suggested switching to cetrizine (generic Zyrtec) twice a day. Also started her on SA Powder. She’s rubbed out a good portion of her mane, which I’ve been washing with equiderma or IBH shampoo. This is normally a very sweet and extremely well mannered mare) but right now she’s so sensitive that when we were clipping her today, she cow kicked twice. We had to clip her, however, due to 100 degree days and a Cushings coat.

I honestly don’t know what to do. Complicating things, she normally wears a grazing muzzle while turned out (for 2-3 hours) due to Cushings. Like most horses, she disliked the muzzle but tolerated it (Greenguard muzzle). Now, however, when I turn her out with the muzzle she spends the entire time scratching herself raw on trees. Without the muzzle, she happily grazes. I’ve ended up not putting the muzzle on her the last few days (makes me nervous with her Cushings).

I would appreciate any suggestions! At this point, I’m hoping whatever reactions the shots caused will go away (it’s been 2 1/2 weeks since I stopped them and five days on cetrizine).

[GraceLikeRain]

@ljc

honestly don’t know what to do.

I’m in a similar boat and starting Apoquel this week. The loading dose for a horse the size of mine (1350 lbs) is 9 pills 2x/day for three weeks with the eventual goal of tapering to 9 pills every other day. The loading dose plus month one is looking like $700 and then $400 for subsequent months. The idea of that makes me absolutely ill but I can’t handle seeing her rub her mane down to the skin and creating scabs through violently itching herself with her own mouth.

[ljc]

I’ve ever heard of that drug before. Please let us know how it works. Sure is expensive (as are most equine drugs, although it looks like this drug was first used with dogs.).

[Demerara_Stables]

There was a thread on apoquel here a few months ago, you can try searching for it. It’s been a god send for my dog who is allergic to everything (including literally people ).

Good luck - it’s so hard to see them miserable!

[quietann]

I’ve read that horses may not actually be allergic to flax; one of the companies that does the testing openly admits to a very high false positive rate for flax.

Also have read that skin tests, not blood tests, are the gold standard for allergy testing. But it seems hard to find a vet who will start with skin testing.

My retired 26 YO mare is on Apoquel. It was started last summer, when she was impossibly itchy and having some breathing problems. It helped some. She was off it from November through March. This year, we did a loading dose of 10 twice a day ($$$$!!) and tapered to 5 once a day. So far so good; she is much less itchy. What I won’t do for the Old Lady Mare!

[skydy]

That’s a very interesting subject. Perhaps people should give more thought before giving processed feed to horses.

Processed food isn’t good for people, why would we expect that all horses can tolerate it? The rate of severe allergies in people has increased, I wonder if there is any connection.

I’ve never had a horse with severe allergies, or known one, so I can’t be helpful, but think it’s an interesting subject.

[cayuse]

I’m sorry the allergy shots were a bust. The same thing happened with my Welsh pony, he was miserable on them and could not complete them. He gets vitamin E, Healthy Coat oil, and zyrtec for when he flares up. Jingles for your mare.

[LazyA1]

Mine is doing well on Apoquel. He started with 6 pills a day every day for a week, then every other day. He was supposed to taper off, but he seemed to get itchy and it’s so nice to see him happy this year. He’s on 7 pills every other day and I’ll report if I taper down with success. You are not supposed to decrease the dose, but rather decrease the frequency.

My vet nixed the allergy testing, and we went right to the Apoquel. I’d guess he is about 1100 pounds.

[OutsidersOpinion]

I have one with allergies who lights up the sheet RED.

He gets an allergen free diet, fixing his gut fixed 90% of the hives and skin issues. He used to get fungus like crazy and now never does.

Try bee pollen or local honey, ived used it on several with great results.

Skin Salvation spray by Elemental equine is great for soothing hot, itchy, irritated skin

If the hives get real bad and ive narrowed it down to enviromental allergens I put him in a head to toe fly sheet (i live in florida and do this even in the summer- a little warmth is better than hivey raw skin) and have one for turn out and one for in the stall. Wash the one from turnout every day.

He also gets a bath every. Single. Day. I rotate between baby shampoo, orvis, and CK shampoo.

Hope this helps!

[ljc]

I’m curious as to what fly sheet you use in FL. I’m always looking for cool ones.

[OutsidersOpinion]

I use the Smartpak Deluxe Fly sheet. He doesn’t sweat in it in his stall, he does have 2 fans on him, but so do all the others this time of year!

[skydy]

This is an interesting article about equine allergies:

Case Study: Diagnosing and Managing a Horse With Allergies