Equine Allergies: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention (2023)

Horses live in an environment where they have more chances of being affected by different kinds of allergies. If your equine is experiencing unusual reactions on their skin, coughing or breathing loudly, then they are infected from allergy.

Horses are hyperactive to different allergic substances like hay, dust, pollen, molds, insect bites, etc. It results in sickness, asthma, and other diseases in them. So it is essential to use preventive measures and early treatment to keep your horse from severe conditions.

Type of Allergies in Horses:

Like humans, horses suffer from different types of allergies that impact different horses. Following are a few most common types of allergies that can prevail in horses.

1. Skin Allergy:

Skin allergy is most common in horses. It is mainly caused by ingesting food or contact with an irritating substance. Your equine can be allergic to different food substances without any apparent reason, and they can develop at any stage of their life.

Severe skin damage, itchy skin, hair loss, hives, and respiratory distress are common symptoms of equine skin allergies. If your equine is eating that is allergic, it will lead to rubbing, itching, and hair loss, then it will develop a sickness, fever, swelling, or more.

2. Respiratory Allergy:

Your horse can also experience coughing, sneezing, or wheezing due to respiratory allergy, resulting in nasal discharge. Respiratory allergies are responsible for asthma in equines. It can also be due to pollen allergy when out for pasture in summer. Exercise intolerance, nasal discharge, and excessive coughing are respiratory allergy symptoms in equine.

3. Cough and Sneezing:

Coughing and sneezing are common in horses, mainly due to respiratory allergies. It will increase nasal discharge and respiratory effort in horses. So if you own a senior horse, such an allergy is more likely.

4. Food Allergies:

A horse can be allergic to a specific food, leading to adverse effects, including skin redness, swelling, itching, and hair loss. If you are not providing good quality hay or it is dusty, it will lead to food allergies.

5. Eye Allergies:

Exposure to allergens, pollen, and dust can cause eye allergies in horses. Conjunctivitis is a common type of eye allergy in horses, primarily experienced in summer months when your equine will experience inflammation in the upper and lower eyelids. Red eyes, green or yellow discharge from eyes, sensitivity to light, dull eyes, and signs of pain and discomfort in eyes are common symptoms of eye allergies.

6. Seasonal Allergies:

In summer and spring, most horses suffer from skin allergies like watery eyes or runny noses. Horses can develop allergies from different pollen and will start showing signs of respiratory allergy, like coughing and sneezing.

7. Air Bone Allergies:

Horses live in an environment where there are more chances to be affected by different air-bone allergies. If your equine faces a high level of dust, allergens in the air, or mold, it will lead to air-bone allergy in them. The horse’s immune system will start fighting such allergies, but more air-bone allergies will affect it badly.

Signs and Symptoms of Allergies

It is not difficult to diagnose any kind of allergy in horses. So if you are experiencing the following signs and symptoms in horses, they may be due to allergy.

  • Itching
  • Skin redness
  • Watery eyes
  • Sneezing
  • Coughing
  • Nasal discharge
Common Causes of Equine Allergies

Different causes of equine allergies can vary because your equine can be allergic to some specific substance. The following are common causes of equine allergies.

  • Mold
  • Dust
  • Vaccination
  • Pollen
  • Insect biting
  • Certain foods
  • Medication
  • shampoo

How to Treat Allergies?

After understanding the nature of allergies, it is not difficult to treat them, so the following are a few components of the treatment program for allergic equines.

1. Suitable Environment:

Providing a suitable environment for your equine is the first step of allergy treatment. Reduction of exposure to different allergens and substances in the air will be the best treatment. Provide a dust-free environment to your horse so that it can fight different respiratory allergies easily.

2. Insect Control Protocols:

Insect control protocols will also help you treat allergies in equine. Insect repellents, installing fans in stalls, and removing standing water will help your equine overcome this situation.

3. Good Quality Hay:

Always feed your horse with good quality hay free from dust so that your equine will start recovering from allergies effectively.

4. Natural Supplements:

The inclusion of natural supplements in the diet of horses is one of the best treatments for them. These supplements will boost the horses’ immune systems and help them recover from allergies.

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How to Prevent Seasonal Allergies in Horses?

Seasonal allergies affect equine health badly, so always follow precautionary measures in spring and summer, as these months cause seasonal allergies. Provide a protected environment for your equine with minimum dust and insect appearance.

Add different herbs to your equine’s diet, like garlic and kelp; alfalfa cubes are beneficial in preventing different kinds of seasonal allergies.

Including a natural supplement in the horse’s diet will also help to boost its immune system and fight different kinds of seasonal allergies.

Use of Natural Diet and Supplements:

Using a natural diet and supplements is one of the best ways of keeping your equine safe from any kind of allergy. Add herbs to the equine feed, like kelp, ginger, and alfalfa cubes, to boost their immunity.

Providing high-quality hay is another preventive measure against different kinds of allergens. You should add a natural supplement to your equine’s diet. So we recommend the supplement below as the best guard against allergies.

Equniety Horse XL and Equniety Ultimate OEC:

These two natural products can combine to make the best natural supplement for your horse. It will keep them safe from different allergies and help them get desired health level.

Flaxseed-based omega 3, colloidal silver, natural vitamin E, and 8 different types of amino acids are present in these products that will support the immune function of your equine. The gastric health of your equine will also improve with the help of this natural supplement that will protect them from different allergies. These products have 100% natural ingredients; no starches, filler, soy, or sugar are present.

Conclusion:

Like humans, horses are also affected by different allergies throughout the year. So the best way of treating these allergies is to use preventive measures. Providing an ideal environment free from dust and insects will help them get rid of different allergies. Including natural supplements like Equinety Horse XL and Equinety Ultimate OEC is the best way to treat and prevent different allergies. It will not keep your equine healthy, but being a horse owner will also be very economical for you.

 

Horse Allergies: Symptoms, Causes & Treatment (2023)

Horses suffer from different types of allergies, just like humans. You have to put some effort into diagnosing these allergies in your equine. When the hormone system of a horse gets overreacted with different substances called an allergen, it results in an allergy.

A horse can be affected by allergy in any period of life, so if you own a horse, you should take proper care of your equine and take rapid action if you feel any allergy symptoms. Most horses live in a natural environment where they face mold, dust, and other allergens, so their immune system has to fight continuously with allergies. If a horse’s immune system is not more robust, then there are more chances that it can suffer from any allergy.
List of Allergy Symptoms in Horses:

It is not easy to diagnose allergy in your equine, but still, many symptoms will help you understand that a horse is suffering from an allergy. Following is the list of horse allergy symptoms.

  • Diarrhea
  • Sneezing or coughing
  • Colic
  • Skin irritation
  • Swelling in nose
  • Nausea
  • An itchy rash or hives on the skin of equine
  • Nasal discharge
  • Difficulty in breathing
  • Aggression
  • Swelling around eyes and runny eyes
  • Blistering skin

Types of Horse Allergies:

A horse’s immune system is vital, so it usually resists allergies. But still, there are many chances that your equine will face different allergies. Following are a few types of allergies that are common in horses.

Respiratory Allergies in Horses:

Respiratory allergies are common in horses and occur when your equine inhales an offending allergen. It can be due to moldy or dusty hay or pollens in summer pastures. In the natural environment of horses, if they breathe in dust, pollen, or molds, the horse’s immune system suffers, leading to difficulty breathing.

There are many reasons behind respiratory allergies, so if your horse is experiencing different climates, then there are more chances of such allergies. Horses face a sudden change in an environment like a warm to cold environment and vice versa. Horses do not readily adopt such environmental changes and have to face respiratory allergies.

Intolerance to exercise, nasal discharge, and coughing are common symptoms of respiratory allergies. So first of all, you should provide dust free environment and give them such feed that is dust free.

Seasonal Allergies in Horses:

Horses also suffer from seasonal allergies just like humans, and it is essential to diagnose seasonal allergies at the start to provide quick relief to your equine. Many horses show signs of asthma during crop harvesting season because they are attacked by dust when they pastured near fields.

Increased breathing efforts, runny eyes, and coughing are common symptoms of seasonal allergies. Besides these signs, if you are experiencing raised bumps on the neck, behavioral changes, and hair loss in patches because of itching are also significant signs of seasonal allergies.

Insects, fungi, and pollens are responsible for causing seasonal allergies in equine. A horse’s immune system starts fighting allergens caused due to seasonal changes. Still, there are many chances that these changes will affect your equine.

1. Skin Allergies:

Many kinds of skin allergies can develop itchiness or redness in the body of horses. Things mainly cause it touched, eaten, or inhaled by the horses. Hives are a name skin allergy in which redden and raised bumps to appear on horses’ skin, and they feel itching.

Skin allergies mainly affect the horses’ bodies and infect other body parts. The reaction caused by eating any food can also be the reason for skin allergy, or contact with a horse with an irritating substance also leads to skin allergies.

2. Pollen Allergies:

Trees and plants bloom in spring, which can lead to pollen allergy. If we talk about horses, they can develop allergies to certain pollens. Horses affected by pollen allergies show symptoms of respiratory diseases like mucus, coughing, and running eyes. Location and weather also contribute to pollen allergies in horses, and their symptoms vary based on how much pollen they inhale.

Abdominal efforts to breathe, hair loss, reddened or darkened skin, headshaking, nasal discharge, increased breathing rate, and chronic dry cough is some symptoms of pollen allergies in horses.

3. Hydroxyzine Allergies:

In hydroxyzine allergies, horses feel itching. It is caused by blocking a natural substance in your body that processes by the immune system of horses to fight allergies. Nasal discharge, dry cough, skin irritation, and aggressive behavior are common symptoms of this allergy.

4. Food Allergies:

Food allergies can also develop if horses get substandard feed or their immune system does not accept a specific feed. Different types of grains or hay can lead to food allergies in horses that can cause hives.

5. Drug Allergies:

A drug can also cause allergy in the body of a horse. It is mainly because the horse’s body did not accept the drug. So it will result in rash, itchy skin, wheezing, hives, facial swelling, etc., many times when a horse is vaccinated, which might lead to allergies to the skin and body.

Common causes of Allergies in Equine:

A horse has a robust immune system that helps him in fighting against many types of allergies and diseases. There are many common causes of allergies in equine, so if you are a horse owner, you should be aware of them.

  • Dust
  • Mold
  • Bedding
  • Pollen
  • Horse vaccination
  • Different insects bite horses.

How to Get Rid of Horse Allergies?

Some allergies are cured naturally in a horse with time, but a horse has to face many difficulties, so you should consult a vet for diagnosis and proper treatment. With the help of the natural supplement, you can also boost the horse’s immune system so that it starts recovering fast.

Go for those supplements that contain omega-3 fatty acids, as they will help the immune system of horses to respond to allergies.

Natural Remedies for Horse Allergies:

Many herbs can help horses with allergies, so horses living in natural environments have better immunity against allergies. Different natural herbs are part of the diet of these horses.

Chamomile, calendula, garlic, fenugreek, nettle, and marshmallow are a few herbs that will provide a natural remedy to horses from different types of allergies.

Best Allergy Relief for Horses:

A natural supplement is the best way of relieving horses from allergies, so if you are looking for the best supplement, you should go for the option below.

Equinety Horse XL and Equinety Ultimate OEC are the two best products that can combine to make a powerful supplement for your horse. These products contain vitamin E, amino acids, colloidal silver, flaxseed based omega 3, so your horse will get all that require by its body.

This natural supplement will improve the overall condition of your horse by providing a healthier coat and bones, increased muscle support, maximum performance with cell regeneration, and promoted cellular repair.

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How to Prevent Horses from Allergies?

It is essential to prevent horses from allergies because your horse will perform better if it prevents different kinds of allergies. So, first of all, provide your horse with a clean and dust-free environment. Dust is the leading cause of different types of allergies.

Feed your horse the best diet that is helpful for its immune system. Add natural herbs to the diet of your equine. A natural supplement like a combination of Equinety Horse XL and Equinety Ultimate OEC is the best product that you can add to the regular feed of your equine. This natural supplement will boost your horse’s immune system and provides all minerals, vitamins, and amino acids to stay healthy and strong.