Equine Flu and Allergies

Did you realize your horse could have allergies?  It is smart if you consider the type of location they reside in.  If they are not outside (plus some instances even if they may be) they could have an hypersensitive reaction to airborne debris, moulds, smoke, and other airborne things that trigger allergies like burning smudges, bug killer and deodorants or healing odours.

The name for this condition is Allergic Respiratory Disease (ARD) and it shows up with flu-like warning signs instead of sinus or nasal difficulties.  The horse’s lungs will get sore, making them much more liable to virus and bacterial infections.  This concludes as a recurring difficulty your horse never quite gets over.  You’ll furthermore probably see coughing, too much eye discharge and notice they become exhausted simply.

It seems the most common reason for ARD is numerous types of mould spores and weeds in straw or hay.  This is a seasonal thing, so you may only see the situation shooting up in the spring as well as summer season.  Issue is, winter and fall feed come from the same resource, so what takes place is the horse builds up sensitivity over time and their allergic reactions intensify.

You are able to keep them outdoors in fresh air to try reducing the signs and symptoms.  If on the other hand your horse needs to be placed in a stall, store your hay in another site and make sure the airflow within the shelter is decent.  Saturate your hay before feeding if there’s a dust problem.

In case you’re in the home ideas aren’t helping a great deal, contact your Vet and have her examine the fluid and cells in the horse’s lungs to establish how serious the allergy is. There is also a fresh blood test that can tell the Vet exactly what the horse is sensitized to.  Thrilling information, as that means tailored remedies for every horse.  Additional treatments include corticosteroids (cortisone) and bronchodilators. 

Determining what the challenge is during the first place is half the battle and after you have that under control, your horse is nicely on his way to staging a great recovery.

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