Hello Dr. Getty,

I have a 4 year old mare who has severe seasonal allergies. On top of the food allergies she also has vaccination allergies. I am currently dealing with her seasonal allergies. This is the second year in a row that she has gotten a very bad case of hives in the February time frame. Last year I thought that she had reacted to her vaccination, but this year I know that it is not the vaccination that has caused it. In an allergy test done last year she tested positive for Barley. This year she was reacting to something in the alfalfa hay so I had to switch her to oat hay. (I work, and am not available at feeding time to soak her hay, which might help this problem) Now she has a different type of hive because there is no true Oat hay and I'm sure this hay has barley in it. What would happen if I put her on a pellet only diet, with some timothy hay for forage? How much should I feed her of say an Alfalfa / Oat Pellet? I'm so stressed by this and I still have to vaccinate her this year and she also reacts badly to vaccinations. (this I can manage with banamine and hydroxizine) I really have to get her food allergies under control and I figure that feeding pellets will help me to control any variables in her diet. Any help that you can give me will be greatly appreciated. I've started back on her herbal products for allergies but they are not really cutting it this year.

Thank you in advance for your help! :)

Peggy

Where are you from? California

How did you locate this forum? Search

Hi Peggy,

Yes, there are some solutions to this difficult situation. First, remove the oat hay from her diet, since you mentioned that she is having an allergic reaction to it (likely due to the fact that it contains barley, as you mentioned.)

Give her timothy hay, instead, but make certain that it does not contain alfalfa, since that may be an issue for her, as well. You can offer her as much timothy as she likes. Watering it down is ideal, as you know, because it reduces the dust which can irritate her respiratory system. So, if there is a way to arrange that, it would be beneficial.

Since you are not certain about whether or not she is allergic to alfalfa, I am reluctant to suggest that you feed an alfalfa pellet. Instead, offer her a complete feed that is low is starch. Triple Crown Low Starch is excellent and does not contain barley (or grain, for that matter). You can give her the recommended amount for her weight and performance level along with the timothy hay.

Allergies involve the immune system and generally indicate a weakness within the system. I strongly recommend that you do the following to improve her immune response:
1. Feed her a good multiple vitamin/mineral supplement such as Vita Key’s Antioxidant Concentrate, Select II, or Platinum Performance.
2. Offer her a probiotic. The stress on her system results in the production of hormones that influence her body’s ability to properly metabolize nutrients. Her digestive bacteria need to be in top shape. I recommend Ration Plus (which I offer on my website) or ProBios (which is available in most feed stores).

I expect these changes will help and you should see a noticeable improvement. Keep me posted.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Hi again,

Thank you Dr. Getty. I had arrived at the Timothy hay conclusion last evening myself. I do like the idea of the complete feed that you suggested and I will be looking into that as well. My mare is 17 hands, a Hannoverian, who maintains her weight well (a little too well some of the time) As I said she's only 4. I need to find a way to manage her problems for her lifetime as she is my soulmate horse! I've never loved one like this girl.

Currently she does get immune system boosters. I use Uckele products (BioQuench and herbalimmune) and she does get a probiotic every day. (fasttrack or probios) she also gets grand coat for th omega 3's (flax) and a multivitamin. She is fine most of the year. It's only been in February she has had these problems. I know, or am almost certain that the problem starts with the alfalfa hay but she has not allergy tested positive for alfalfa so I beleive that it is something inhaled this time of year.

I will make the changes to her diet as you suggested and I'll let you know how it works. I might be contacting you for a consultation as well. I'd really like to dial in her diet and I think you can help me with that. Thank you very much for the help.

Peggy

Where are you from? California

How did you locate this forum? Search

Hi Peggy,

Wonderful! You definitely have all the important things covered. She sounds like a very special gal and I know how much you want to relieve her discomfort. I’ll be eager to hear how she is doing on the different feed.

Another thing you may wish to try is Vitamin C. Horses produce their own vitamin C, but their ability diminishes as they get older. Your mare is only 4, but her requirements may be higher than what she is able to produce. I would recommend that you feed her 20 grams (divided between meals) of vitamin C each day.

I’ll look forward to hearing how she is doing. And, I’d be pleased to assist you with her diet. Just let me know.

All the best,

Dr. Getty