Do equine food allergies really exist?
Yes
, although they are very rare. Food allergies are thought to affect just 1-2% of adults in the UK and the true prevalence in horses is likely to be even lower. When they do occur, a specific cereal derived protein is the most common culprit.
What are horses allergic to eat?
Diet items reported to cause adverse food reactions
Do horses have food allergies?
Horses can also develop food allergies
, although documented cases are rare. For example, there are reports that certain types of grains or hay have caused hives in horses. In some cases, the food allergies were associated with high-protein food concentrates.
What are most horses allergic to?
By far the most prevalent equine allergy is
hypersensitivity to the saliva from insect bites
. The most severe form of this allergy is sweet itch (also known as summer itch and equine insect hypersensitivity), a reaction to tiny biting midges (Culicoides spp.).
What are signs of allergies in horses?
- dizziness.
- hives.
- low blood pressure.
- nausea.
- swollen throat and tongue.
- vomiting.
- weak, fast pulse.
- wheezing.
Can horses be allergic to molasses?
We often find that Barley, Molasses and Alfalfa are
ingredients that can cause unwanted reactions in some horses
. For some horses, allergies and intolerances can take weeks, months or years to develop, meaning that their once favourite food could begin to cause unwanted and adverse reactions.
Can horses be allergic to wheat?
Whilst your horse can develop a negative reaction to anything in their diet, there are some food groups that have been reported to provoke more allergies. These include
wheat
and feed additives, oats, potatoes, barley and bran.
Why does my horse sneeze all the time?
Sneezing and blowing is a common behavior and is
often an indicator of pleasure in horses
. Blowing, snorting or sneezing is also a natural response to an irritant (usually dust or plant material) in contact with the sensitive membranes of the nasal passages.
Can horses be allergic to their own sweat?
Their sweat might be to blame. The unusual protein-rich sweat produced by horses may help keep them cool, but it can spell a lot of trouble for allergy sufferers.
Horses lather up when they sweat
, and it’s all because of a special protein in the sweat appropriately named latherin.
What can I give my horse for allergies?
Your veterinarian can prescribe several medications to calm an allergic response.
Dexamethasone or other corticosteroids
are effective for treating severe reactions. If your horse is only moderately itchy or has hives, antihistamines can be useful.
Can I give my horse Zyrtec?
The medication is expensive, but could be worth a try in some horses. Zyrtec: The
human antihistamine may be beneficial in a small proportion of horses
with Equine Asthma. Since the vast majority of Equine Asthma patients do not have a histamine-associated problem, this isn’t likely to work for most.
Can I feed my horse molasses?
Provided they are low in starch and sugar,
feeds containing molasses can safely be incorporated into the diet all horses and ponies
, even those prone to laminitis. However, some feed companies now offer molasses free alternatives for owners that would prefer to avoid molasses completely.
Does molasses make a horse hot?
Grains and grain based feeds, molasses and forages like alfalfa/lucerne hay tend to be
commonly blamed for making horses ‘hot’
.
Can horses be fed wheat?
Wheat can be fed to horses provided it is introduced gradually and balanced correctly with roughage
. This applies to all grains. Heat-treated (cracked or soaked) wheat is preferable because it is more easily digested. If wheat is heat-treated, up to 4 kg per day per horse can be fed in the ration.
What corn do you feed horses?
Where is the safe limit when feeding corn? The horses that are being fed are draft horses who do work but not overly hard. Corn, also referred to as maize, is grown in almost all states in America and is readily available to horse owners.
Dent corn, also referred to
as field corn, is common in livestock feeds.
