b"Arizona Ask the VetREAL NOTHING TO SNEEZE ATCOUNTRY hope youre not allergic the magazine I to anything. I hope you dont sneeze when the pollen count is high. I hope your skin doesnt itch when you pet a cat. Allergies Mike Barna are awful and you cant cure them. Thats why the Publisher drugstore aisles are full of remedies that help control ArizonaRealCountryMagazine@gmail.com the symptoms. And horses have them, too. Heres a list of common horse allergens:Erika Smith RoyalInsects (several) Pollen from weeds, gardens, and treesEditorGrooming sprays and shampooerika963realcountry@gmail.comSynthetic materialsDust and mold Medications, vaccines or supplementsMisty VoitovskiChemicals such as crop sprays or insecticides THEY HAVE BREATHING PROBLEMSCreative DirectorBedding material Respiratory allergies tend to produce nasal drainage,Feed/Hay a cough and labored breathing. Other nonspecific signs of environmental sensitivity include runny eyes, Contributing Writers In most horses, common allergens dont causegeneral malaise and sometimes headshaking. Very Lee Anderson, Kimmie Dillon, problems, but in a horse with allergies, the immuneoccasionally horses will have an acute, severe allergic system overreacts and treats something fairlyreaction to something like a vaccine. This type of Hannah Hanson, Justin Legler, harmless, like an insect bite, as something reallyallergic reaction is called an anaphylactic reaction. A Charlie LeSueur, Mark Melkowski,dangerous to his body. The problem with commonhorse having an anaphylactic reaction may have white Betsy Nunn, Jim Olson,allergens is that they are everywhere. The real curefroth pouring out of the nostrils, sweat profusely, for allergies would be to avoid them, but how are youbreath rapidly, have an elevated heart rate, and be Bill Roberts, Alan Rockman,going to keep your horse away from dust or keep himin obvious distress. This is an extreme veterinary Bob Roloff, John Samsill,away from insects?emergency, but fortunately, its very rare. If your horse Hank Sheffer, Buddy Uldrikson,has reacted to a particular vaccine in the past, avoid Joyce White, Michele Wilson When the immune system of a horse recognizescombo products that include it because you don't an otherwise innocuous substance as harmful, italways know which portion is the problem.does many things. One of those things is to release 801 W. Wickenburg Way chemicals to fight off the allergen. One of the mostThe problem with allergies, of course, is that you well-known of those chemicals is called histamine. Theoften cant figure out what the cause of the problem Wickenburg, AZ 85390 allergic horses immune system attacks the substanceis, because, for the horse, they are everywhere. with a ferocity far greater than required. This all-outNevertheless, there are three approaches that people (602) 254-6644 attack by a whole bunch of bioactive chemicals is whatusually take when they are worried that their horse causes the clinical signs of an allergy. So what are thehas allergies.ArizonaRealCountry.com most common signs of allergies in horses?Elimination. Basically, what people try to do is stop THEY ITCH AND LOSE HAIRexposing the horse to potential allergens. Of course, Itching and hair loss is often blamed on biting insects;thats a lot easier said than done. It can be almost horses will have an allergic reaction to the proteinimpossible to eliminate the cause of the horses thats in the inset saliva. The insects have lots ofallergy if it stems from his environment. Elimination colorful names: no-see-ums, horseflies, deerflies,diets can be tried if a feed is suspected but food stable flies, blackflies and even mites and fleas. Itchingallergies are uncommon and a poorly understood is such a common problem in horses with allergiesdisease in horses. Food allergies are usually non Follow Arizona Realthat even the itching has lots of names. Summer itch,seasonal, but not alwaysif the horse is allergic to sweet itch,equine insect hypersensitivity, seasonala plant that grows only in the summertime or a hay Country for news, events,recurrent dermatitis, and allergic dermatitis are allfed only in winter, for example. It is possible for a giveaways and more! various terms to describe horses that scratch andhorse to have an adverse reaction to a food, such scratch and scratch resulting in hairless patches andas alfalfa, without it being a true allergic reaction, inflamed scabby skin. but the treatment is the same, either way. Eliminate Arizona Real Country is owned andit. Many types of pelleted products contain alfalfa. published by Barna BroadcastingTHEY BREAK OUT IN BUMPSSome medicines or treats have alfalfa in them if they LLC. No person, organization or partyMost people call those bumps hives. A horse withare cubed or pelleted. And its not just alfalfa; dietary can copy or reproduce the contenthives looks as if hes got little blisters all over hisitems reported to cause adverse food reactions in on our website and/or magazine orbody. Those blisters are as a result of blood vesselhorses include barley, beet pulp, bran, buckwheat, inflammation; when the vessels get inflamed, as achicory, clover, malt, oats, potatoes, wort, wheat, feed any part of this publication withoutresult of an interaction with the protein-allergen;additives, and feed supplements.a written consent from the editorsfluid leaks out in little pockets. Corticosteroids and/panel and the author of the content, asor antihistamines may help keep a horse comfortableFind out what the problem is. Some folks will applicable. The publisher, authors anduntil the signs subside. As a preventive measure, makeexpend considerable amount of time and money contributors reserve their rights withit a practice to try any new product on only a smallto try to figure out what the horse is allergic to, regards to copyright of their work. portion of the horse's body first. If the skin there stillunderstandably figuring that if they know what it looks normal after 24 hours, then the product oughtis, it can be eliminated. There are two ways to do to be safe to use anywhere on your horse. this: serum testing and skin testing. The tests have two continued on page 7ArizonaRealCountry.com October 2019 5"