First time with hives...(Update) [Archive]

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Mandzanita

10-08-2009, 12:11 PM

Biggs has developed a nice case of hives on both sides of his neck and they've spread down to his chest and girth area. They look extremely unpleasant but they really don't seem to bother him. He enjoys looking like a freak, lol. He isn't itchy or bothered when I touch them. They are just there. They've been hanging around for about 2 weeks now with no signs of leaving and I'm just not sure what do about them.

After reading Dakota's thread about using Benedryl, I contemplated trying that to see if it would bring them down. I put a call in to the vet and she okayed that idea and said if they didn't go away or started to bother him more she would get me something stronger or possiblly give him a steroid shot. She said hives are one of the hardest things to pin point a cause and unless they are causing the horse extreme discomfort, they are pretty much a cosmetic issue. Before I go through the work of crushing 25 pills 2x a day, do you think it's worth doing anything in my case? I know Biggs can't tell me if it's bothering him but I can usually tell if he's uncomfortable, and everything (attitude, eating, drinking, pooping, peeing) is normal. On the other hand, he just looks so....freaky. So what would you do?

JennyandJosey

10-08-2009, 12:59 PM

My mare broke out in hives a couple of years ago. I didn't do anything and they went away on their own. I monitored her to make sure her breathing wasn't impaired at all but it did clear up and she wasn't bothered.

lovesfortune

10-08-2009, 01:02 PM

I would try the Benadryl. Hope he feels better soon!

Equine_Woman

10-08-2009, 01:16 PM

Sterling broke out in hives and it turns out it was her kidneys. . . and they were triggered by the sun. . . and weren't truly hives. Treated her for that and she's never had them again (That was 8 years ago). As for true hives if they aren't bothering him I wouldn't treat him I don't think. There are all sorts of allergens this time of year. Hopefully they will go away on their own sometime soon!

Mandzanita

10-08-2009, 01:25 PM

Equine_Woman

10-08-2009, 01:35 PM

The vet knew. They would go away in the dark and come back up every morning. The vet examined her and ran some blood work and decided that's what it was. I have no recollection of how we treated them. . it's been a loooong time. I belive I put a UV sheet on her. . .but she doesn't wear one now. It was likely something in the pasture that was causing it. . but the sun triggered the reaction. Darndest thing.

gabhainn

10-08-2009, 03:09 PM

. Before I go through the work of crushing 25 pills 2x a day
buy capsules, pull em apart and shake em out..........Kevin

Mandzanita

10-08-2009, 03:19 PM

buy capsules, pull em apart and shake em out..........Kevin

Awesome idea...that I probably should have thought of, haha. Thanks Kevin. Too bad Costco doesn't sell the capsules in bulk. I'll just have to get a bunch of little packs. I think I'll try that for a week and see if it doesn't help. If they come back then I'll just have a funky looking beast until wintertime. I'll tell him he's so handsome everyday to make him feel better :)

JennyandJosey

10-08-2009, 03:46 PM

Jenny, how long did it take for hers to go away? Did they ever show up again?

Equine, so how did you know it was her kidneys and what triggered it? Yeah I'm hoping the first rain will settle all the allergens down and they will go away. The poor boy looks horrible!

I think they were gone or mostly gone by the next day...maybe 2 but it wasn't long. I'm pretty sure hers was a reaction to a new pile of shavings she was near in the barn. She also had some bumps late this summer on her face and neck. I'm not sure if they were hives or bug bites (bugs were really bad at the time). But they went away within a few days to a week.

Steelhorserider

10-09-2009, 04:56 AM

Lakota developed them along both sides of her neck this summer but they went away on their own after 3 or 4 days with no treatment. They didn't seem to bother her much.

Peggy Sue

10-09-2009, 05:52 AM

Palogal

10-09-2009, 07:57 AM

Some benedryl spray or creme may help. I try not to medicate unless I have to, same reason I try not to medicate myself. If they're not bothering him, I would leave it or try something topical before medication.

Palogal

10-09-2009, 07:59 AM

just buy the pills that aren't capsles and throw them in feed... I talked ot my vet after Dakato's thread and she said that there is no harm in just feeding them the pills they are small enough NOT To bother them

Mine won't eat medication that way, it has to be crushed, mixed and coated with sugar. The picky ones are a bummer :)

Mandzanita

10-09-2009, 11:26 AM

I think I might have figured out what caused the hives. Since he's NEVER had them before and he's been in that same stall for 2 years without a problem it's weird to think it would be something environmental. I was grooming him last night and as I was brushing out what I thought were mud spots (sticky looking tufts of hair) I kept smelling something weird...but oddly good. Like a good smelling horse-related lotion or spray. Then I got my nose right up on the spots and they were definitely spots where SOMETHING had been applied. Then I smelled all up and down his neck and girth area and it had the same smell! I know that I haven't put anything on him. It's like someone coated his neck and chest with some type of spray that he had a reaction to. So weird. I'm at a barn where people pretty much tend to their own business so I have NO idea who would have done it but I'm 100% sure it's been done. Instead of the pills I think I'll resort to giving him a bubble bath on Sunday (the only forcasted sunny day) to try to get it all off of him. Still leaves me feeling a little weird. I'll have to ask around...:huh:

Palogal

10-09-2009, 11:43 AM

Could someone have sprayed some good smelling fly spray on him?

Equine_Woman

10-09-2009, 12:01 PM

And maybe add a not to his stall to let everyone know he's got sensitive skin and can't be sprayed with anything!!! That's a big problem with boarding barns. I will NEVER forget the day I drove up and a man (whom I didn't like and who had NO right to touch my horse) was putting swat ALL over her face and around her eyes. Pink Swat!!!!! It took forever to get it off. Of course it would have been obvious someone had done something to my horse but a spray wouldn't be!! Hope you get down to the bottom of it. . Does your barn have a fly spray system?

Mandzanita

10-09-2009, 12:50 PM

Someone definitely sprayed something on him and the only person that I can think of that MIGHT have is the barn manager who feeds him on weekends. I'll have to ask her. I'm not mad that it happened, I'd just like to know what was sprayed so I know NOT to use it, lol. I'd like to use it on myself though, haha, it smelled that good :) Equine...the sign is probably a good idea, so as not to point fingers but to let it be known that he is apparently sensative.

Peggy Sue

10-09-2009, 12:53 PM

Mine won't eat medication that way, it has to be crushed, mixed and coated with sugar. The picky ones are a bummer :)

Mine just get their ration balancer BUT I wet everything down that is fed to them LOL

natisha

10-09-2009, 06:43 PM

Some people add Avon skin so soft to fly spray, it smells pretty nice

Remali

10-09-2009, 07:03 PM

When I bought Kara (many moons ago, LOL) she ended up with hives, mostly on her neck. Nothing helped at all....creams, meds, nothing. I got another vet out and I believe he gave her a steroid injection -- and voila, the hives disappeared never to return! If they don't get better, I'd ask your vet about that.

natisha

10-09-2009, 07:21 PM

Mandzanita

10-12-2009, 11:18 AM

So, they still aren't gone but seem to be getting a little better I think. Yesterday I washed the whole front half of him really good to get all the stuff off. He's due for his vaccines, teath and sheath this Saturday so if they aren't gone by then he might be in for a nice steriod shot. I'm gonna try to tell him it will help his physique :)

Palogal

10-12-2009, 11:42 AM

Maybe he'll believe you :) or he might figure you're just trying to stab him with another one of those "things"