Allergy to food?

["Tracey" <tracey@tbt.co.za>]

Hi, all,

 

About six weeks ago, Toc started to lose hair along his back, across one shoulder, and on the point of his hips.  At first, I thought it was because his day sheet, which I was hoping would last one more season, was a little snug.  I bought him a new day sheet, but the hair loss continued.  He is not bald, but it it as if he is rubbing the hair off.  The hair in that area is lighter than the rest of him, and shorter.  Yet it is still the same thickness as the rest of his coat.  Does this make sense?

 

This has never happened before.

 

My groom now tells me that Toc has been rolling in his paddock much more than usual.  It seems that it is the rolling which is causing the hair loss. 

 

It struck me a few days ago, that this coincided with me changing his feed.  The new food seems to contain the same ingredients as the other food (I changed for convenience more than anything else, retained the same % protein) but is noticable heavier in molasses.  I have changed him back, but it is too early to see a noticable difference.

 

Do you think this is a food allergy?  What surprised me is that the hair loss is restricted to the areas I mentioned.  It is not saddle related, as it is over a wider area than that covered by the saddle.  He is not rubbing his mane, nor his tail, and he is not scratching his face more than usual.  I can't seem to find any trace of possible parasites.  My other horse is fine and they can touch each other, and share saddles (and numnahs) so this is not being transmitted from one to the other.

 

I'm wondering if the reason is because his sweat is of a slightly different chemical consistency because of the new food (the hair loss is over places where he would sweat in work).  Does this make sense?  It is winter here, so I can't hose him down after work, but I used to brush him afterwards.  Since I noticed the hair loss, I've started sponging him down, but he's still itchy, and wanting to roll.

 

Any food gurus out there : any idea what this could be from.  I had him on New Era, which is a food manufactured in Gauteng, where I live, and changed him to Spur Wing, which is a food manufactured in Natal, but I've fed him a Natal-based feed before (Equi-feeds, also heavy in molasses) with no problems.

 

Any input would be appreciated.  I'm hoping this is food-related, because then it should resolve itself with a change in feed.  If it's not, I'll be beating your doors down again for more advice!

 

 

Tracey