Horse Allergies

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From: Barb Peck 
Email: bpeck@us.ibm.com

 Nora:
My vet has found that alot of horses that have allergies (get hives and/or sensitive to bugs) have low thyroid function.  I personally know of 2 horses which were very sensitive  to bug bites (and had some type of hive or another most of the summer) and tested low thyroid.  They are being treated with Thyroid-L (powder in their grain) and their symptoms are gone.  This is a controversial subject with some Vets, as some say the test is inconclusive. My Vet said that while the test is not conclusive, it *is* an indicator, plus when other symptoms are evident (such as allergies, hives, cresty neck, or a horse that can live on air) he'll treat the horse.  I should also mention that a horse should be blood-tested to find the correct dosage after it's found, blood test once per year (at least) to monitor the numbers.  Don (my vet) also blood tests at about the same time of day (because hormones flucuate thru the day).
  SO while you're testing for allergies, why don't you get his thyroid function tested?
  Just my .50 cents.
Barb