# Pollen Allergy - What works best?



## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

I'm subscribing to this. One of my girls has mild allergies.


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## HollyLolly (Dec 25, 2009)

Yeah, I'm looking forward to any advice because he seems like a really nice horse, but it's his allergy that is making me a bit dubious :/ So any advice is much appreciated!


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## HollyLolly (Dec 25, 2009)

Okay (and sorry to keep posting on my own post) but I've just read that (for humans with hayfever) if you rub petrolium jelly inside your nose, it prevents pollen pathogens getting inside... Could work for a horse (or at least alleviate the symptoms a bit) only problem would be getting the vaseline in the horse's nose!


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

I live in the Tennessee Valley, or "allergy purgatory" as my vet calls it. My horses and dogs never had skin allergies until we moved here 8 years ago.

One of my horses has dust/pollen/mold allergies and every spring I would put him on Tri-hist. It amped him up so much I started looking at things-herbal.

He has been on Allergy Herbal Blend : Build up horse immune system and help cough for three years. This time of year I have to up the normal dosage but it works for him and actually "zones him out" instead of amping him up like Tri-hist did.

This horse is 16.1H and weighs 1,100# so the owner of the company said would not hurt to double the dosage. Because the stuff mellows him out so much, I give him 3/4 dose in the AM and 3/4 dose in PM. It is pelleted and he willingly eats it.

Within 48 hours of the first dose, his eyes and nose quit watering and he quits coughing unless I forget to wet his hay down at night.

It is pricey stuff but it works. You would just have to watch your horse for a few days to make sure he didn't have an allergic reaction to one of the herbs in the product --- anything is possible.

I also keep this horse hosed down every night in the summer and use a cheap hard plastic brush to scrub the day's pollen & dander off him.

If he shows me he is really itchy I will shampoo him with MalAcetic, also an all natural product for skin allergies on dogs, cats, horses, etc.

"DermaPet" MalAcetic Shampoo for Dogs and Cats (ONE GALLON)

It can also be bought in an 8 ounce bottle. A little goes a really long way. I still have half a gallon left from two years ago and I bath my dogs in it and all four horses if need-be.

Diet plays a key role as well. If you are feeding sweet feed, try to find something "quieter" and get him off it. Different types of hay may or may not affect him.

Good luck and I hope this helps


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

HollyLolly said:


> Okay (and sorry to keep posting on my own post) but I've just read that (for humans with hayfever) if you rub petrolium jelly inside your nose, it prevents pollen pathogens getting inside... Could work for a horse (or at least alleviate the symptoms a bit) only problem would be getting the vaseline in the horse's nose!


My grandmother always used Vicks, so that is what I use; I have never heard of using Vaseline that way

The air passages in a horse are a lot bigger than in a human; that would not be something I, personally, would try:?


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## HollyLolly (Dec 25, 2009)

Thanks for your advice walkinthewalk  I'll keep those in mind ;-) And as for the vaseline, that's to prevent pollen going into his nose, I think Vicks is to open the airway and make his breathing less stuffy? But I'll take your advice and probably not try it, I just read that it works for humans, and might for horses too


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## luvsmygirls (Mar 3, 2009)

I have in the past given my mare, who is allergic to EVERYTHING it seems, benadryl 1 pill per 100 pounds per day. it works quiet well and as i usually buy it in bulk at walmart or costco its usually quiet cheap. that being said however i would consult a vet before starting that regemine. the reason for that is i have heard some vets say its fine others don't think its a good idea and i think it varies from horses to horse. i would look into the possibility of some sort of allergy shot i know that they have them available but i honestly don't know which ones are currently on the market.


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