5 Signs Your Horse Might Be Allergic to Its Feed
As you should already know, your horses need a good supply of nutrition-packed food to stay healthy and strong. Unfortunately, sometimes even the very finest food might not be the best thing to provide. It isn't unknown for horses to develop food allergies, which can cause significant stress and several health problems.
The only effective treatment is switching to stock feed specially formulated to meet the needs of horses with food allergies. Of course, you'll want to make the switch as soon as possible, so here are just five signs to watch out for.
1. Dermal Pruritus
More commonly known as chronic itchy skin, dermal pruritus often affects horses suffering from a food allergy. You may notice your horse trying to bite certain areas or rub themselves against trees, fences or anything else that might provide some measure of relief. They may also find it hard to sleep, so you might notice signs of fatigue. When a horse becomes particularly agitated from all the itching, it can develop a gastric ulcer. In some cases, they may display behavioural changes, including increased aggression.
2. Gastrointestinal Problems
It should come as no surprise to learn that food allergies can often cause your horse to suffer gastrointestinal problems. At the outset, they may simply experience excess bloating and gas. If the condition isn't dealt with, they may suffer from diarrhoea and/or vomiting. Of course, these symptoms could also be signs of a food intolerance rather than a food allergy, but you'll want to change up their feed regardless.
3. Skin Issues
Though itchy skin is one of the more common symptoms of a food allergy in horses, you might notice several other skin problems. It may appear inflamed or show papules - small pimples or swellings that look a little like a rash. Skin sometimes look crusty and unhealthy since the horse may not be getting enough nutrition from the feed they eat.
4. Hair Loss
When a horse isn't getting the right amount of nutrition from the food it takes in, their hair is often the first thing to suffer since the stem cells in hair follicles have a very short life span. At first, hair may simply appear rougher and dryer than normal. Over time, you may start noticing bald patches appearing across the horse's body.
5. Weight Loss
Finally, food allergies can cause a horse to lose weight. If your horse seems to be dropping the pounds without any change in their activity level or food intake, a food allergy could be to blame.
