My horse has spreading hives. What's the cause and treatment?

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Poo Chevy! It is likely that the bumps are hives and Chevy is suffering from an allergic reaction. Sometime we never know the inciting cause but insects or environmental allergens are the most common, unless he is receiving medications or was recently vaccinated (in the last 24 hours). The standard treatment for hives is benadryl and steroids. Ideally you should have him seen by your Vet. You can read this article on benadryl and see if it helps. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/ I hope this helps and I wish Chevy the best!

Hi, and thanks for your question. This could be due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. It is important to establish a diagnosis first in order to give the most effective treatment. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Please, get in touch with your local vets as Nova may need Apoquel dose to be increased or alternatively a short course of steroids to get the allergic reaction under control again.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is most likely secondary to an allergic reaction. This was probably caused by an allergy to something in the environment. If this does not resolve shortly, he should be evaluated by a veterinarian for treatment of an allergic reaction. This is usually treated with an anti-histamine medication and steroids. Good luck and have a good night!

I can’t be sure from the photo but this looks like a fungal or bacterial infection. Horses often get this from irritation and moisture. I recommend scrubbing the affected areas twice daily with iodine based shampoo, or another anti bacterial and fungal shampoo. Scrubbing the skin to remove the scales and debris will make it look more inflammed but will let the air get to the skin and speed healing. If this hasn’t cleared up in a week or two then please get a veterinary exam. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Diamond.

This is probably caused by an allergic reaction. first of all make sure you de-flea Ellie regularly every month with a high quality spot on (ex. Advantage) as fleas are by far the most common reason for these reactions. If the fleas are not the problem, it could be an allergic reaction to food or an environmental factor. this is more complicated to treat and will sometimes require medications such as Steroids, anti histamines or cyclosporin in order to stop the allergy.