# Can you use human antihistamines on horses?



## Cyberchick (31 March 2010)

My horse has come out in an allergy, I am trying to find out what he is allergic to. I have got it down to either his hay or his bedding. I am waiting for a call back from my vet just to see if it is ok to leave him and find out what he is having a reaction to or if they do want to come out and give him an injection. It isn't bothering him to much but I just wondered if you are able to give human antihistamines (Piriton etc) to horses and does it work in the same way and how much would you give?


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## millitiger (31 March 2010)

if you google piriton and horse you should get dosages etc.

we gave Millie piriton when she was a 2yro and she developed a rash and swollen glands- think she had 3 or 4 in the morning and 3 or 4 in the evening.

you can buy piriton in huge 500+ bottles online.


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## Cocoa (31 March 2010)

Yes you can use human anti-histamines on horses. My friends horse suffered from allergic reactions last summer where he occasionally came in from the field with his lips and mouth hugely swollen. The vet advised us to use human antihistamines. The dose was 10 per day, based on the fact a horse is approximately 10 times the size of a human therefore 10x human dose (1 per day). The only issue is piriton etc is not cheap, and using 10 per day will be expensive, you need to try and get hold of non-branded large boxes, perhaps at a pharmacy or from your vet (our vet prescribed human anti-histamines in a big box- I even used them on myself one day...lol!)


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## kezimac (31 March 2010)

yup = just get off your vet in tub of 500 (£19) I use them all summer when my horse gets bitten by horseflies - they are actually same piriton that are for humans but cheaper - The bottle even has human dosage on.
I give 20 a day if bad bites. 
When she got attacked by swarm of hornets she was on 50 a day as had 40 stings. but that was extreme.


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## ChesnutsRoasting (31 March 2010)

The active ingredient is called Chlorphenamine.  Piriton is the brand name. Google it and find your cheapest option.


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## Cyberchick (31 March 2010)

Thanks everyone. Spoke to the vet and she said I could use them but she didn't think they worked that well and said I would be better trying Bute for now. My first thought of Bute is a painkiller but she said it would work well on the swelling whilst I am trying to fathem out what it is that is bothering him.


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## Box_Of_Frogs (1 April 2010)

Take care using human antihistamines on horses. My vet tells me that the reason they don't prescribe them as a matter of course is a) it doesn't work on all horses and b) it causes neurological changes in the horse's brain and can make then very drowsy. You can imagine the dangers of a very drowsy horse out in a field, being ridden or even stabled. What symptoms is your horse showing? Is it coughing? What bedding is he on and have you changed it recently? The most common reasons for coughing in horses, caused by allergic reactions, are: the spores in hay, straw bedding, dusty environments and summer pollens. You need to act fast because the longer a horse is exposed to an allergen that makes him cough, the more damage can be done to the lungs. Soaking his hay for 20mins or so or changing to haylage would sort out a hay allergy. Change to dust extracted shavings or paper or cardboard if the horse is allergic to straw bedding. If he's allergic to dust, it's harder but always muck out when the horse is well away from his stable and keep it as dust free as possible, ie no cobwebs, dusty corners etc. Summer pollen allergies are hard to treat too. My horse has this and he was quite ill last summer because a virus went round the yard and he got a very nasty cough on top of his existing allergic cough. He has (minor) permanent lung changes now. This summer my vets have advised a nosenet like the ones headshakers use and if this isn't enough, we are going to trial a low bute dose because it's anti-inflammatory.


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## Cyberchick (1 April 2010)

No coughing. He is lumpy bumpy. The vet and I feel it is his bedding. He is on dust extracted shavings but we think we had a dodgy couple of bales that have got something in them. A mite or similar. It is a touch allergy we have realised so cleaning stable out today and having whole new bedding down with different shavings. I left him out last night for the first time ever and apart from worrying about him all the time he was absolutely fine and toasty warm and you can only just see where all the lumps were. Amazing difference.


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## Tempi (1 April 2010)

My mare gets quite severe allergic reactions in the summer to fly bites and just comes up covered in loads of lumps.  Vet said to give her bute.  So if it happens she has a 3 day course of bute (one sachet in the morning, one in the evening) and that sorts her out.  My vet advised against using human antihestamines as they dont work that well on horses and you have to use a large amount.


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## Black_Horse_White (1 April 2010)

My horses had large swellings on his neck and chest last summer, turned out to be from nettles.Once we moved him away from them the swellings went down. And never came back.


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