Honey

[No_Angel]

I read somewhere (can't remember where now) that feeding a small amount of local honey can introduce the pollens into a horses system and allows them to build up a resistance to them.

Mr Shay has been suffering a bit with his pollen allergy, so I thought I would try some honey to see if it helped at all, he is having a small teaspoon full a day on a treat.
But he has got worse:(
Before panicking and taking him off it completely, he is probably going to get a bit worse with the pollen in his system before he gets better, right?:(
I just hate to see him uncomfortable (and I can tell hes not well because hes being all cuddly,lol)

[xloopylozzax]

is it honey from your local area- if it is just shop bought it will be a different pollen.

but i thought that was recommended for humans.
i would use more than a teaspoon amount, probably a 3/4 tablespoons.

[No_Angel]

Yes its Shropshire honey I'm using.

His pollen allergy is similar to human hayfever.

I'm not sure I would want to feed him that much honey, as its pure sugar, and the little amount he is having is having a big effect at the moment:(

[xloopylozzax]

as in he is hot up effect?

maybe try something else, i wouldnt have thought a teaspoon would be doing very much at all considering there size and how much they eat a day- he wont even taste it!

have you tried piriton or other allergy tablets- we used to give them to our old dog with no side effects, and i think it would be ok in horses.

[No_Angel]

Not hes not hotting up at all, he is coughing a lot more and looks a lot more miserable.

If he is allergic to the pollen in the honey then surely only a little amount will effect him?
If a person is allergic to peanuts will one peanut not effect them, or do they have to eat a whole bag?

I didn't really want to use drugs on him, and would rather try more 'natural' methods before I pump him full of drugs.

[xloopylozzax]

oh yeah didnt think about it like that :o

well good luck and hope you find a solution- have you spoke to your vet about treatment/medication?

[vjwuk]

You should, I believe start the introduction in the winter months sothat the body has time to get used to it before the pollens come out, as was rightly said it should be honey as local as you can get. Contact your local beekeeping group your bound to have one and buy honey from them. You know then that it is pure and also where it comes from, it has worked in humans, I can;t see why it shouldn't in animals

Go to
http://www.britishbee.org.uk/local_associations_about_us.php
to findyour local bee group

[chickyd444]

ive been taking (for myself) local honey for the last week as a last resort because my hay fever is unbearable - its still not working :(

[Bessy]

ive been taking (for myself) local honey for the last week as a last resort because my hay fever is unbearable - its still not working :(

I've tried this too and it really doesn't work for me.

[flashbacksj]

Hello!
im a fellow sufferer of hayfever and im trying the honey thing... no effect yet... ive been refered to an allergy specialist but its a 5weeks wait!

:cool: anyway in terms of horses... my friends irish Tb suffers with hayfever and oftern wears a nose net. she has fed honey a little bit and also uses piroton with him which seams to help. i think the pollen count has gone crazy since the weather improved in our area and we are all fighting a loosing battle against hayfever! grrrr:mad:

[punkypalomino]

hiya
yer i get REALLY bad hayfever and honey helps me loads..and it always gets worse before it gets better...can you get hols of some homemade honey..the stuff from shops wont work as its been change and all that:o...but i wouldnt take him off it straight away...good luck with it all..and i hope he feels beter...i no how he feels:o
xxzoexx
p.s the affect of honey doesnt appear over night you need to keep it going for weeks--if not months for it to work fully xx

[No_Angel]

Thanks for the replies:)

I was using Shropshire honey from the farm shop closest to us.
He got really bad so I stopped giving him the honey, I moved him into my top field and he got a little better, but he was really awful yesterday:(
He was stood inside the stables almost all day (he hardly ever does that) and he had big lumps of mucous coming out of his nose, his eyes were streaming, he was coughing a dry cough (not as bad as he was though) ad he was making a sort of snorting noise.
I fixed one of his nose nets onto a nose band and put that on him, and took him up some food with some magnesium in it, after he has finished his food he started to nibble some grass outside the stables and perked up a bit.
I went back later to check on him and he was grazing in the field. I left his nose net on him over night.
I went this morning and gave him some more food with magnesium in it and will give him more later.
I hate seeing him like this:(

[puzzles]

Yup, local area to treat local allergens. Honesy's fab - cheap, effective and tasty without zillions of additives!

x