“Shipping Fever” is an expression or term used to describe the symptoms associated with upper and lower respiratory infections.  Pleuropneumonia is a bacterial infection affecting a horse’s lungs and the area surrounding their lungs. These conditions can be caused by anaerobic bacteria, aerobic bacteria and made worse by viruses.

Pinpointing the exact source of pleuropneumonia is considered impossible.1 Trailering a horse a great distance makes him/her more prone to shipping fever. 

Now the term, “great distance” means different things to different people.  Some experts consider a trip of 5 hours a “great distance” while other experts say 8 to 10 hours or more would be a “great distance.” 

My suggestion would be to factor in your individual horse. In fact, it isn’t always a long extended trip that will result in a sick horse. We all know some horses trailer better than others.  Trailering a horse in particularly hot, humid conditions or in cold weather can be of great concern.  Some horses sweat profusely after a meager 1 hour trip.

Some factors create more risk than others, according to experts.  A key factor is simply the fact of a horse having to stand in a position he or she would never be in out in a pasture; head held high and unable to move and graze on the ground. 2  Stress – as with many ailments – is also a key contributor to making a horse prone to shipping fever.

Make sure you take every precaution necessary.  In trailering situations horses are exposed to drafts, airborne dust and pollen, as well as simply being in a small, confined place for a long period.  Don’t forget a horse will also tend to be stressed over leaving any herd buddies as well as going off to another area amongst strange horses.

The more you can do to ease the stress for your horse the better the horse will fare and the less likely the horse will become ill.

“SHIPPING FEVER” SYMPTOMS

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Lethargy
• Appearing and Behaving uneasy, not moving around, not willing to lie down
• Weight Loss – some experts claim a horse can lose 2-5 pounds of body weight for every hour they travel! 3
• Excessive sweating
• Decreased urination
• Dehydration
• Increased heart rate
• Increased respiratory rate
• Coughing
• Nasal Discharge
• Fever
• Colic – This is a complication of shipping fever and can be brought on by the dehydration, refusal to eat, and stress.
• Any changes in your horse’s normal behavior – you are the best judge of how your horse is feeling.  You know your horse – or should – and will spot anything out of the ordinary probably more quickly than anyone.
  

WHAT YOU CAN DO
BEFORE & DURING TRAILERING YOUR HORSE:

• Contact your equine vet and get your horse a complete exam.  Listen to your vet and follow any recommendations he/she may have concerning vaccinations, etc.
• Make the trailer your horse will be in as dust-free as possible.  Remove and clean all mats, sweep or vacuum the floor and other dust-catching surfaces and remove old hay remnants left in the trailer.
• Bring an ample supply of water and hay.  Your horse may not drink unfamiliar water and its best to keep the horse on the hay he/she is used to.  *Remember you are trying to keep the horse’s stress level at a minimum.
• Feed your horse hay soaked in water.  This will keep dust down, increase the horse's fluid intake, and helps prevent an impaction should your horse colic.
• Make frequent stops, say every 2 to 4 hours – depending on the heat - and offer your horse water and food.  Water will be one of your horse’s best allies in prevented shipping fever.
• If the weather is cold be sure to blanket your horse.
• During your stops, get your horse out of the trailer to walk around a bit and get a good drink of water and food.  (Allow your horse to eat from the ground level.  This body position is natural to the horse for eating and drinking.) Balancing in a trailer moving down the road, head tied high is work for a horse!
• Once you arrive at your destination let your horse walk around and relax.  Keep your horse away from other horses until you are sure he/she is doing well.
  

There are many steps you can take to ensure your horse never suffers from shipping fever.  Remember, the more you can do to help the better off your horse will be and the more you both will enjoy yourselves at your destination!

Citation Bibliography:

1 Shipping Fever in Horses. Dr. Aaron Tangeman.  August 16, 2009. Hobby Farms.com. Copyright © 2012 BowTie, Inc. All rights reserved.http://www.hobbyfarms.com/livestock-and-pets/shipping-fever-horses.aspx

2 Understanding Shipping Fever. Karen Coumbe MRCVS. 26 April 2044. Horse & Hound. © Copyright Horse & Hound/ IPC Media. http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/horsecare/1370/48502.html

3 Transporting a Horse. Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Copyright © 2005-2006 http://vet.tufts.edu/sports/transport.html

Our beloved horses can display a variety of symptoms that may – or may not – suggest a nasty allergen lurking somewhere.  While determining 1) if the symptoms are caused by allergies and 2) if so, what the source of the allergen is can be like trying to solve a complicated, poorly lit crime scene.

As with any illness or injury you will always, always serve your equine better if you are familiar with your horse’s personality, vitals and overall well-being when the horse is well.   This is perhaps your horse’s best defense because when you know what your horse’s normal behavior and health is you will spot any change right away.  This point shouldn’t be over-looked.  How fast you spot a situation determines how fast action is taken.

So when it comes to allergies in horses, this tidbit of information– knowing your horse - is no less valuable. 

What are some of the culprits causing allergies in horses?  Well there are a wide range of answers to that question and finding them may get you frustrated.  Keep your thinking cap on and keep investigating.  Follow your vet’s instructions and suggestions and follow your own instincts.  

LIKELY CAUSES OF HORSE ALLERGIES:

Injection/shot – Horses may react to an injection of medication or of an immunization.

Pollen / Mold Spores – Particularly when there is a heightened amount of pollen in the air, such as during a dry spring, or after a relatively warm winter.

Dust – Sometimes there will more dust than is normal in a closed up barn, or when the weather has been dry.  Wind can stir up dust, causing more dust particles to be airborne. (This is also true with pollen and mold spores.)

SYMPTOMS OF ALLERGIES IN HORSES:1

Coughing – typically – but not necessarily – a dry “door slamming” kind of cough.

Swelling/Welts – This can be a raised lump or lumps along the shoulders.  When there is an allergic reaction, for example, from a shot the shot-site may swell up.

Rubbing – You may find spots, such as the shoulders or an injection site, wherein your horse has rubbed the area to the point hair is missing and the spot may even be rubbed raw.

Drop in Emotion – A horse will just not seem to feel so well and may seem a bit depressed.

Poor Appetite – A horse may not be eating with quite the vigor it typically has.  The horse is still eating but not as attentively.

Watery Eyes and Nostrils.

Keep in mind a horse may display all, some of these symptoms.  As always the best way to know for sure and tackle what needs to be tackled is to contact your equine vet right away.  Don’t wait.  Our wonderful horses may be majestic and powerful but – as any horse person knows – they are fragile animals sometimes.  Listen to your horse and keep him/her happy and well!

TREATMENT:

Water Down / Soak Hay – This will likely be one of the first things your vet will advise you to do.  You will not have to soak the hay long.  Some vets will suggest you simply wet the hay down completely.  This one action will go a long way to providing your horse relief by putting a quick stop to pollen and dust that may be in the hay from being airborne.

Get Rid of Dust – Don’t laugh!  Of course we cannot get rid of ALL the dust in a barn or a pasture, but we can make quite a difference in doing what we can to cut down as much dust as realistically possible.  Water down the paddock area with a sprinkler.  Use a wet/dry vacuum to get rid of the worst of the dust in the barn and particularly in the horse’s stall.

R&R – Don’t work your horse while his/her airways are healing.  Give your horse some “breathing time” allowing any cough or other symptoms to clear up.  If you, yourself, have allergies or asthma this will be very real to you – being allowed to rest and breathe easier!  It’s better to wait patiently than to force your horse into work before the allergy symptoms have cleared up.

Holistic Methods – Because the side effects of steroids and other medications can be disconcerting. To avoid these you may want to utilize homeopathy, herbs, topicals and/or acupuncture.2  Just make sure your horse is not allergic to any of these!

Medications – There are various medications that are helpful, such as steroids, but these should be administered short-term.  Vets may prescribe Prednisolone or Fluticasone in acute cases. It is best to discuss these in great detail with your vet. 

Develop a Long-Term Strategy.  For example, you can look into establishing “immunotherapy”3 which can gradually build up your horse’s immunity.

Make sure you understand not only the costs involved, but the possible side effects as well.  If you can help your horse through this without medication the horse will be better off I think.  Know when medication is necessary and if it is make sure you commit to using it as directed.

 Citation Bibliography:

1 “Horse Allergies:
Symptoms, Common Causes & Treatments of an Equine Allergy” Copyright © 2011. American Horse Rider & Horses and Horse Information. Spring 1995 http://www.horses-and-horse-information.com/articles/0395allergy.shtml

2 “Allergies in Horses” Harman, DVM, Joyce. ©Holistic Horse Inc. 84 Irish Meeting House Road, Perkasie, PA 18944 215-249-1965. http://www.holistichorse.com/Alternative-Action-/-Acupuncture/allergies-in-horses.html

3 “Testing & Treatment.” Bio-Medical Services. ©Copyright 2005-2010 Bio-Medical Services, Inc http://www.bmslab.com/index.php?pid=255