Headshaking
Recognising headshaking • Itchy skin • Treatment for headshakers
QI have a mare who sometimes experiences hair loss on her face in spring and summer. Last year she needed antibiotics as she was so itchy. She also gets snotty at times and is a seasonal headshaker. Could all these things be connected? What medical management strategies would you suggest trying — would antihistamines work? Paula Martin, Herts
Veronica says... I’m sorry to hear that, it certainly sounds difficult to manage. The first step is to see whether the headshaking and the hair loss and snotty nose are connected. There is a complex — and not yet understood — association between environment and trigeminal-mediated headshaking, but it isn’t a ‘normal’ allergy.
Work out the timeline
With the hair loss, work out whether the itch or the hair loss comes first.
Does she become itchy after the hair falls out, or is it coming out because she’s itching and rubbing? Is she rubbing due to discomfort from trigeminal-mediated headshaking triggers, or are they separate things? Does hair loss/itch start before or after her seasonal headshaking signs return? Working out these things will be helpful to your vet.
Could she be asthmatic?
When she has a snotty nose, have an endoscopy carried out and take a sample to see if she has asthma. These things can be connected. If she does, discuss treating it with steroids with your vet, if appropriate for her. This will allow you to see which of her problems resolve with this treatment, which might help you work out any association. Steroids are a more effective treatment for any allergy in horses than antihistamines, as their immune system works a bit differently to ours.