073 Equine Allergies

04/22/25 • 33 min

If your horse is rubbing its mane, swishing its tail excessively, or breaking out in hives, you’re not alone—and it may not just be bugs or behavior. Equine allergies are more common than you might think, and they can affect both the skin and respiratory systems.

In this episode of Your Vet Wants You To Know, board-certified veterinary dermatologists Dr. Brittany Lancellotti welcomes follow dermatologist and horse lover, Dr. Julia Miller, who uncovers the often-overlooked world of horse allergies. From chronic hives and hay sensitivities to the connection between equine asthma and environmental allergens, this episode is packed with practical advice for every horse owner.

📸 See the Episode Extras: Photos of intradermal skin testing and different types of hives in horses—visit YourVetWantsYouToKnow.com to view them!

📍 Find a Veterinary Dermatologist Near You: Visit the resources page to find a veterinary dermatologist or equine practitioner near you.

🔗 Follow Dr. Miller on Instagram: @drjanimaldermatologist

Our vision is for Your Vet Wants You to Know to be a resource for veterinarians to improve client communication by introducing a discussion about a common topic during the vet visit, then directing the client to a reliable source of engaging, understandable, and accessible information. By doing so, we strive for: 1) increased pet health literacy among pet owners, 2) improved partnership between clients and the veterinary team, 3) improved medical outcomes for pets, and 4) improved quality of life and efficiency for veterinarians.

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📸 See the Episode Extras: Photos of intradermal skin testing and different types of hives in horses—visit YourVetWantsYouToKnow.com to view them!

📍 Find a Veterinary Dermatologist Near You: Visit the resources page to find a veterinary dermatologist or equine practitioner near you.

🔗 Follow Dr. Miller on Instagram: @drjanimaldermatologist

Help support our mission through BUY ME A COFFEE: https://buymeacoffee.com/yourvet

Previous Episode

One Health Heroes: April 15, 2025 - Government cuts, Avian Influenza, and Rabies

New infections, emerging risks, and critical funding cuts—how are these shaping the safety of our food, our pets, and our public health? In this episode of One Health Heroes, Dr. Brittany Lancellotti is joined again by Dr. Mandy Sorensen to discuss urgent updates on the avian influenza outbreak, a recent rabies-related transplant case, and concerning budget cuts to federal health agencies. Learn how these changes could impact veterinarians, animal health, and your family’s safety—and what you can do to stay informed and protected.

Key Topics:

Avian Influenza Update: Continued spread among dairy herds, cats, and wild animals; new fatal case in a child in Mexico; latest research confirms pasteurization inactivates the virus.
Rabies Risk & Prevention: Insights into a rare rabies-related transplant case, the often-overlooked risk of bat exposure, and the life-saving importance of pet vaccination.
Federal Budget Cuts: How recent staffing cuts at HHS, CDC, and FDA—including the Center for Veterinary Medicine—could affect food safety, drug approval, outbreak surveillance, and pet health.
Protecting Pets and People: Practical One Health strategies for individuals—biosecurity for backyard flocks, avoiding raw diets, and food safety measures to prevent zoonotic transmission.

Resources & Links:

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Next Episode

One Health Heroes, May 1, 2025: FDA Milk Safety, Avian Influenza, and Dogs as Sentinels for Valley Fever

In this installment of the One Health Heroes segment, Dr. Brittany Lancellotti is joined again by Dr. Mandy Sorensen from the American Association of Food Safety and Public Health Veterinarians to provide important updates on highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI), ongoing challenges in federal food safety oversight, including dairy quality control with the FDA, and what these developments mean for animals, people, and the environment.

They discuss recent human cases of HPAI in Mexico and Vietnam, explore the risks of cross-species transmission (including pets), and emphasize the importance of preventive hygiene and biosecurity. The episode also takes a deep dive into recent budget and staffing cuts in the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and how those cuts are affecting diagnostic surveillance and milk safety testing at the federal level. It finishes with findings from a recently published study looking at how dogs in regions with Valley Fever can give us insight into this disease in humans as well.

• 🦇 CDC Rabies and Bat Exposure Info • 🧪 Cornell HPAI Research Resource • 📋 AAFSPHV Newsletter and Membership Info Help support our mission through BUY ME A COFFEE