New face masks made for horses enable the animal to breathe in a mist of drugs produced by an inhaler. These drugs are not intended for long-term use. Maintenance treatment, Murray says, is still accomplished through the use of corticosteroids. Steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs will generally take from a few days to a week or so to take effect, and the results can be variable. Because allergic diseases tend to be highly individualistic, the exact type of drug, dosage, method of administration and dose frequency will all need to be worked out for each horse.
Homeopathic remedies can be helpful in certain cases.
Because of the allergic nature of the disease, knowing just what your horse is allergic to can also be helpful. New tests for allergies are available. While it is often not possible to eliminate the specific offensive items from your horses' world, simply knowing what to avoid can help. This, coupled with a general reduction of dust, mold and other environmental irritants through good management, may help slow heaves or prevent it completely. Ga. This article was originally published in Fall 98.