Immune System Booster

[gooselover]

Is there a supplement that you can purchase to help boost the immune system? Thank you for any suggestions

[tuppysmom]

APF from Auburn Labs

We haave used it for several years now for both horses and humans.

[Sakura Hill Farm]

Immunall

[dwblover]

SmartProtect from SmartPak Equine.

[JB]

Try a search - we discuss this every couple of months :)

[murphyluv]

Transfer Factor from 4life.com. They are a great company. I swear by Transfer Factor. Kvet also sells the stress pack- if the horse is sick or shipping for instance. I give it to my dog when her allergies get really bad.

APF is also a good one.

[Whoanellie]

Immune Builder (http://www.wintreats.org/bdicart/product_info.php?products_id=29&osCsid=223e43fc58d6fd64153a3b6bd847d10f) by Blue Ridge Distribution!!!

We've used it for years with great results. Most of the other products we tried would work for awhile and then seem to plateau/or quit working as well.
Immune Builder does not do this. The horses love it!

[Janet]

Levamazole. Once a month.

[HandsomeBayFarm]

I use grapeseed extract and love it.

[deltawave]

Good nutrition, lots of turnout. Works for me and my herd. :)

I like to let the immune system do what comes naturally; it does not need "boosting". Even if it COULD be done, the results would be disastrous. Thank heaven the products touted for this are more or less worthless--Mother Nature knows best. :yes:

[Druid Acres]

Bio-Quench from Uckele. I use it spring/summer for allergies and have had good luck.

I agree with Deltawave that horses shouldn't need immune system boosters. If you keep your horses at home and manage them well, that is true.

HOWEVER, some of us are making the best of less than ideal boarding situations. For example, herd dynamics can constantly change, horses that show are turned out with horses that don't (and possibly introduce disease), the alpha horses chase the others out of the shelter, etc. The resulting stress can indeed compromise immunity, thus the need for immune boosters.

Most of us are simply doing the best we can with the situation that we have.

[deltawave]

But a healthy immune system responds to stress all by itself, by design. "Boosting" it with this or that is so very unlikely to actually DO anything, also by design--by the grace of God or the good sense of Mother Nature our immune systems are more or less "immune" (pardon the pun) to tinkering.

[AnotherRound]

Delta, that's what I was thinking. I mean, can you really "boost" an immune system? It responsds according to its function. I mean immunity, either you are immune to a pathogen or you aren't. Either your body can fight a foreign invader or not. Its dependent on rest, nutrition (general good nutrition) and emotional well being, and what antibodies you have developed.

I think people have really uninformed ideas of the immune system. I remember a friend of mine, when I told her about my allergys, said, oh, you should get this or that to boost your immune system!! I looked at her askance! I said, I don't want my immune system boosted, I want it supressed!! Do you know what allergies are? They are your immune system turning on your own body because it is over reacting.

Oh, well.

[deltawave]

I think people have really uninformed ideas of the immune system

That's putting it mildly. :)

[Druid Acres]

So you both believe that:


Boarded horses are not more stressed than horses kept at home?
Chronically stressed horses can't benefit from additional nutrients?


Guess I'll just have to disagree.

And BTW AnotherRound, you are absolutely right about the allergies. You want less immune "boosting", not more. That's true of most autoimmune problems, allergies included.

[Foxtrot's]

My yearling is at home. He was born frail and is one chapter after another despite my carefully thought out management practices to lessen his stress and his ability to injure himself. I beat myself up as a bad mommy but hope that as he matures he will get stronger. Even my husband is in on trying to keep him healthy. I WANT a magic bullet.

[talloaks]

I have been using Gluta DMG EQ for one of my old mares who has had a terrible time with lymphangitis for the past 5 or so years. My vet said it couldn't harm and may actually help, so it was my call. I don't know if it helps at all, but she is down to one episode a year now. And they are shorter in duration. So I dunno, maybe it works, she's still here at 20+.

[deltawave]

Boarded horses are not more stressed than horses kept at home?
Chronically stressed horses can't benefit from additional nutrients?

Answer to #1: It depends
Answer to #2: Nutrients are great and it's hard to do without them, but one must define "nutrient" in this context, and "additional" is not always "optimal". IME more nutrients is not always beneficial but in many cases detrimental.

If we want to give our horses nutrients, can't we just call it FOOD? :lol: No, because that is pedestrian and boring and not exciting if you don't add words like "boost" or "flush" or "build" or "accelerate". :p

"More" is not always "better", and this goes double, triple and quadruple for horse (and human) supplements, IMO. :) However, it is only one person's viewpoint and the supplement industry is very happy and thriving to the tune of many billions/annum on the fact that I am in the minority. ;)

[cloudyandcallie]

Transfer Factor

[gooselover]

Thanks for all the replies. I have three OTTB's that are at home, feed a good diet and have 24 turnout. But with one gelding I just can't get rid of the scratches. We can keep them down to a just 1 or 2 here/there, but never completely rid of them.

Before anyone asks, yes, he has had a biopsy of the skin - nothing there - just plain old scratches. We have tried desitin, furacin, scarlet oil - all the things that have beat to death on this board.

So, after reading every post I could find on this board about scratches and the "fix the horse" - I am out of ideas - so I am going to order this APF. It can't hurt. Anyone have ANY ideas on how to cure him once and for all?

[ChocoMare]

...just plain old scratches. We have tried desitin, furacin, scarlet oil - all the things that have beat to death on this board.

So, after reading every post I could find on this board about scratches and the "fix the horse" - I am out of ideas - so I am going to order this APF. It can't hurt. Anyone have ANY ideas on how to cure him once and for all?

Read the Onchocerca/Neck Threadworm threads. Then try the Equimax protocol. It won't hurt and just might help.

[BostonBanker]

I didn't use it for the immune support properties it is supposed to have, but I believe that ReBorne may have saved my horse's life. He spent three years with some type of anorexia that nobody could explain or treat. I'd lay in bed at night and wonder when I was going to have to make the decision to just put him down before he starved to death. The results from ReBorne were fantastic. He was eating a normal amount of food within a couple of weeks, and enough to start gaining by the end of the six weeks or so I had him on it. He's been off it for over a year, and although he's still a bit of a picky eater, his weight is fantastic and steady. I wouldn't hesitate to try it for immune as that is one of the things it is recommended for.

[Janet]

So you both believe that:

Boarded horses are not more stressed than horses kept at home?Depending on the circumstances, BOTH "boarded" and "kept at home" CAN be either more or less stressful. Boarding is not inherently more stressful.

2.Chronically stressed horses can't benefit from additional nutrients?

Chronic stress can cause problems, no question. But I am not sure "nutrients" are the solution.

I have one on an immune stimulant, but it has nothing to do with stress. (and FWIW, she is "kept at home".)

[RAyers]

Just want to chime in here about "immune system boosters" and what really can happen when boosting the immune system.

I accidentally injected myself with Interleukin-1 (spiking fluids for a truly immunocompromised patient) which is one of the major immunostimulants in the body. It basically upregulates most functions of the immune system. Within 2 hours I was brutally sick as my body said, "That's it! Everybody out of the pool!" and went into overdrive. I was out for days.

"Boosting" the immune system is not necessarily a good thing. Yes, you can boost the immune system but it takes a doctor to really do it.

An example of an overly boosted immune system is called "auto-immunity" (Rheumatoid Arthritis, etc.)

Reed

[Druid Acres]

[/LIST]Depending on the circumstances, BOTH "boarded" and "kept at home" CAN be either more or less stressful. Boarding is not inherently more stressful.

I agree totally. There are some ideal boarding situations and some stressed/ill/debilitated horses "at home." I was making a very broad generalization based on my own situation.

For example, if I had my horse "at home" I would practice better mud and manure management, separate the bullies, have a closed herd, etc. etc.

I also should not have used the word "nutrients" but instead used the word "help." As in, sometimes boarded horses need a little extra help.

[gooselover]

This gelding was thin and on steriods when I first got him a year ago. He looks FANTASTIC now, steadily gaining weight over the past year - he's the perfection of health really - but those darn scratches = started in spring and he STILL has them. :cry:

He's such a sport about doctoring them. Like I said, we can keep them at a minimum, but can't clear it up. The other two are fine.

[BostonBanker]

One other idea - the one and only time my horse had scratches in ten years I absolutely could not get rid of them. He was later diagnosed with Lyme and treated. They cleared up and have never been back. Now, I'm sure the massive amount of antibiotics for the Lyme helped heal them, but since it's the only time he ever had scratches, I have to think it's related. Maybe consider pulling some blood if that's a possibility in your area?

[gooselover]

Any other symptoms with the Lyme Disease? I also read the thread on the NTW and there are no pumps, or itchyness on him at all. Again, he the picture of health except for the damn scratches. He is out 24x7.

[BostonBanker]

I think there are as many varied symptoms as there are horses. With my horse, I actually wanted to test him for anemia, because he'd been just...dull. He was shiny and sound and everything. The vet suggested testing for Lyme first, and low and behold, that was it. I always heard about horses who were sore or lame with Lyme, but nothing was that clear for my horse.

[eventrider]

Karbo Combo. www.karbostore.com

[mlranchtx]

Transfer Factor

where do you buy this? I looked at the website once and was trying to purchase but the website was so confusing... I couldn't figure out what to buy or how to buy it.

[murphyluv]

where do you buy this? I looked at the website once and was trying to purchase but the website was so confusing... I couldn't figure out what to buy or how to buy it.

http://www.4life.com/shopping/categoryview.aspx?cid=74

Call them- they are also pretty helpful.

It's a immune support not immune booster. Thus it works for my dog with allergies- and myself.

[Perfect Pony]

Before anyone asks, yes, he has had a biopsy of the skin - nothing there - just plain old scratches. We have tried desitin, furacin, scarlet oil - all the things that have beat to death on this board.

This doesn't make any sense, mainly because there is no "scratches". If you did biopsy the skin then the diagnosis would not be "scratches" since it's not actually a condition!

You also mentioned a few treatments, but didn't mention any real treatments that would typically be prescribed by a dermatologist, so it's hard for me to believe that you have indeed worked with a dermatologist to try to fix the issue.

There are a limited amount of things that could be causing this, and a biopsy would determine this. A fungus, bacteria, or something systemic. Maybe an infection has taken hold. All these things would require different protocols. A dermatologist WILL be able to diagnose.

I highly suggest you get a second opinion from a dermatologist.

[Yip]

http://www.herbs4horses.com/equine-products-c-38.html

I used Super Immune Booster from Equine Science for an EPM mare and it really seemed to help her thrive. She was a hard keeper because she just didn't want to eat. Chiro. work and SIB got her eating again and her health finally bloomed. My chiro. sold it at the time, but I would odred it now even if she doesn't still sell it.

Yip