Blood test for equine metabolic syndrome

M

Marchtime

Well-Known Member
Joined
5 December 2007
Messages
1,412
Visit site
My retired pony was diagnosed with Cushings last year. She’s now on one prascend a day and very happy and well. She had bloods taken again last week to check dosage levels and the results were good. However, the vets want to run an insulin resistance blood test to test for metabolic syndrome. Now I’d be happy with this except, in order for the results to be accurate she needs to be starved for 12hrs beforehand.

She currently lives out 24/7 and has done for the last 8yrs or so. She does not want to be stabled. I have a large field shelter, which if need be I could pen her in to if she ever got injured, but I don’t think I she’ll stay in there with no food overnight. Even if I put my charger on the fence I have no doubt she’ll take the whole thing down and escape within minutes if there’s no food in there for her. We have a spare stable I could potentially ask to use but I really do believe the stress of it would cause her more harm than good. It would also mean leaving my other horse out alone.

So my question is, would you bother putting her through the stress and having the bloods done? Those who have had it done would the results make a big difference? She is well in herself, and has never had lami (touch wood) and at 28yrs old is a picture of health. We manage her weight and diet carefully and treat her as high risk for laminitis in case. Is it worth it?
 
No, I would say it isn't worth it. EMS is a new thing for the vets. If your pony is well and you are managing her diet carefully there isn't anything much they can do, other than prescribe a drug called metformin, which I personally don't think is much cop.

If your pony does have high insulin, you are doing all that you can to manage it, by keeping her diet under control.
 
No, I wouldn't bother. My mare had to be starved for the same test TWICE last week as the vet did something wrong with the blood. It was difficult enough for a stabled horse on box rest as I felt so cruel as she watched me feed all the others and not her. She did turn out to be insulin resistant but only slightly and so no treatment was thought prudent. So all that for nothing. She was on box rest at the time for laminitis. She also has mild cushings but the vet has decided not to treat that either.
 
Wagtail said:
No, I wouldn't bother. My mare had to be starved for the same test TWICE last week as the vet did something wrong with the blood. It was difficult enough for a stabled horse on box rest as I felt so cruel as she watched me feed all the others and not her. She did turn out to be insulin resistant but only slightly and so no treatment was thought prudent. So all that for nothing. She was on box rest at the time for laminitis. She also has mild cushings but the vet has decided not to treat that either.
Click to expand...

Thank you Wagtail and BigRed, I was thinking the same but didn't know if I would be putting her health at risk.

Wagtail, I had a minor falling out with the vets today as they called with the results. The vet said her insulin was very high and then said "is she stabled overnight" and I said no. He then asked how I had managed to starve her, to which I replied I nobody had told me she needed to be starved!!! It seems when booking the appointment everyone forgot the key piece of information.

They have offered to run another blood test for free as the insulin results from this one are worthless but it's not worth it. Her cushings levels were within normal parameters and that was why I had the blood test - to check the Prascend was working. I will decline the re-test and have a very happy pony :D
 
My mare is getting this test done tomorrow morning. She is starving overnight tonight. She came in at lunchtime today and was munching hay all afternoon, then had her last feed about 6pm. Nothing more till vets come. Tomorrow morning won't be fun.
In her case however I think it's worth getting it done as I'd rather know for sure if she has it or not, since she is only early teens. I would probably feel different if it was an elderly pony already being managed for cushings - completely different scenario.
 
mine had it last week - seems to be alot of vets testing for this - a new fad perhaps:confused:
i eneded up with a badly broken finger!! and the test came back clear phew as did the chushin test
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top