Borderline Cushings / EMS

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classybutwild

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Hi i had my boys blood tested as he was spookier than usual over the last year and a half, always been a stress head, had all the relevant checks done back, teeth, saddle and thought he still wasn't what i call right, well its come back that he has borderline cushings and a slightly just over the borderline EMS, the vet has said we can either manage by diet or go for medication, my mind is a bit blown now as secretly deep inside i thought he was just being a bugger and would come back normal, now i don't know what to do, have any of you been in this situation before and how did u manage your horse, as vet said once he goes on medication he can't come off im swaying with the diet to see if i can leave the medication to a last resort as he is only 11!, also if u have a EMS horse how do u manage him? vets not overly worried about the cushings x
 
I chose to medicate my mare for borderline cushings and it gave her a new lease of life. Her EMS was borderline too. But she has suffered 2 further bouts of lami since diagnosis and the vet wants to do a glucose test for EMS as it's more reliable. But as she's only just recovering from laminitis, I am reluctant incase it triggers it again. My advice would be to medicate if you are insured as you will only get a year paid in any case and you may as well start to nip the symptoms in the bud.
 
As already posted, pergolide/prascend at the correct dosage will give your horse a new lease of life. Be aware that Cushings is caused by a tumour on the pituitary gland in the brain and this tumour will grow and the condition worsen with time so delaying appropriate treatment is really counter productive.
 
classybutwild said:
The problem is he is full of energy, not lethargic at all which is one of the indicating signs, he's always full of himself, did the medication calm any of your horses down? x
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The problem with cushings and EMS is that they can both cause laminitis. This can hit you out of the blue, often in the middle of winter, like it did with my mare. She wasn't even on grass at the time. I would have a full discussion with your vet who will be able to explain the pros and cons. The cushings mediacation can cause lethargy and depression for the first few weeks, though it did not with my mare.
 
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