Borderline cushings test, anyone?

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MrsNorris

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Horse has had a result of 51, with 47 being considered normal for this time of year. Anyone had the same thing? and did your horses go on to test positive? Are there any other reasons which could cause a slight elevation which is not related to cushings? Any thoughts greatly apprieciated. Horse will be re-tested in December. Thanks
 
A friend's horse tested similarly, I think lower than your horse's levels, and I'm sorry to say that she did go on to test positively a year or two later. Owner was advised to medicate on the first test result, but did not. Horse suffered no ill effects until 2 years later when she suffered mild laminitis. I'm not sure what the bearing would have been if the horse had been medicated earlier, probably nothing seeing as pergolide/prascend isn't a cure.
Good luck, I hope it's just an odd test result for your horse and not the start of Cushings.
 
My old gelding came down with lami when he was on working livery despite no grass turnout. He was tested & had a similar result. We treated him with pergolide anyway because of his symptoms (the lami as well as the pot belly & fat pads above the eyes). We lost him 18 months later :(
Was there a reason you had yours tested? Symptoms that make you think he might be positive?
 
Thanks for the replys, :) he is lethargic at the moment, and he kept his coat a bit longer this last spring, apart from that, nothing. Never had lami, no suborbital pads, no polydipsia/uria, no sweating, no obvious infections, no muscle loss. Vet hasn't suggested treating him yet, just carry on as normal until the second test.
Sorry you lost your boy so fast h-i-a, was he old? Mine is only 13 so still relatively young for cushings.
I guess if he comes back as +ive I'll at least have some treatment options, otherwise I suppose more tests will be needed. Got everything crossed that he's -ive and the lethargy is just a virus or something else simple.
 
You can get excellent advice from the Yahoo group.
http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rc...WbBY6RCBj6AElRl8Q&sig2=wWvD3roarkllv2kfhgzm3Q

You will get elevation at this time of year.

All of us owners of Cushing's horses are quite stressed at the moment :o

I have heard of horses who tested negative for Cushing's via the lab tests but still had tumours upon necropsy. I would be more attentive to his symptoms than the lab tests on that basis.

I have a friend who has struggled with her horse for years and the owner is convinced it has Cushing's. It's tested negative and the vet is refusing to prescribe medication......the owner is desperate.

If there is no mention of treatment - then you may want to consider using diet and agnus castus to control his current symptoms for the season. But you will get better advice from the Yahoo group.
 
Thanks Oberon, have joined the ECIR group and been messing about on there so only just saw your post. Have had horse on No Moody No supplement, which is a tincture of Vitex agnus-castus, since the summer, haven't noticed any improvements though.:( Do you know anything about IR? Am thinking of asking the vet to test for this when he comes out to re-test ACTH. Horse has been on a very restriced diet since last feb and has lost 45kg, has a bit to go but is still losing slowly. He has been on the fast fibre, linseed, magox, Cu and Zn plus soaked hay and restricted grazing diet all summer, but he's just been turned out with the others this last week onto 3 acres of well-grazed, unimproved, old pasture. Thanks.
 
We've just had a borderline test result on our 23 year old pony. She came in at 32, and they say 29 is normal.

She is extremely active, apparently has had lami in the past (not in at least the last 10 years) but we are at a good yard for anything laminatic, she has a wavy coat (but this has been recorded in passport since new, which is years old).

We got her tested as it was offered free. What would those with cushings sufferers suggest for her?

Just awaiting a callback from the vet to discuss, but always nice to get feedback from those that are dealing with it themselves.
 
You would expect to have a higher result at this time of year due to the seasonal rise in ACTH.

http://www.thelaminitissite.org/s.html

http://www.ecirhorse.com/index.php?...sease&format=pdf&option=com_content&Itemid=38

Obviously let the vet guide you but if he doesn't suggest treating with Prascend at this point - then you may get get good results with Agnus Castus for a while.

http://www.cotsherb.co.uk/botanical-herbs/herb-powders/agnus-castus-powder/prod_30.html

Otherwise it's a case of keeping the diet as sugar free and balanced as possible :).

I sneer at your measly 32 :D Mine was at 172 last test :eek:.
 
My horse came down with lami last Christmas. She tested borderline for Cushings and EMS. I decided to treat with prescend as I hoped it would guard against further laminitis attacks. However, even though she has remained within normal levels with the prascend, she has had two further bouts of laminitis. I am now treating her with metformin and there has been a big difference. She is currently sound and her fat pads are going.
 
my 14yo tested negative at 11 (normal 29) I was convinced he had cushings and decided to go by physical symptoms, the main ones he had were lethargy and muscle less. Treated with prascend (for a trial) and after 5 weeks he is a different horse. Muscles improving all the time and far from being lethargic I am now looking to have the brakes relined. :D:D:D

The difference for him has been amazing. I'm not sure how accurate the test results are for some of the borderline ones and I am now working purely on the symptoms and how he feels.

For him I don't think vitex agnus castus has been effective, he needed prascend.
 
paddy555 said:
my 14yo tested negative at 11 (normal 29) I was convinced he had cushings and decided to go by physical symptoms, the main ones he had were lethargy and muscle less. Treated with prascend (for a trial) and after 5 weeks he is a different horse. Muscles improving all the time and far from being lethargic I am now looking to have the brakes relined. :D:D:D

The difference for him has been amazing. I'm not sure how accurate the test results are for some of the borderline ones and I am now working purely on the symptoms and how he feels.

For him I don't think vitex agnus castus has been effective, he needed prascend.
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A friend had a horse that consistently tested negative although showed very typical Cushing's symptoms and seasonal laminitis. The vets refused to px Prascend on the basis of the tests :(.

The owner was desperate and spoke to someone from a lab who said that despite many horses testing negative - they are still finding tumours upon necropsy.

Just goes to show that we should treat the horse and not the test results :).
 
Oberon said:
A friend had a horse that consistently tested negative although showed very typical Cushing's symptoms and seasonal laminitis. The vets refused to px Prascend on the basis of the tests :(.

The owner was desperate and spoke to someone from a lab who said that despite many horses testing negative - they are still finding tumours upon necropsy.

Just goes to show that we should treat the horse and not the test results :).
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absolutely and totally agree with you. I don't know why vets won't px prascend for a trial until the testing becomes more reliable..
I am very lucky with my vet but I feel so sorry for those with difficult vets.
 
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