Borderline cushings? What do i need to look out for

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nikkirip

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I'll try and keep this short: after a number of odd lamenesses starting from January and most recently digital pulses in all four feet, my 10 year old Dartmoor gelding has come back with a cushings test result of 28.1 against a normal range of below 29. I think this puts him at risk later on in life of the condition developing but the vets have just suggested to re-test if any symptoms develop.

He gas had xrays off feet which show no signs of laminitis and vets still maintain this recent lameness is not lami. I must add this is s very experienced vet before that question is raised. I'm doubtful. The more I think about it the more likely I think it is.

Anyway what should I be watching for and what really is cushings and the effects?
Is there anything I can do to prevent the onset?
Just as an aside could my pony get lami from eating the barley straw in his bed? I've out him on shavings now anyway but just wondering.

Thanks in advance.
Nikkk
 
I would call any inflammation and sensitivity in all 4 feet laminitis, it may be very low grade so as to not cause any separation but I would still treat it as if it was, which it sounds like you are.
Has the vet tested for insulin resistance as well because that is also a possibility.

Cushings symptoms vary, my old boy has never had laminitis he has a thicker than normal coat but always gets a true summer coat, he was diagnosed aged 31 due to sudden weight loss, he drank excessively and wee'd almost continually for a week or so, dropped all his topline and was very rapidly going downhill, pergolide has worked well and he has bounced back.

Another I knew was diagnosed much younger, about 10, welsh sec a he was again not a laminitic but lacked energy, had a rough coat and his immune system seemed poor, he was turned round and after a couple of years weaned off pergolide and continued to do well having a very active PC life.

I would treat yours as if he is laminitic, soak all hay, low sugar, high fibre etc, plenty of exercise once he is sound but careful to not overdo the work on hard ground, a good farrier can really help, mine likes them without shoes having very regular trims every 3-4 weeks to keep the toes back and in good balance.
 
Laminitis was the first sign that my 17 year old mare had Cushings. However, in retrospect, she had developed a bit of a cresty neck and strange fat pads on her quarters, despite being a bit ribby. She is now on prascend to regulate the Cushings but occasionally comes in with pulses and so needs her grazing restricted. This year she has only just started to shed her winter coat, but had no problems last year so the onset was quite sudden, I think.
 
You sound like you're doing the right thing being cautious. As for barley straw, a lot of people mix it with hay and feed it to good-doers, The only worry with them eating their bed is them getting bunged up, which is exactly what one of mine did on boxrest :( Plus shavings are more supportive of the feet.

I would strongly recommend (if u haven't already), starting him on magnesium oxide. If u look on ebay, there are a few different ones (Progressive Earth are fab)

Here's a random link on the importance of it http://www.equinews.com/article/importance-magnesium-horse-diets

A lot of people up the dosage a bit when the spring grass is coming through. You can't overdose them on it - if their poos get sloppy, that's their way of ridding of the excess, so u know to reduce.

Brewers yeast is also good. Or even better (but a lot more expensive) is Happy Tummy charcoal.

Do u soak his hay? And what is his turnout regime?

You only need to start worrying about Cushings if he gets lami despite restricted grazing, his weeing and drinking increases, he becomes depressed and/or lethargic, etc.
In the mean time, just treat him as a laminitic. Have u heard of chasteberry to treat Cushings? Just a natural herb that u could start him on if you're worried. Have a Google of it and see what u think.

Good luck though :)
 
Did your vet also test for IR/EMS?

My vet suspected Cushings in my boy and started him on Pergolide whilst waiting for the bloods to come back - he tested negative for Cushings but positive for EMS - the symptoms can be very similar and sometimes they can have both :eek:

If he has IR/EMS you can manage with diet and excersise, but you can also get Metformin which is comparitively cheap and easy to feed - iused to crush mine up and soak in speedi beet. This is normally a short-term measure to get them back to normal and then diet and management keeps them that way :D
 
I just had the test done for Cushings and the separate one for EMS. The vet did them both at the same time and said they needed to test for both, so if you haven't had the EMS test done then you ought to do that too.
My horse had what we thought was very early onset lami but after 3 weeks of treatment still has an occasional digital pulse which varies throughout the day! SO we are waiting for test results before deciding what to do next.
 
Thanks all,

Yes vet has tested for EMS/IR and it was well within the normal range. It was in fact the second one as I have heard you can have a false negative and so I asked to run test again to be sure.

In terms of symptoms if I think hard enough he probably has the lot. No fatty deposits/pads but I struggle to keep his weight down. However, he is on good grazing. 2 years ago on rough hilly grazing he was fine. When he is rested either for injury or just for rest he drops muscle really quickly but he does build it up really quickly. No bulgy eyes. He did have a tape worm infestation in October and no other horse on yard did have it. But my yard does not have IMO a good worming programme - only worms for tape once a year - and I had not kept an eye on it till too late.

So now he has been a bit footy. Both vet and farrier do not think it is lami. But I'm not convinced. Pony working lovely on the lunge and very sound on the soft.

I'm probably over reacting!

He is currently out for 6 hours a day with a green guard on on a bald paddock. He gets 6lbs of soaked hay a day.

He was getting alfa a, top spec comprehensive, Equine America Glucosamine and MSM and garlic.

He is, as of today (gradually) going to be getting Hi Fi Lite, merely a handful to mix, Blue Chip lami lite, and the same supplements.

Not advserse to supplements so the ones suggested I will research and try.

Can I feed magnesium oxide on top of lami lite which also has magnesium in?

Oh and his coat looks a bit thick and long in summer and he's like a wooly mammoth in the winter if left unrugged but he's a Dartmoor and wasn't rugged till he was clipped in November.

Help!

Thanks all
 
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