Cause of Cushings

[emc1]

Our pony has been diagnosed with Cushings - see thread Laminitus help needed please!

I dont know what has caused Cushings in our normally fit, healthy and slim 8yr old pony - i just cant get my head round where i have gone wrong. Can anyone shed any light?

 

[Gingernags]

Its nothing you've done, there is no way you can blame yourself. If the pony has cushings that makes them (usually) have lammi attacks, not the other way round.

It is usually found in older ponies have to say I've not come across one as young as yours with it. *dredges memory* I think if I remember right it is a growth on their pituitary gland and you can get tablets to give daily to control it.

Your vet really hasn't told you much then has he/she? Given that we were all saying cushings without even seeing the pony and the vet took ages to decide!

You can get a prescription off the vet for the tablets, and they can be cheaper from a pharmacy than from the vets themselves.

 

[Gingernags]

drugs bit here

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1392674/an/0/page/1#1392674

and a cushings post here...

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1148355/an/0/page/6#1148355

 

[Tia]

As CT says, you haven't done anything wrong. It is just one of those unfortunate things that can happen.

 

[sojeph]

http://www.laminitis.org/cushings.html

 

[sunnylynn]

I'm really interested in this post cause my daughters little pony has recently had some tests for cushings, well, I say that, the vet done a Glucose & insulin test, his Glucose was normal & his insulin was high. The reason for me doing this test was that someone came on the yard a couple of weeks ago and said that Hippo looked like he may have cushings, he is laminitis prone, he does have filled eyes (above the eyes), and he does have a long coat (but then he is part shettie??), Hippo is only 9 and my vet thought that ot was unlikely that Hippo had cushings.
Anyway, the vet said that there is a test that they can do for cushings but I would need to take him to the surgery and they are a little worried at doing it at the mo cause as he is laminitis prone, they would rather leave it till he isnt on such rich grass (he had slight toe pain when vet came down, so worried about laminitis), apparently they have to use steriods when doing the test??. The other problem that I have is that these further tests are going to be around £150 to do, even if they prove that Hippo does have cushings, I dont think it would change anything that I do with him (he only plods about anyway)
I'm not really sure where to go from here

 

[brighteyes]

I got fed up of having tests and investigations on my pony and asked the vet if there was any reason NOT to just put our pony on pergolide, for Cushing's, anyway. She is of the age for it and has enough of the symptoms to justify trying.

£200 on top of the drugs was ridiculous, I thought, and the vet seemed perfectly happy to just prescribe.

I think it will depend on the age and history of your pony.

Do look back over the last couple of veterinary pages - there are lots of posts about Cushing's and pergolide.

 

[JackieJATaylor]

The test where they inject steroids is the 'gold standard test', called a Dex suppression test, but it does carry a risk of causing laminitis so I would not use it on any horse I suspected of having Cushing's! But there is another, an endogenous ACTH test which is one simple blood pull, no risk to the horse - it just requires special handling by the vet, keeping on ice and freezing within an hour or so. That costs about £50.00, and is not guaranteed to be positive (none of these tests are 100% reliable) but I suspect it will be by the time you have coat changes.

Some vets will prescribe without testing, but 9 is young for Cushing's, though young horses are getting it more and more, so I would imagine they would really like some positive test result.

It is always worth treating Cushing's even if just to prevent laminitis alone, and way cheaper than vets fees.

Jackie

 

[SirenaXVI]

Oh I am sorry to read that emc1, but you simply cannot blame yourself for this, there is absolutely NOTHING you have done that has caused this, there is nothing you could have done to prevent it either. I was always of the opinion that it was a disease of the old horse, but this is not so - a friend of mine had a six year old with it so you are not alone, it is unusual but it does happen.

Once again - so sorry