Chaste Berry for Cushings - Can anyone advise?

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The Trigster

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My 28 year old gelding has been on Prascend for about 4 months, but have not seen the significant new lease of life that was expected. I have heard that the herbal remedy has had good results, Can anyone give me some advice on what it is, how it is fed, dosage and where to buy please?
His coat is not shedding, despite the Prascend and I want to give him the best chance I can...thanks!
 
Has he had his prascend dosage checked? It could be that it needs upping.

As for chastetree berry/Agnus Castus, then it is available from Natural Horse Supplies quite reasonably. It has the dosage listed on the bag and is a powder that you can add to a bit of speedibeet or chaff.
 
My vet ran another set of bloods after my pony had been on his meds for around a month, this way his meds could be adjusted up or down as required. Luckily for me his bloods came back and required no adjustment, maybe your vet needs to re-run his bloods and adjust his meds.
 
Hi, About 18 months ago, I bought a supplement for my mares hormones, but it said on the label that it is also for Cushings Disease. It was called Hormonise. The main ingredient is Chaste Berry. I got it off the net tho as they dont sell it in the feed shops.
 
I used Rosehips (had pedal bone rotation), devils claw and vitex 4 equids and formula 4 feet. He did pick up for a little while. The vitex was (in my opinion) excellent.
 
I used chaste berry and rosehips for my shetland with cushings and laminitis. I get them in powder form from Feedmark online.

I can honestly say that I didn't rate it to begin with but stuck with it and after a couple of months the little man really turned around. I had to clip off his curly coat before summer, but he was so so lame and depressed. Nothing else was altered, Prascend stayed the same etc, so the only things that were new were the chaste berry and rosehips, and suddenly he had more energy, wasn't lame, wasn't even footy, and his mood really picked up. He has now been apparently sound for several months and is hoolying around like a nutter. I really do swear by them. I can't explain it, but they seems to have helped so I'm a convert!

ps currently he is not eating the chaste berry, it smells quite strong and must taste funny, but I'm trying mixing it with other stuff to tempt him. Had some success the other day by adding some sunflower seeds.
 
This is an extract of a research document which is posted on the ECIR Yahoo Group

Discussion
Our study showed that Vitex agnus castus Extract,
the commercially available form of Vitex agnus castus,
did not have a beneficial effect in horses with
pituitary pars intermedia hyperplasia (Equine
Cushing’s Syndrome); clinical signs sometimes
worsened, plasma ACTH concentrations decreased
in only 1 of 12 horses, and the dexamethasone suppression
test remained abnormal in the horses
tested. In contrast, with the exception of one horse,
pergolide had a beneficial effect, although individual
horses often required dosages above what many
practitioners customarily use. Whether higher
doses of Vitex agnus castus would have an effect is
speculative. Also, as with many herbal or plant
medicinals, standardization of the active ingredients
can be difficult; environmental conditions and
ripeness of fruits can affect their chemical composition.
Proprietary concerns of the manufacturer
and lack of tests to measure the essential oils, biologic
activity, or bioavailability hinder conclusions
about Vitex agnus castus itself. In vitro studies on
effects of pure Vitex agnus castus extracts on equine
pituitary cells would demonstrate whether hormone
secretion is affected. Until there is more information,
the authors do not advise using Vitex agnus
castus for treating Equine Cushing’s Syndrome.
 
Thank you to all who posted a response. Not sure if I still know what to do!! I think that it has highlighted that, before I change anything, that I need to have his levels checked (which the vet did not even say I should do!) I would hate to think that I wasn't doing my very best for the dear boy. So thank you, If I am completely honest, finance was playing a part, if the cheaper alternative would do the same trick, then why not, but at the end of the day he has givem us soooo much, he deserves whatever it takes. So, another vet bill, here we come, but he is worth every penny.

Interesting to note though the conflicting opinions on medication vs herbal. I guess we are all different and some will react differently to others.

Once again, thank you. Have noted all, just incase the Prascend is not for him.
Regards
The Trigster
 
The Trigster said:
Thank you to all who posted a response. Not sure if I still know what to do!! I think that it has highlighted that, before I change anything, that I need to have his levels checked (which the vet did not even say I should do!) I would hate to think that I wasn't doing my very best for the dear boy. So thank you, If I am completely honest, finance was playing a part, if the cheaper alternative would do the same trick, then why not, but at the end of the day he has givem us soooo much, he deserves whatever it takes. So, another vet bill, here we come, but he is worth every penny.

Interesting to note though the conflicting opinions on medication vs herbal. I guess we are all different and some will react differently to others.

Once again, thank you. Have noted all, just incase the Prascend is not for him.
Regards
The Trigster
Click to expand...

You can also get Chaste Berry or Vitex Agnus Castus in pill form from a Homoeopathic supplier... we have just had a mare 19 years old diagnosed with Cushings and are going to start her on this to begin with as the Pergolide costs about a £1 a day and that soon adds up.... she has only got the curly coat at the moment and appears to be in very good health, so we are going to try the Homoeopathic Chasteberry....

good luck
 
My vet also didn't explain you needed to check bloods! The first we realised that the dosage was too low was when our mare suddenly went down with lami last Christmas. We now have her checked Oct/Nov time to ensure prascend is working at the right level.

I think vets sometime assume we know more than we do!
 
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