could it be cushings?? -also in NL

[clairefeekerry1]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

i have a very old pony, she'll be 31 next year. she now has a very very thick coat, its not curly as such just very long and thick, all over. i've had her so long its difficult to tell when it got so long and thick but think its been this autumn/winter. she's also extremly itchy at the moment, this has developed recently. as soon as you touch her she pulls that itch face and she's pulled some of her coat out scratching it on things. she doesnt have lice or mites and gen seems her normal self. she's rugged according to weather and i'm loathed to clip her as she's so old. she's not carrying a huge amount of weight but never really has. she's eating adlib haylage and a vetern diet. she seems to have sweaty patches in the morning, but there not in the obvious places so not sure if she's a bit sweaty or whether she's lying down and got wet. seems to be on her underside of belly and flanks, but i thought she hadn't lied down for years in the stable due to her stiffness so i'm really not sure if she's sweating or not. could she have cushings???? should i get the vet- she seems fine in herself.

 

[Angelbones]

It could be Cushings but you'll only know for sure if you get your vet to blood test for it. Hope it isn't, but if it is then the drugs they give can certainly help a lot.

My little chap had a thick though not too curly coat, sweat patches around his stifles and armpits, was a bit bloated, but more worryingly he had severe sudden onset laminitis. His blood tests were through the roof, but having just retested him he is back down to normal levels and is now sound and happy again.

Good luck

 

[Luci07]

Having recently entered the world of cushings - best get a blood test so it can be managed. Cushings does seem to offer a lot of symptoms as well, including laminitis so bear that in mind.

 

[gunnergundog]

If it is Cushings, I would clip your horse. I have a 26 year old lawn mower and he is clipped every year; it makes him a lot easier to manage in that I can rug him according to the weather and know that he is not going to lose condition due to sweating when we get a bit of winter sun. Also, it makes the detection of any parasitic nasties like lice much easier.,.....and, it takes next to no time for the coat to grow back!

Also, we went through a phase of front foot abcesses that seem to go hand in hand with cushings/laminitis; however, these seem to have been eradicated by having front shoes back on.

 

[tuppence's fortune]

does your horse have:

patchy sweating and a matted smelling coat?
poor wound healing or is prone to infection?
has had laminitis more than usual or has started getting when never had it before?
abnormal fat distribution?
bulging fat pads over his eyes?
lethargic?
pot bellied/sway abacked
or drinking more/ weeing more than normal?


all these are signs of cushings

if his coat is the only sign then clipping out is best option
if he is drinking excessive ext starts then i would ring vet to start a treatment plan. several drugs are available but the best at present is probably pergolide. with effective dose the hair will shed almost normally . and it may prolong life by 2-3 years but must be used continuously for best results.

i hope that has helped a little xx