Cushings - all clear?

Luci07

Luci07

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This is ongoing so anyone with a view/experiences please do share.

So old mare has come home and had been diagonised with early cushings by my loaner, mare is on periglide. Had a host of other problems, age related as well.

However, my vet has just taken blood tests - to see why she keeps coming down with every virus on the yard and also to check the (ACH?) levels as she is on a very high level of peroglide. Levels are normal and he can't find anything that would lead him to think the mare has cushings.

The mare has moved around a bit whilst on loan so her vet history is potted but I am in the process of retrieving this for my vet.

Mare has made a full recovery from her virus (and then the lymphangitis following from that), has had back done and full shoes put back on. Can't do her teeth atm as she saw off my dentist, so will need to be sedated - nearer next months paycheck now though as am expecting a massive vets bill this time round! Suffice to say she is turning her nose up at my careful "back to work" routine and 7 weeks in is full of beans and attitude so obviously feeling well.

So while this is a work in progress is it possible for Cushings to be misdiagonised? or simply that her regime means that that all signs are repressed because she is on the peroglide. She is staying on her current drug routine while my vet works out what is going on.
 
If when she was initially diagnosed her ACTH levels were higher than they should be then I think its safe to say she has Cushings.

My horse was diagnosed in the beginning of this year and was re tested after a month of being on Pergolide. Her ACTH level was then within normal range. I also had her retested a month ago and her levels were again within normal range. This is a sign that the pergolide is doing its job at its current dosage and I suspect this is the case with your horse too.

A lowered immune system is one of the symptoms of Cushings so maybe this is why she has picked up viruses?

Sadiemay
 
As previous poster has stated, it's possible that the improvements you are seeing are down to the medication. Cushings is a degenerative disease and some horses stay relatively fit and healthy for a number of years. We have a 27 year old who was diagnosed earlier this year who is still running around like a 3 year old, without any medication!
 
My pony has Cushings, she is on Pergolide and has regular blood tests to check ACTH levels. They are currently within normal levels but that is because the pergolide is working, I imagine if I stopped it they would rise . What other problems did your mare have to make the loaners vet think of Cushings, or was it just the blood tests?
 
Thank you very much for the replies. In my mare's case it was also muscle wastage but to be fair, since having the vet and back man see her she has been in work with no problems and her back has actually "come up" a lot for want of a better explanation. She seems to be muscling up normally. There is no heavy coat or excessive drinking either.

When I first got her years ago she caught everything going hence putting her onto Propel which did the trick. She has certainly perked up - it does seem to agree with her and doesn't send her OTT (which it did to some other horses who I tried it on!)

I will work back with the vet - he is a horse specialist but he was surprised with the blood results so thought I would ask.
 
brighteyes said:
The meds are working. Be grateful! :-)
Click to expand...


hmm obviously, but it is interesting that my vet wants to investigate further and that is why I was asking the question. Quite frankly at the moment I am over the moon with how well my mare is looking and going as I thought she was going to be fully retired stable ornament.
 
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