Cushings and laminitis

[AWBrooke]

Hi Everyone
Just popping in to say hello, I've been a horse owner for about 15 years now, got my 1st and only horse when I turned 40 as a birthday present to myself.... She had taught me so much and although I feel she has been and always will be a bit too much horse for me I've perceived. I think I've been quite lucky as apart from sarcoids when she was 4 which were removed and never returned she has never had an injury or illness or had to see the vet apart from vaccinations... however last week she went big time and had now been diagnosed with cushing's and slight laminitis.... She had just started on Prascend and bute.... any advice on managing this as never experience anything before. ..
Thanks for any input....

 

[Highmileagecob]

My experience of Cushings wasn't a happy one, but there are lots of helpful people on here who have kept Cushings at bay.

 

[splashgirl45]

Once you get her levels stabilised you can keep her almost as a normal horse and just be careful about feeding.. I fed low calorie chaff plus fast fibre, don’t have feeds with molasses or extra sugar , my mare loved carrots so I put the tablet in a carrot as she would not touch her feed with it in. So I let her have 1 carrot a day , mine was ridden 6 days a week during the summer and a bit less in the winter depending on the weather..

 

[Orangehorse]

You don't say how old your horse is. Some manage to do very well with Cushings and continue to have a ridden career, once you can get the blood levels stable, although it means being on medication for the rest of their life. You don't say how old your horse is. I continued to ride my old boy after he was diagnosed with Cushings and he took his medicine OK - I had to hide it in a carrot.

If yours had recovered OK from the laminitis and the vet says to ride again, that is good and obviously exercise is good.

However, I have had two and it was the autumn laminitis (plus other old age related ailments) that ultimately led to their demise.

With the first pony it was my first experience of Cushings and the vet went into quite a detailed explanation of the causes and the progress of the disease. The laminitis is symptom of the whole body illness, it isn't a result of over feeding, as it is the pituitary gland that is affected and leads to the symptoms that we see.

Hopefully you will be able to enjoy your horse for a few years to come.

 

[AWBrooke]

You don't say how old your horse is. Some manage to do very well with Cushings and continue to have a ridden career, once you can get the blood levels stable, although it means being on medication for the rest of their life. You don't say how old your horse is. I continued to ride my old boy after he was diagnosed with Cushings and he took his medicine OK - I had to hide it in a carrot.

If yours had recovered OK from the laminitis and the vet says to ride again, that is good and obviously exercise is good.

However, I have had two and it was the autumn laminitis (plus other old age related ailments) that ultimately led to their demise.

With the first pony it was my first experience of Cushings and the vet went into quite a detailed explanation of the causes and the progress of the disease. The laminitis is symptom of the whole body illness, it isn't a result of over feeding, as it is the pituitary gland that is affected and leads to the symptoms that we see.

Hopefully you will be able to enjoy your horse for a few years to come.

Thanks for the replies...horse is 20, she has been in very good health ever since I got her so this is quite a shock. Started her meds yesterday using half a polo then tablet hidden in a bit of carrot, followed by the other half of the polo, I just have to wait and see how she gets on. Vet says the lameness re the laminitis is not too bad, and he would like to see her moving about by next week as staying on box rest can introduce other issues. Fingers crossed.

 

[meleeka]

Mine has been on Prascend for around 10 years now and lives a pretty normal life (she's 30). Your pony is more likely to get laminitis again now she's had it once, but when levels are controlled, she's no more likely to get it than any other pony. Mine lives out but grass is limited, which is always sensible with a native.

There is a FB group which is helpful which you might want to look at, but having PPID doesn't automatically mean bad news.

 

[Pinkvboots]

My Louis us 19 his been on half a tablet of prascend for about 2 years he was only borderline cushings, his never had laminitis and basically lives out I still ride him I'm just careful with weight and grass.

I think once the levels drop with the prascend the laminitis can be managed sounds like you caught it early so recovery time should be quicker.

 

[Gloi]

Mine was on half a tablet of Prascend for several years and kept him well. PTS at 30 due to dental issues , not the Cushings.

 

[AWBrooke]

Thanks for all your feedback...general consensus is once the drugs kick in and levels are back to normal things should be fine as long as feed is carefully monitored.

 

[paddy555]

Thanks for the replies...horse is 20, she has been in very good health ever since I got her so this is quite a shock. Started her meds yesterday using half a polo then tablet hidden in a bit of carrot, followed by the other half of the polo, I just have to wait and see how she gets on. Vet says the lameness re the laminitis is not too bad, and he would like to see her moving about by next week as staying on box rest can introduce other issues. Fingers crossed.

I would be cautious is you are giving a full dose of 1 tablet from the start.
Whilst vets do say just give one tablet a day and get on with it many people find it easier to increase the dose very gradually.

For example my first cushings horse I knew nothing and did as the vet said ie one tablet a day, no slow introduction. That certainly caused fireworks with the horse. Took 3 months before he settled down. Bad mistake.

I learnt from that and when one of my current horses was diagnosed with cushings I gave him 1/4 a day for a week then we moved into 1/4 am and 1/4 pm (ie half a tablet a day) It took him a good 10 days before he settled into that dose and he will stay on that 1/2 given twice daily for at least another week possibly two.

there is a good FB cushings group with lots of good advice. ie equine PPID (cushings)

 

[meleeka]

I would be cautious is you are giving a full dose of 1 tablet from the start.
Whilst vets do say just give one tablet a day and get on with it many people find it easier to increase the dose very gradually.

For example my first cushings horse I knew nothing and did as the vet said ie one tablet a day, no slow introduction. That certainly caused fireworks with the horse. Took 3 months before he settled down. Bad mistake.

I learnt from that and when one of my current horses was diagnosed with cushings I gave him 1/4 a day for a week then we moved into 1/4 am and 1/4 pm (ie half a tablet a day) It took him a good 10 days before he settled into that dose and he will stay on that 1/2 given twice daily for at least another week possibly two.

there is a good FB cushings group with lots of good advice. ie equine PPID (cushings)

It's generally accepted that where laminitis is present, the full dose is given from the off and the side effects dealt with later.