Cushings and mild laminitis

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Silverfire

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My 20 yr old horse started prascend nearly 6 weeks ago. He had the cushings test at end March after losing weight and not regainning it despite having lots of feed. The result came back at 91.4 but because he had no other signs of cushings he wasn't treated for it at that point. He has never had laminitis in his life. During April and May he started growing a really thick coat and still wasn't gaining weight. So almost 6 weeks ago he started prascend, one tablet a day. He went a bit quiet on it first two weeks but then seemed to pick up and had a couple of days where he had a bit of a run about his field, he does not have grass his turnout patch is bare. Then in the third week he went a bit quiet and wasn't doing anything other than walking slowly with short strides, bit footy on uneven ground and sore turning. He was re-tested at four weeks and his ACTH has come down a bit to 57, because of the mild laminitis he has gone up to one and a half tablets a day. He has been on this just over a week now. I soaked his haylage and changed his feed but it has made no difference. The haylage he is on now is quite coarse and was a late cut so doesn't have much feed value anyway. He is still slow/ bit sore on his feet if i put him out. He moves around fine in his stable. His feed at the moment is unmollased beetpulp, micronised linseed and Alfa a oil. I was feeding Dengie Senior hi fi but stopped the hifi because it has grass and mollasses in it. What can i do to help with the mild laminitis? He can't afford to lose any more weight. Has anyone elses horse got laminitis for the first time after starting prascend? How long was it before it went?
 
What does your vet say? It sounds like the cushings isn't properly under control.

if the cushings is controlled by the prascend, then the horse should not be a higher risk for laminitis.

Was your horse box rested at all with the lami or had xrays?

You could try feeding NAF Dtox, or cushionaze as a herbal support alongside the prascend, I always fed mag ox too.
 
Thanks for your reply. He has only been on the higher dose of prascend for just over a week, increased because of the lami and because ACTH was still high at 57. He lives mostly in his stable anyway. I've only been putting him out every third day for up to an hour. No x-rays, hes not that lame and has never had lami until this started 3 weeks ago.
 
Hi sorry to hear this as i think you've been very unlucky. my horse, also, didn't have many signs of cushings but I had noticed he was drinking more and I thought he wasn't quite himself. He'd not had laminitis. When tested he was in the high 70's but my vet recommended prascend to protect him against the dreaded lami. He's on 1.5 tabs a day and seems very well, drinking normally, weight OK and as bright a a button for a 25 year old! Controlling the cushings should have helped your horse avoid lami but seems your wasn't controlled. I'm quite surprised that your vet didn't suggest prascend with a test in the 90's but then I don't know your horse or his history. I'm sure he'll be OK as the lami isn't too bad but getting the cushings controlled will help. I don't think prascend is a contributory factor in the lami but you need to ask your vet.
 
He lives mostly in his stable anyway. I've only been putting him out every third day for up to an hour.
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Don't forget that stress can cause laminitis. I think that it would be kinder to his mental health if he spent less time in his stable (all weather turnout patch or out in the yard with a hayfeeder?) and does he get to spend time loose with other horses?
 
Thanks for your replies.
amandap i have tried to get on the ecirhorse site before but can't get on it on this computer, i will have a look at the other link though. I am on the look out for some hay but new season hay seems to be the only stuff i can get at the moment and i think that would be worse than the haylage which is last years still.
He is normally out for about an hour everyday but because of the lami i've only been putting him out every third day and i'm not sure if i should be putting him out at all.
Good to hear yours is doing okay at 25 oldie48.
 
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