Cushings and rolling

splashgirl45

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i didnt have trouble with her not eating at the beginning but after a couple of years when she was on a higher dose she suddenly decided not to eat anything other than grass. i changed her hay a few times and eventually found one she would eat if i added a little haylage(know haylage is not a good idea) as she was wasting away and i was close to calling it a day. i then contacted a few feed companies and got samples and found some that she would eat and never had another problem with feeding... i have a theory that the tablets may change their taste buds as she had always been a foodie and she had been on the same feed for years and to suddenly not eat it was really weird. she was on speedibeet,formula4feet and hi fi light, she ended up on fast fibre,lo cal balancer and baileys light chaff, similar feeds in content but obviously didnt taste the same. she also was then ok without the haylage added...what was the liquid paraffin for?
 

AdorableAlice

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I slice a chunk of carrot in half, scoop out a hole each half, and then i alternate with different tasty fillings into which I push the pill. Apple sauce, a spot of treacle etc. At the moment the hole is filled with soaked veteran and vitality.

Just putting the pill into a hollowed out carrot did not work for my horse, he managed to much the carrot and spit the pill at me ! he is huge and just one pill has kept him happy and healthy for a good while. I have found it is far easier to clip him out and then regulate his temperature myself. Doing this he stopped having skin issues, I use 50g, 100 and rarely 200g under rugs with a shires or amigo rainsheet on top. Rarely use a neck, but I do use a silk vest to prevent his shoulders getting rubbed out. He has been retired for ages now but is happy and long may that last.
 

hellfire

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Turns out the liquid paraffin is for storing the cut tablet! Because the air apparently degrades them and hes only on 1/4 a day I need to keep the rest in the pot and fish them out with tweezers! He ate it today in a bit of apple then ate most of his feed but very slow and left a small handful. If he gets worse I'll try some feed samples. He's always loved his fast fiber so will try it without chaff first.
 

Mule

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I said I'd give an update to the thread. My mare has been on prascand for about 6 months. She was just tested again and was found negative for it so she's coming off the medication and we will retest in 6 months. Good news 😊
 

hellfire

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I said I'd give an update to the thread. My mare has been on prascand for about 6 months. She was just tested again and was found negative for it so she's coming off the medication and we will retest in 6 months. Good news 😊
That's bizarre she's now negative but great news. Let's hope the first test was wrong. What symptoms was she showing? I remember yoy saying about recent skin problems.
 

Tiddlypom

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I said I'd give an update to the thread. My mare has been on prascand for about 6 months. She was just tested again and was found negative for it so she's coming off the medication and we will retest in 6 months. Good news 😊
That's not how it works. It's good news that your mare's ACTH levels have fallen back into the normal range, but that is because of the effect of the Prascend. If you stop the Prascend, her levels will rise again and that is not good.
 

splashgirl45

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agree with tiddlepom, cushings is a progressive disease and wont go away , i am pleased for you but suggest you are very alert to any changes in her behaviour etc an if in doubt get her tested before the 6 months.. the tests are not always accurate so please dont relax....good luck
 

Mule

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That's bizarre she's now negative but great news. Let's hope the first test was wrong. What symptoms was she showing? I remember yoy saying about recent skin problems.
Her original test was borderline. The vet said sometimes the medication can work like this. I'll keep a close eye on her.
 

Mule

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That's not how it works. It's good news that your mare's ACTH levels have fallen back into the normal range, but that is because of the effect of the Prascend. If you stop the Prascend, her levels will rise again and that is not good.
I will contact the vet myself tomorrow to get more information. The mares co-owner was the one who spoke with the vet earlier today.
 

Mule

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I rang the vet today and got more information. He said the safest thing would be to keep her on the medication as that is what has reduced her levels.

He also said the most important thing is managing her weight and only having her on restricted grazing, irrespective of whether she's taking medication or not.

He said that as she's borderline we could try her without the medication and retest in two months (not six) and make a decision based on her levels then.

It was well worth me speaking to him myself because her co-owner was under the impression that the advice was to come off it, retest in six months and that the cushings had basically been cured.
 

splashgirl45

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good job you got the right info....i did keep my mare on the same turnout as she had been used to and kept her feeds low sugar. we all think differently, i decided to keep her as she was and if it shortened her life, so be it. i didnt want to keep her in or muzzle her as she was a bit of a stress head and felt that her quality of life was more important . i still kept an eye on her weight and she was being ridden until 6 months before she was PTS. she had 5 years of normal life and never had laminitis which was my dread... even on 4 prascend daily her levels were increasing and cushings was so advanced she would have ended up with laminitis.....if yours was only borderline you have a good chance of a long life as long as you keep an eye on her levels and dose accordingly. hope all goes well
 
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