Cushings. Any help?

N

NewfieldLivery

New User
Joined
6 December 2012
Messages
5
Visit site
Hi guys. I'm new to this forum. But could really do with some help/advice or maybe success stories?

My competition horse, Apollo, recently became a bit lethargic and just "not himself" I've had him for over five years so I know him inside out

I had my vet and she took some bloods etc and a few days later they came back... Positive for cushings disease :(
I was pretty gutted and have been doing a lot of research etc. I caught it in the very very early stages & Apollo has begun on some tablets, prascend, he has one a day.
No changes as of yet but it's only been 2 weeks!
Just desperate to know if anyone has been able to keep there competition horses performing with cushings? He is my 1.30 horse and team mate for over 5 years and i really want him to be able to continue what he does best.
I have great insurance and vets so he will get the best care and medicine etc available!

Hope there is some succes stories I can read and maybe we can have one last season together!

Thanks :)
 
its not the end of the world although i was pretty depressed when my mare was diagnosed..she is 21 and just a hacking horse now and seems fine. i think it took about 6 weeks to get her back to normal so 2 weeks is still quite early. i dont think the actual performiing is a problem once they are stablised BUT i am pretty sure prascend is a drug that is prohibited in affiliated dressage, not sure about jumping.. seems very unfair to me as the drug is not performance enhancing and is only putting the horse's system back to normal...good luck ...
 
It's such a shame as he is only 12, 13 next.
He has no other symptoms bar being a bit lethargic.. Lucky I am totally OCD & caught so quickly.
My vet seemed to think I could still compete on prascend. But will ask again!
Hope I can :(
It is unfair if not though
Thanks for the help :)
 
I would presume prascend would be treated the same as pergolide because pergolide is banned under FEI rules, as reported by H&H

http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/news/397/312439.html

Absolutely ridiculous.

My pony is on pergolide and is retired but I would be mighty angry if he were a competition pony. Not sure if they made any changes to allowing ponies compete under vet permission. On a brighter note, my boy picked up after a week or two. First few days he was miserable and just stood staring into space in the middle of the field. Appetite vanished but he quickly picked up again:)
 
It is such a shame about the Pergolide/Prascend issue with the FEI, a lot of people are very upset at how their horses are happy and fit, yet are unable to compete. Not sure on the SJ rule either, but I have a suspicion it is banned across the board.

1 tablet a day is a low dose so don't worry, though I would recommend getting a retest after 6-8 weeks. It is annoying, it is costly, however to make sure the dose is enough (unless you see super great results after 4 weeks) getting the bloods retested is the only way to know if it is enough of a dose or if you need to take it up. I moved my veteran up to 1.5 tablets a few months ago, and he is due a retest in Feb due to his advanced age (which I suspect he may need another raise to 2).

The main part is keep him happy and active. If he doesn't compete at his level any more - I know it will be heartbreaking, but enjoy him while he is still with you (I apologise if that seems too gloomy right now!) Keeping him with an active mind will help him feel 'happy' (in the equine sense) and a horse suffering such an illness or disease will be a better one with keeping a roughly normal life to what they enjoy doing. Just keep an eye out for symptoms, like you've mentioned lethargy. My boy's first symptom was lethargy - he has normal weight (now) and water intake, but the naps were the giveaway sign.

Otherwise, just smile and be happy, he's a lucky lad to have you. :)
 
Last edited:
That ruling is so unfair. I had no idea. My mare used to compete at advanced medium level dressage and I am just bringing her back into work after 3 years off due to a shoulder injury. During that three years she was diagnosed with cushings and is on one prascend a day. OP, she is back to her old lively self. In fact she tried to buck me off the other day in a tantrum when her friend left the arena and I didn't allow her to follow. Something she hasn't done since she was competition fit. I was hoping to get her fit enough to resume her dressage career, all be it at a lower level. But now I find it will not be possible. :(
 
Our pony was diagnosed with Cushings 5 years ago, she didn't show any of the usual signs, lethargy, curly coat, excessive wee-ing etc. She suddenly went down with lami in the middle of winter. She was depressed then, but whether it was from the pain of lami or the cushings we're not sure. She was started on Pergolide/Prascend and within 2-3 weeks she had returned to her usual cheeky self. It took a 2-3 months before I could ride again because of recovering from the lami, but she was back to her normal riding then. I was told that lami. was the final stages, but she's still here after 5 years and still going strong at 23!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top