Cushings diagnosis

R

rugrat

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thehorseloader.co.uk
Our 13.2hh half welsh mare that was diagnosed with EMS in the summer has now had another blood test which shows possible cushings as the acth(?) level is raised. This pony suffers autumnal laminitis, touch wood not this year though. She drinks about 3 times as much as other ponies her size and is mostly lethargic when ridden, she used to be fairly speedy. What are readers experiences of the treatment drugs available, eg cost and effectiveness. I would like to avoid her getting laminitis, which at the moment we use restriction to manage, and would like her to be happier and energetic when ridden so that she can carry on being a pony club/competition pony. Any advice gratefully received.
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Unfortunately, laminitis and lethargy are part of the range Cushings symptoms as is the increased drinking and weeing, the pot belly, ravanous appetite and the long curly coat. There is a drug called Pergolide which may help. Your vet will be able to advise you on the best treatment and diet.

Your pony is lucky you want to help her.
 
Another vote for pergolide. I don't know what it costs, my boss pays, but its kept our two would-be-knackered driving ponies on the road and they're in their late teens.
 
Yet another vote for Pergolide ... my horse 3 years on is doing just fine ... he got his first bout of Laminitis in the Autumn, which is a classic sign where Cushings is concerned
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My Pergolide was just over £100 for 200 1mg tablets ... he is on 1.5mg a day ... not good at maths at this time of night, so will leave you to work out the costs
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Elliep on here can get it much cheaper, I believe, so it may be worth PM'ing her if you have it prescribed, as a Private prescription can be used anywhere.

Good Luck ... PM me if you want any moral support
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Thanks guys, seems peroglide the way to go, not cheap but if it does the job and makes her more comfortable/happy and able to continue working then it is worth it. Have any of your cushing horses not got the hairy problem. Willow doesn't have the classic coat problem but has most of the other symptoms.
 
Angel Eaglestone, how heavy is your horse, Willow is about 350kg. She on loan to us and want to discuss the cost of peroglide with the owner. Wondering if she will be on same dose as your horse or less.
 
My Icelandic was diagnosed with Cushings 3 years ago after 2 consecutive years of laminitis in the winter. Since being on Pergolide (1mg per day) he has not had laminitis and has an excellent quality of life, however he is no longer ridden and lives as stress-free a life as possible. Your vet can write a presciption for Pergolide and then you can have it filled at a chemist. It costs about 70p a day for my chap - a small price to pay.
 
Hi - I have used pergolide for just over 4 years. In our case he had come down with an attack of laminitis and it was either pts or try pergolide. I seem to remember my vet saying at the time that there were no real clear guidelines as to dosage. It was just a case of finding what made the horse comfortable. This may well have now changed. He had a phased introduction to the drug gradually increasing it over a few weeks. He was then maintained on it for a while and then we slowly reduced it. There was some concern as the drug effect is not instant and can take a few weeks to have an effect. It was agreed with the vet at the outset that we try the drug for 6 weeks but if the horse deteriorated then he would be pts. My horse is a 16.3 hh irish hunk and would weigh well over 620kg. His current dose is 1mg a day. I think this is quite a low dose for his size. I have read of some horses/ ponies being on 5mg a day. Dosage may also need to be varied through the year. You may like to have a look at the metabolic horse site on Yahoo and also the Laminitis Clinic site. There is masses of useful diet and management advice on there. There is also a herbal remedy called Vitex which is recommended. My monthly batch of x30 1 mg pergolide tablets currently cost around £12 from a local chemist. My vet would charge me around £30. I used to get a free prescription from the vets but they have just started to charge £10 for issuing prescriptions. Hope this helps. Good luck with the pony.
 
Im really sorry to hear that.

Cushings medication can vary so much with dosage its really not worth comparing anecdoctes because some horses are maintained on such a small amount and some ponies have a high dose... its trial and error but the aim is to find the lowest dose the horse needs.

When discussing pergolide for my mare I agreed with my vet to try the Vitex first as its being trialled by Robert Eustace at the Laminitis Clinic. I never really got to find out if it worked:(

What test did you use to get a diagnosis of cushings? Just out of interest....
 
I've personally known two elderly ponies who took pergolide. They were similar in size and breeding. The mare needed far more and the owner had to increase the dose regularly. The gelding is on a fraction of this and is doing pretty well at age 36 (treated for at least the last 4 years). I believe generic pergolide is now available which costs far less than a branded product - wish it was the case with my horse's medication!!
 
It was EllieP
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who pointed me in the direction of affordable pergolide and I pay just shy of £40 for 100 x 1mg tablets. My 12 hander is on about one and a half per day and began, three years ago, on half a tablet a day. It has meant she has three extra years of good quality life, and we have enjoyed a very special member of our family for longer than we would have thanks to EllieP and pergolide
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[ QUOTE ]
Angel Eaglestone, how heavy is your horse, Willow is about 350kg. She on loan to us and want to discuss the cost of peroglide with the owner. Wondering if she will be on same dose as your horse or less.

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As others have said, it does depend on the horse and not necessarily their weight. I think Motor's dose is fairly high, but my Vet has not suggested reducing it and as he is doing ok on it, I am loathe to change it.

I know I should know Mots weight but I have gone blank at the moment. But he is a 14.3 Welsh D x Hackney and is of a light build.

3 years on and he is as bright as a button, although I have had some panicky times, when he has seemed less whizzy ... Riding out atm has been fun, as he has been full of himself
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He gets very hairy and resembles a Hereford cow if left unclipped. When he first went down with Cushings his coat became very curly, however after the first year, the coat is now back to normal and it shiny albeit very thick.

As Brighteyes/Brightinsel said, it does take a while to take effect and therefore you have to be patient and not expect an instant improvment.

Everyone one who has responded have been so helpful to you and me, so I hope this helps
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Best wishes and << hugs >>

I will add some pics of him as he was then and now .........

Motor 1st May 2006 ... before his clip and 7 months after being diagnosed ... looking dreadful ...

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Motor 1st May 2006 ... after his clip and 7 months after being diagnosed ... looking lovely ... notice no shoes then, but is is fully shod, with NB shoes now again ....

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Motor 4th August 2008 .. not wanting Mum to take a photo ... notice the wood chip paddock in the background, which is his 'home' most of the time ... he is allowed very little access to grass ...

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Pergolide, defo the way to go, been doing my research project on it for my vet med degree!
All vets I have spoken to provide it but a number say to refer people to chemists (human chemists) as it can be much cheaper!
pergolide can induce anorexia and diarrhoea at first, but that can be stopped by adjusting the dose, or whatever your vet feels is necessary.
If you want to help treat your pony and get energy back and reduce the chance of lami this is defo the way to go!
the dosage will depend on the disease in your pony! there is no textbook dosage per age/weight/anything really, its a trial and error thing, then the disease progresses and you have to start again! (fun!)

however as angel eaglestone etc have stated there is a BIG plus to using pergolide in that it will allow a much happier and (probably) longer life for your pony!

GOOD LUCK! pm is you have any other questions or just want a bit of a supportive chat or hug!
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