Cushings disappearing?

[Nudibranch]

This is a weird one, pony was diagnosed with Cushings a couple of years ago, classic symptoms with ridiculously long coat, laminitis, puffy eyes, pot belly and so on. For various reasons we didn't use pergolide, although the plan was to start it this spring.

Anyway, over the last couple of months she started to lose the fatty deposits, and now she has begun moulting like a normal pony. The coat underneath is soft and shiny, and last night she was galloping about, bucking and rearing like a filly. She actually looks about 10 years younger, apart from the grey hairs!

Now this is fantastic news, but a bit wierd. Anybody seen anything like it?

 

[ladyt25]

Don't know anything about cushings (is it immune deficiency related, I am never quite sure what causes it) but maybe she was mis-diagnosed or maybe her body is just coping? I would just be happy for her and enjoy the fact she seems happier and healthier.

 

[shell1978]

My horse got diagnosed with the early symptoms of Cushings in January, with the same symptons as your pony.
I didnt want to go down the pergolide route, as I wanted to try a more natural way of keeping it under control, so I tried Casteberries. And its worked wonders! The first thing I noticed was the hollows above her eyes came back (they where really puffy!) And she moulted really early too!

So that sounds great news for you!!!!

 

[JessPickle]

We have had one like that at my yard, suddenly he has a proper summer coat and everything! allthough alongside this has developed a skin rash that is completely unrelated grr horses!

 

[ickelshadow]

Shadow was diagnosed with cushings 2 and a bit years ago, although all she ever showed was a longer than normal coat that kept growing (25/26 at the time). that was it, no wet bed, no fatty deposit, nothing. but her blood supression test showed she had it. i went on the pergolide route.

i had her tested in january to see if i needed to up the dosage (nothing had changed, just thought it might be a good thing to do), and she came back as a 'normal' horse. hoorah i thought!

so she was weaned off the pergolide and was fine for a few weeks and then she just seemed to get a bit dull. i put this down to the drugs keeping her like a 5 yo (look at the pictures, all whilst she was on the pills!) and i thought she was just getting on ito her 28 years. but i think it also stopped protecting her immune system, and unfortunately i lost her 2 weeks ago to a horrific infection that we couldnt control.

would recommend keeping horses on pergolide once you're on it, just from a preservation kind of thing!

but if you are coping without or on herbal, stick with it if it works. i had 400 pills at the time and gave the majority away to charity, almost wish i'd just kept her on it and maybe i wouldnt have lost her!