LadyRascasse
Well-Known Member
Can someone please tell me what are the symptoms of the disease? and what treatment/management involves
thank you
thank you
Cushings Disease
- Thread starter LadyRascasse
- Start date
JessPickle
Well-Known Member
Weight Loss and the curly coat is known as common symptoms, you need a vet really to diagnose. Feeding wise I have always been taught to feed a Cushings horse the same way you'd feed a laminetic, so low sugar. My old loan horse had cushings and with careful management did live a relatively long normal life.
joeanne
Well-Known Member
Curly coat that is difficult to shed (some ponies retain a thick coat all year round).
Drinking loads.....and what goes in.......
Cushing induced laminitus, just as you think everything is going ticketyboo you are reminded it can go wrong very quickly
Pergolide, treatment of choice for most vets, works bl**dy wonders! Highly recommend the stuff!
Drinking loads.....and what goes in.......
Cushing induced laminitus, just as you think everything is going ticketyboo you are reminded it can go wrong very quickly
Pergolide, treatment of choice for most vets, works bl**dy wonders! Highly recommend the stuff!
TS_
Well-Known Member
25 year old pony at my yard has cushings, amongst other things. He has a very curly coat that's pretty thick, he's also quite thin. As you look around his paddock there are little balls of grass where has hasn't been able to swallow it. He drinks a lot and there's always grass in his water.
LadyRascasse
Well-Known Member
Cuffey
Well-Known Member
Really useful Forum--discusses blood tests supplements etc
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/TheMetabolicHorse/
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/TheMetabolicHorse/
Cuffey
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
25 year old pony at my yard has cushings, amongst other things. He has a very curly coat that's pretty thick, he's also quite thin. As you look around his paddock there are little balls of grass where has hasn't been able to swallow it. He drinks a lot and there's always grass in his water.
[/ QUOTE ]
Sounds like there is more going on than Cushings--teeth need attention
He needs low sugar diet--grass likely to be too high, but if pony is thin better nutrition is needed, veteran feeds suitable for a laminitic
Excess sugars when too little insulin is produced means pony(or human) crave fluid to dilute the glucose the cells cannot use
Excessive glucose then starts to build up in the bloodstream and the kidneys cannot filter the extra glucose
Blood tests needed and vet will probably recommend eg pergolide/metaformin to give pony a decent quality of life.
25 year old pony at my yard has cushings, amongst other things. He has a very curly coat that's pretty thick, he's also quite thin. As you look around his paddock there are little balls of grass where has hasn't been able to swallow it. He drinks a lot and there's always grass in his water.
[/ QUOTE ]
Sounds like there is more going on than Cushings--teeth need attention
He needs low sugar diet--grass likely to be too high, but if pony is thin better nutrition is needed, veteran feeds suitable for a laminitic
Excess sugars when too little insulin is produced means pony(or human) crave fluid to dilute the glucose the cells cannot use
Excessive glucose then starts to build up in the bloodstream and the kidneys cannot filter the extra glucose
Blood tests needed and vet will probably recommend eg pergolide/metaformin to give pony a decent quality of life.
TS_
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
25 year old pony at my yard has cushings, amongst other things. He has a very curly coat that's pretty thick, he's also quite thin. As you look around his paddock there are little balls of grass where has hasn't been able to swallow it. He drinks a lot and there's always grass in his water.
[/ QUOTE ]
Sounds like there is more going on than Cushings--teeth need attention
He needs low sugar diet--grass likely to be too high, but if pony is thin better nutrition is needed, veteran feeds suitable for a laminitic
Excess sugars when too little insulin is produced means pony(or human) crave fluid to dilute the glucose the cells cannot use
Excessive glucose then starts to build up in the bloodstream and the kidneys cannot filter the extra glucose
Blood tests needed and vet will probably recommend eg pergolide/metaformin to give pony a decent quality of life.
[/ QUOTE ]
He's not mine and he has a brilliant quality of life, i've never known such a cheeky naughty little pony. He's not that thin but he's an old chap and it's coming up to winter so is a little thinner than you'd like. However OP was asking about cushings so I was just giving an idea of what he's like as he has it. I also made sure I included the amongst other things as I know it's not his only problem.
ETA he's also on a special diet and hes multiple smaller feeds throughout the day to keep his gut moving.
[ QUOTE ]
25 year old pony at my yard has cushings, amongst other things. He has a very curly coat that's pretty thick, he's also quite thin. As you look around his paddock there are little balls of grass where has hasn't been able to swallow it. He drinks a lot and there's always grass in his water.
[/ QUOTE ]
Sounds like there is more going on than Cushings--teeth need attention
He needs low sugar diet--grass likely to be too high, but if pony is thin better nutrition is needed, veteran feeds suitable for a laminitic
Excess sugars when too little insulin is produced means pony(or human) crave fluid to dilute the glucose the cells cannot use
Excessive glucose then starts to build up in the bloodstream and the kidneys cannot filter the extra glucose
Blood tests needed and vet will probably recommend eg pergolide/metaformin to give pony a decent quality of life.
[/ QUOTE ]
He's not mine and he has a brilliant quality of life, i've never known such a cheeky naughty little pony. He's not that thin but he's an old chap and it's coming up to winter so is a little thinner than you'd like. However OP was asking about cushings so I was just giving an idea of what he's like as he has it. I also made sure I included the amongst other things as I know it's not his only problem.
ETA he's also on a special diet and hes multiple smaller feeds throughout the day to keep his gut moving.
Tiffany
Well-Known Member
My friend's 17yo horse was diagnosed last week. Symptons for him were patchy sweating, coat growing thick in summer and very quickly after clipping, he also tied up, his shape has changed and he went grumpy which is just not him.
When tested his results came back with a high count and vet recommended he go on medication but just carry on doing normal things with him unless he's noticeably showing signs that he's having an off day.
She rode him today and he seemed fine, full of beans and spooking at things - just the way he normally is
When tested his results came back with a high count and vet recommended he go on medication but just carry on doing normal things with him unless he's noticeably showing signs that he's having an off day.
She rode him today and he seemed fine, full of beans and spooking at things - just the way he normally is
Echo Bravo
Well-Known Member
had a mare with cushings, she was very itchy, long coat in summer and started with abcess in her feet.
Had her put down when she was 24 as feet and itchyness getting really bad and her enjoyment of life had gone down to zero.
Had her put down when she was 24 as feet and itchyness getting really bad and her enjoyment of life had gone down to zero.
Cuffey
Well-Known Member
[ QUOTE ]
had a mare with cushings, she was very itchy, long coat in summer and started with abcess in her feet.
Had her put down when she was 24 as feet and itchyness getting really bad and her enjoyment of life had gone down to zero.
[/ QUOTE ]
Skin conditions which dont heal and abscesses are side effects of the Cushings--but no two horses/ponies have exactly the same symptoms
had a mare with cushings, she was very itchy, long coat in summer and started with abcess in her feet.
Had her put down when she was 24 as feet and itchyness getting really bad and her enjoyment of life had gone down to zero.
[/ QUOTE ]
Skin conditions which dont heal and abscesses are side effects of the Cushings--but no two horses/ponies have exactly the same symptoms
MagicMelon
Well-Known Member
One of mine has just been diagnosed with it. He didn't show any signs (as far as I could see) other than very sore feet on hard ground. He has a thick coat but then he's a native and its no worse than its ever been. He's eeen on pergolide for about 2 weeks now but Im not noticing any improvement yet
Maybe Im getting ahead of myself though, vet said it could take months and may not even improve his sore feet.
TGM
Well-Known Member
Not all Cushings animals show the same range of symptoms - for example, not all have the typical curly coat, they may just be late shedding their coat in the Spring.
Some of the other symptoms include:
Tendency to laminitis, even when not overweight or on a high-risk diet.
Fat pads in the depression above the eye - these depressions usually get deeper with age, whereas in the Cushings animal the cavity actually fills up with fat.
Change of shape - loss of topline, and often developing a big belly.
Excessive drinking and urinating.
Increased susceptibility to infection - more frequent tooth infections and hoof abscesses.
Management includes changing diet to one suitable for laminitics and restriction of grass intake. Also clipping if the long coat becomes a problem. Careful attention to hooves and farriery.
The drug Pergolide helps reduce symptoms in a lot of horses.
Some of the other symptoms include:
Tendency to laminitis, even when not overweight or on a high-risk diet.
Fat pads in the depression above the eye - these depressions usually get deeper with age, whereas in the Cushings animal the cavity actually fills up with fat.
Change of shape - loss of topline, and often developing a big belly.
Excessive drinking and urinating.
Increased susceptibility to infection - more frequent tooth infections and hoof abscesses.
Management includes changing diet to one suitable for laminitics and restriction of grass intake. Also clipping if the long coat becomes a problem. Careful attention to hooves and farriery.
The drug Pergolide helps reduce symptoms in a lot of horses.
MurphysMinder
Well-Known Member
Our pony was diagnosed after blood tests, she showed quite a few symptoms.
Frequent lami bouts although kept on strict management regime, thick (but not curly) coat, pads of fat over her eyes and top of her tail, and frequent drinking and urinating.
She has been on pergolide for about 3 years now and it has certainly helped. She had one laminitis flare up this year, and has recently had a hoof abscess, but apart from that is doing really well (fingers crossed).
Frequent lami bouts although kept on strict management regime, thick (but not curly) coat, pads of fat over her eyes and top of her tail, and frequent drinking and urinating.
She has been on pergolide for about 3 years now and it has certainly helped. She had one laminitis flare up this year, and has recently had a hoof abscess, but apart from that is doing really well (fingers crossed).