Cushings experts - is this an early symptom?

Box_Of_Frogs

Box_Of_Frogs

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My veteran cob Sunny (aged somewhere between 25 and 28) has had a couple of episodes where over the course of about 2 hours he has started to sweat as heavily as if I'd turned a hosepipe on him. Had another episode today. He was in a h/weight, full neck rug as the whole gang are happily turned out all night, so I do understand that standing in his stable for a couple of hours with the rug still on would have made him hot, but I have never seen sweating at that level in a hot horse and none of the other horses were sweating at all. The text book symptoms say stress is very bad for Cushings horses and I suspect the heat may have stressed him and the early Cushings then exaggerated the sweating. He's got some other health problems too, not linked to Cushings, but the text books say a compromised immune system is another symptom. After taking his rug off, his coat looked very curly, though that could have been just sweat on a winter coat. Doesn't seem to have any of the other text book symptoms but I just wondered if this could be the start of Cushings.
 
Box of frogs
Ive had ponies and dogs with cushings and to be honest their "text book" symptoms were non existent!
Horse-seemed to keep winter coat for longer peroid than normal and even looked to have a winter coat during warmest months! but had no urine or excessive drinking until much later on.
He did appear to develop infections in his eyes and sniffles more often than before. Sweating episodes were few but definatly noticeable? He was living out 24/7 though as he was native.
But he had first symptoms at the age of 30 and was well and happy in his 35 year before a bad laminitis episode was reason for pts. But then the lami was thought to be there because of the cushings.:o
 
It could well be an early sign.

But its impossible to know for sure unless you have your vet perform a blood test to check his ACTH levels.

Good luck with your boy :)

Sadiemay
 
I had a horse with cushings and symptoms were: thick heavy coat all year round, more prone to infection due to supressed immune system, drinking/weeing loads,mild laminitis, lethargic at times (which was made better by clipping all year round). It was so obvious in my horse that ACTH tests would have been pointless as Pergolide was not a suitable option.

Best of luck with your horse though.
 
Are you sure that the pony doesn't have any pain? Is he eating? My old horse (with Cushings) had an episode of sweating. I called out the vet immediately. Turned out he had tooth ache and subsequently had to have the tooth removed under local anaesthetic (had to stay at the vets for a few days to recover).
If he has pain there will probably be a raised heart rate.
 
Thanks all. I think I'll have the blood test done as I would know where we stand then. Next spring could be his Waterloo because of his shockingly severe pollen allergy so I need to understand everything about his health. Z - yes, he eats at an Olympic standard lol and, though fully retired now, is still as happy as Larry mooching about the yard, chilling with the gang, hunting for unattended feed bowls or feed bags (little bugger!). Dentist out Friday to do all 4 of mine. Don't think it's pain - just seemed to be an abnormal, over-exaggerated response to being too hot. But the more I think about it the more I think it was a stress response to being too hot. He was the same again today even though he'd been in a standard neck medium weight rug all night. In desperation, I've put him in a lightweight rug tonight but it worries me, an elderly horse out in just a spring rug and temperatures due to drop below freezing. Thanks again - vets out next week for 2nd flu/tet for new ned so will have bloods taken for Cushings test.
 
BOF, could well be a symtom, Cushingoids have trouble thermoregulating, which in my experience was why my pony had a curly coat: long winter coat which was regularly damp through intermittent sweating. She was much better clipped out and then rugged with a cooler underneath her main rugs. Fingers crossed it's not Cushings though :)
 
Glad to hear that you are having the ACTH checked - hope he has not got Cushings. My Shetland with EMS has problems thermoregulating when brought in (if I have to bring him in). It is not sweat but condensation (confirmed by vet) - too warm on the inside and too cold outside. It does settle down after a while but he is wet through. This could be the case for a horse kept out but heavily rugged.
 
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