Cushings gutted !!!

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racebuddy

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Morning , we have just tested my tb for cushings , quick history tb ex racer sufferes with colic , weight loss and muscle loss had extensive tests for investigations and nothing of major concern , has been doing very well in himself bar just struggles to maintain weight , I am gutted if he has cushings as I simply cannot afford the cost of meds and thinking will
Have to have him PTs 😢😢x
 
Obviously he does sound like he has a few issues going on but Cushings isn't the end of the world and there are other options instead of medication.

You don't say how old your horse is but my pony was diagnosed with Cushings this year (he's 27). His only signs were a bit of weight loss and his coat not shedding in the summer.

I chose to put him on Hormonise having read some information about alternative treatments. He is now 'normal' weight wise and we will have to wait and see to see if his coat goes back to anywhere near normal in the spring/summer. However, I do not know whether this on its own helped him as at the same time he had a session of acupuncture (due to some problems he seems to be having with his back/hind limbs) and I also changed his and my other horse's joint supplement. I don't know if all of these things have helped him!

There other people on here though who use various supplements to help their Cushings horses.

I chose the route I have as mine does not have any signs of lami and is otherwise very good for his age. I felt treatment at circa £3 a day was just too costly long term but, should he need it later then I may consider it.
 
Whoa, you haven't got the diagnosis yet. Maybe talk of PTS a bit premature?
If he is positive & needs meds then your insurance will cover you for a years worth of tablets & you should maybe reassess when nearing the end of the year depending on what his levels are and how much medication he needs.
 
If it IS positive and you need to have him on 1mg Prascend daily, it works out at less that £1 a day (so long as you find the cheapest source, at present it seems to be Vetmedics at £136 for 160 tablets). An extra £7 a week at most.
 
Don't panic! :) Wait until you have a diagnosis! Cushings isn't a death sentence and no need to PTS even if you can't afford Prascend. Their are plenty of other options.

As above, I've heard great things about Hormonise. I personally use Hilton Herbs Cush X for my mare who can't take Prascend and she is doing great! :)
 
Thanks for the replies , what are people using as a alternative to the pracend ?, and how much does that cost u on a weekly / monthly basis ?, I think
I am just panicking really as been through so much with this horse x
 
The hormonise costs about 40 quid for (I think) a litre? That should last me over a month. We were quoted £90/mth for the meds and, to be honest I figured mine is essentially retired, not really having any issues related to Cushings that were having a detrimental effect on him so I opted for a chaste berry herbal alternative. He appears less depressed if that's the right term - he's never been overly giddy though anyway. He is certainly looking better weight wise though so something's helping him!
I am not sure, if your horse is colic-prone that meds would be suitable anyway but take advice from your vet. As far as I saw it there was no harm trying a more natural remedy to start with.
 
My old horse had a very high reading (375). The only symptom she had was that she never shed her coat in summer, so i clipped her! I never bothered giving her meds for it as I didnt think there was any need. I worked for an equine vet and it seems that now every second horse has cushings! My friends horse was also diagnosed, was put on Prascend and her levels werent reducing so the meds were increased. She eventually, down to cost, decided to take her horse off the meds and has noticed no difference what so ever.
It is not the end of the world if your horse is diagnosed with cushings. I would start with a natural remedy to start with and if that doesnt help, then go down the Prascend route.. Good luck
 
Bills are an integral part of ownership through thick and thin. Putting a little perspective around costs my uninsured cushings dog costs me £160 per month to keep comfortable so £5+ per day.

Sadly he was given his forever sleep at 11:45 today but the prospect of imminent wealth isn’t making my heart sing at the moment.
 
Hilton Herbs Cush X works out at £1.10 a day, Prascend from Vetimed works out at 90p a tablet.

I've just had a recent diagnosis of one of my mares, take some time to think about options if you get the diagnosis. I was going to go down the herbal route having done some reading, did some more reading and saw some later studies on the herbs and talked to my vet again and have just got my Prascend prescription to buy 40 tablets at a time from Vetimed. Prescription's for 160 tablets but Vetimed let you call them off so you don't have to buy all the prescription in one go.
 
joelb said:
Sadly he was given his forever sleep at 11:45 today but the prospect of imminent wealth isn’t making my heart sing at the moment.
Click to expand...

Very sorry joelb - it's really hard to say goodbye to a dog who has been part of the family.

I would be wary of not treating - I had a beloved mare develop it a few years ago when treatment was not so widely available. I admit I kept her going too long - she was on the Vitex trial, but by the time I accepted she wasn't responding to it she had gone through hell. Sweating, drinking, peeing, soggy rugs and bed and occasional bouts of laminitis and abcesses. Even if you don't want to treat until symptoms show up, be ready to as soon as they do, it can deteriorate very fast.
 
joelb said:
Bills are an integral part of ownership through thick and thin. Putting a little perspective around costs my uninsured cushings dog costs me £160 per month to keep comfortable so £5+ per day.

Sadly he was given his forever sleep at 11:45 today but the prospect of imminent wealth isn’t making my heart sing at the moment.
Click to expand...

What a shame and I know what you mean. My horse's drugs bill was over £400 every month and now I don't have all the travelling etc I'm the best part of £1000 a month better off. And I'd give it all up to have her back :(
 
I know how you are feeling but panic not!

My Boy was tested positive last summer but fortunately with very low levels. I was plunged into a pit of despair but decided that he was/is worth every penny of £1 day for one Prascend tablet. I get three months supply at a time so only have to find £100-ish at a time and the excellent results make it so worthwhile.

I discussed his ongoing treatment with the Vet yesterday and will have him re-tested in the spring and re-assess.

Don't despair - there's lots of us out here in the same boat!

F
 
zandp said:
Hilton Herbs Cush X works out at £1.10 a day, Prascend from Vetimed works out at 90p a tablet.

I've just had a recent diagnosis of one of my mares, take some time to think about options if you get the diagnosis. I was going to go down the herbal route having done some reading, did some more reading and saw some later studies on the herbs and talked to my vet again and have just got my Prascend prescription to buy 40 tablets at a time from Vetimed. Prescription's for 160 tablets but Vetimed let you call them off so you don't have to buy all the prescription in one go.
Click to expand...

Not if you have a little pony...they don't need as much! Also, I get Cush X off Amazon using the Subscribe and Save feature so I usually get at least £2 off per tub. Also my vets charge £15 for a prescription so that REALLY bumps up the price.

But for me the point is that she didn't get on with Prascend at all. In all honesty, I get a bit fed up when people try and make me feel bad for not giving her Prascend. Their are alternatives and their is nothing wrong with trying other things. :)

Edited due to typo!
 
I have 2 ponies of prascend, one is on 1 pill a day and the other is going between 1/4 and a 1/2 (just recently diagnosed so we're trying to work out what works for her as 1/4 hasn't helped :( ). It is expensive but I think it costs us roughly £1.50 a day, I don't think that's too horrific considering they also eat 1/3 of a bale of hay a day right now which is about the same cost!
 
My mare was diagnosed 5 weeks ago, has 1 tablet a day and is now doing great. As others have said the cost fan be as Low as 90p if you do some savvy internet shopping which I plan to do soon so the cost shouldn't be too bad. You can do this too - I'm sure you'll be fine!
 
Cushings is not a death sentence. Herbal treatment works out the same as Prascend if not more. Personally having seen the difference Prascend makes I wouldn't be messing about with herbs unless levels are very low. I would also not withdraw treatment once an improvement is seen - Cushings isn't curable and symptoms will return.
 
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