Cushings help please....

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Patterdale

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Hello all

Well have had the bloods back on my horse.....Cushings and insulin resistance :(

He's only 15 and such a lovely boy. I feel so sorry for him.

My only experience of Cushings is with my first pony, 15 years ago. They gave Cyproheptadine then, and she lasted nearly 2 years before the drugs finished her off :(
They've prescribed Peroglide for this one, is that less aggressive?

What are everyones experiences of Cushings? And what can I do to make it easier for him?

Thanks in advance! :)

Ps - I usually hang out in NL and SB.....so hello! :)
 
Pergolide(Prascend) is the wonder drug as far as our pony is concerned. It's kept her going for six years now. I have no knowledge of cyproheptadine, but it doesn't sound very nice! I don't think Pergolide will finish a pony off, I think the cushings just gradually gets to a point where it has no effect despite increasing the dosage.

PM me if I can help
 
My 22 year old was diagnosed last October and has been on 250mcg of Pergolide ever since. A lot of ponies go through the 'pergolide veil', which my pony did but it only last 3 or 4 days and then he brightened up but he lost his appetite and just stood in the field looking miserable at first. Back to his cheeky, naughty self now though :D

Vets have to prescribe Prascend now however I got my vet to give me Pergolide as my pony currently only needs the smallest dose possible and Prascend smallest dose is 1mg (I think.)

I asked my vet about the extent at which you can increase the dosage to and his very blunt answer was 'once you get to 4+ tablets your fighting a losing battle.' I know a lot of people will argue with this as in America they give much higher doses with some horses on 10 a day:eek: but management can also become harder as it progresses.
 
Hi patterdale,

Feel free to PM me at any time if you want to talk/need some support.

When ours was diagnosed with Cushings 2 years ago after repeated bouts of lami and slight rotated pedal bones I felt like it was the end of the world I was absolutely devastated. The way the vet spoke about it was like a death sentence.

However....2 years later, 1mg a day (1 little pink tablet) and she's got her spirit, fire and va-va-voom back!!!! She's lost the depression and the dull coat and the pot belly, she's lost her hair too (very unusual apparently) and has got her shiny coat back and her shape including slight weight loss which she looks better for :) I swear by Prascend from this experience :)
K x
 
mine was diagnosed in aug 11 and have had to gradually increase the dose of prascend to 2 1/2 daily , she seems absolutely fine and is her usual cheeky self. she is 21 and i have made the decision to let her live as she was before diagnosis , so out 24/7 in summer and in at night in winter. yes there is a risk of laminitis and yes she is too fat but i want her quality of life to be good for the time she has left as no one knows how quickly cushings progresses and i see no point in keeping her off the grass just so i have her for a bit longer.....

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this is her very recently, as you can see she is fat!!!
 
My 28 yr old veteran was diagnosed a year ago, with ACTH level of 200! He's now on 2.5mg Pergolide daily and he's back to his old self. To help your boy, I'd try to keep to a routine as much as possible. Also, take care with rugging because Cushings horses often have difficulty controlling their body temperature. You may have to clip your horse out in the spring if he struggles to shed his coat. Watch his weight, not just for laminitis but also for weight loss. Keep his feet in tip top condition. Be aware that the ACTH count varies from spring to autumn. And remember that Pergolide doesn't cure Cushings, it just controls the symptoms but the damage to the pituitary gland continues. Good luck x
 
have a great vet and farrier and listen to them- i did. have not got a good story of Cushings - my mare was 7yrs old. But soounds like yours is going to be a positive outcome. Thoughts are with you.
 
Without checking back I'm not sure how long our pony has been on pergolide/prascend, but its at least 6 years. The dose has had to be gradually increased to keep on top of the symptoms, she is now on 2.5 tablets a day, and she is only 11.2 :eek: She is no longer ridden as she was hopelessly outgrown years ago, but is very bright and happy at the moment. She has had many lami attacks, but never too severe, and she is treated as a laminitic i.e. on restricted grazing and kept slim.

ETS Just checked my receipts and its just over 7 years since she was first diagnosed.
 
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My 19 yo retired has been on Prascend for a year and it has been a wonder drug for us. He is out much of the time and over Winter out 24/7 - quality of life is all important at his stage and he is really happy.

The Prascend also brought his appertite back to normal and he is a much more chilled person.

Good luck, Prascend can really work for many horses and makes their management easier as well.
 
My retired 24 yo TB was diagnosed PPID three years ago now and I followed the advice of the EC/IR yahoo group and gradually increased his pergolide dose in order to get his ACTH down to (seasonally adjusted) normal levels, so he is on 5mg atm:eek: They say if you keep the ACTH at normal level, this removes the threat of laminitis. I increase it to 6 or 6.5mg during late autumn when the levels rise and peak in late December and reduce again by late spring. I have him tested around March and September to check I he's still covered.
He is fine and content as a field ornament, only visible sign is his pot belly.
It's not the beginning of the end for most nowadays provided it is controlled, you can carry on with a useful life for many many years.
Insulin Resistance is controlled by low sugar/starch diet and exercise.

You can get loads of info here and I would recommend joining EC/IR group, there's a link to it on the site. http://www.ecirhorse.com/
Good luck
 
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