Cushings horse gone downhill very fast, what to do? Feeling very sad :(

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Not really sure what I'm expecting people to say but here goes!

Horse has dropped weight and condition very quickly and not sure what to do :(

Horse in question is - 17yo TB, diagnosed Cushings last spring/summer after a laminitis attack.
He usually lives out 24/7 on fertisiled reseeded grass with a big bale of haylage in winter, and in on bad nights. Since the Cushings and lami however, he's been on crap grass and in at night so I can give him adlib hay.
He used to be fed barley and sugar beet with blue chip, but he's now being fed speedi beet, Alfa-a oil and baileys lo-cal balancer, 3x daily.

He is supposed to have 1 Pergolide a day but I can't get him to take it - and believe me I've tried EVERYTHING :(

Over the last 8 weeks or so he's gone very downhill. He's lost weight and seems sad. He's still eating his feeds but leaves a lot of his hay. I've moved him into a cattle pen where he has a big bale of hay in a feeder so he can pick the bits he likes (it's all good hay though) but he still doesn't seem to eat much :(

What do I do??? He looks terrible. I'm not riding him as I don't think he's up to it, he's gone so poor looking.

He's been wormed correctly, teeth are ok etc. I'm going to call the vet to take some bloods tomorrow.

I'm so worried about him. It's like he's aged 10 years in2 months.

Can Cushings make them go downhill so fast? Or any other ideas?

Thanks for reading if you got this far.
 
Sorry I can't help but hugs to you sounds like a very upsetting time for both of you. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable can help with some ideas x
 
I think it probably can if he's not getting the medication. I know you said you've tried everything, but I'll ask anyway, have you tried dissolving the tablet in a small amount of water/juice and syringing it down him?

We were lucky with our lad that he'll eat anything if its shoved in a bit of carrot!
 
He needs his pergolide, as I know you know. Have you tried buying spearmint and putting the tablet in a plastic bag, crush to a powder and sprinkle in his feed with ample spearment. I have the fussiest mare I have ever known and she will eat it this way. Also, have you tried adding micronized linseed to his feeds?
 
I've tried
Stuck in carrot
Stuck in apple
Stuck in polo hole
Dissolved into a variety of juices and mixed into sugar beet
In a lump of icing sugar
Mixed into feed whole

He hates having a wormer so although I'm sure I could get it into him with a syringe, I then wouldn't catch him for the next week :(

Any more ideas gratefully received!
 
If it helps, I dissolve the tablet into a small amount of water, and then use this as part of the water to make up a small amount of veteran vitality, and (touch wood) I've not have any problems with this.

Once this small meal is eaten, she then gets the rest of her feed.
 
Jam sandwich:D

Also have you tried keeping the tablets in the freezer so they don't taste so bitter and/or smell so much?
 
I put our mares' pergolide in the hole of 2 sugar-free polos. She can be quite fussy too, but always takes it like this. If not, the syringing method sounds worth a shot. Without it, then yes, Cushings can make them go downhill fast. I really hope you can find a way to help him cheer up soon. Good luck & let us know x
 
Another thing (and you'll possibly find this with the baby too, later) be very certain that you're not sending off "I'm really stressed about whether you're going to eat this" vibes. Sounds daft, can make all the difference though.
 
I really sympathise as I have one exactly the same as yours. We tried everything to get her to take Prascend, even dissolving in water and syringing which in the end just made her miserable and impossible to catch. I've worked with several Cushing's horses and for some it really is a miracle drug but a minority of horses just do not get on with it. All you can do is manage the symtoms as best you can. For me, the thing that has really helped to put condition on is Alfabeet. It is safe lammies, palatable and as a fibre-based feed can be fed in relatively large amounts.
 
Dissolved in water and mixed with a small amount of molasses and mixed in a small amount of something he finds tasty? I know this is far from ideal but if it gets his meds in to him in the short term it may be the lesser of two evils? Once he starts feeling better and his appetite picks up it may well be easier to get him to take it? I have a friend who does this with her PPID pony and he has had no detectable problems :)
 
I have two with cushings and know how hard it can be getting prascend into my gelding. The meds themselves can make the horses go off food and the depression can be quite bad for a while. I try everything to get me gelding to eat his meds, currently I am hiding into a ball of icing sugar this seems to be working for now.
I would definatley have a chat with your vet, it maybe a case of just re-adjusting what types of feed he needs and your vet is the best along with feed companies to advise on that. I thought I had cracked my lads feed untill I discovered it was birds and rabbits finishing his discarded buckets, I could not work out why he was still losing weight. I fed in the paddock, but now leave them at the back of his open stable door and can see what he has eaten and not eaten.
Its a nightmare trying to get condition on a cushings horses safely due to lami, everything I tried that was safe for lami horses my lad totally rejected. Luckily mine will eat his hay, but any type of lami feeds are ignored in his buckets. I decided to just go with my gut and fed more fattening feeds but less than the recommended levels, and decided to just take a chance, has it was geting close to him looking like a wellfair case. He has put weight back on and with the icing sugar working a treat to hide his tablets he is now through the depression and is eaten a more normal diet for his cushings, but will still go through short periods of ignoring the buckets. I hope you can also find an happy outcome for your horse good luck x
 
Aw hunny. Huge to you.

How about:

A dollop of mollases (small enough to not cause a problem);

Ground up and a small amount per handful of something he really likes.

I wish you luck. Grey Mare won't take Bute no matter what we do with it. Thank wotsit for Danilon! Is there an alternative to Pergolide?
 
If all that doesn't work, my vet swears by tinned custard, either for syringing or for licking off your hand. He says it makes them start to like the syringe and has the effect of smothering the smell and texture of meds they don't like.
 
Custard!? :D

Thanks so much for all the replies, I'm going to try them all and keep you updated.
I've got custard in the cupboard so ill try that tonight, and ill go get some molasses tomorrow.
He's starting to look like a welfare case too under his rug, it really is worrying, and such a change from how he's always been.
And thanks for the pm holiday horse but I'm on the phone and can't reply, sorry! :)
 
marmite

that stuff can hide the taste of anything................give it a try it works well, i squirt a bit in the feed or make a sandwich

try without the drug first
 
Veteran Vitality is great for safe weight gain, Its all my cushing horse would eat. I also swore by NAF Cushinaze to help with depression. On the meds front I found dissolving a couple of extra strong mints with the pills and pouring over feed works well, Also remember not to use boiling water as I was told by vet it can 'damage' the medication?
 
I use yogurt. The tablet soon dissolves in it and I syringe in. I, like you, thought I would not get near my pony after doing this a few days but she likes it now. Get a big syringe so you don't lose it!
 
Wagtail said:
If all that doesn't work, my vet swears by tinned custard, either for syringing or for licking off your hand. He says it makes them start to like the syringe and has the effect of smothering the smell and texture of meds they don't like.
Click to expand...
We used to give bute to our arthritic awkward socks in a syringe with either custard powder or drinking chocolate.
 
My pony was one of those that did not do well on Paracend, it put her off her food, gave her the worst diaherea I have ever seen and she was just misrableand very thin.
I discided blow the laminitis and just let her eat what she fancies and if she got lammi so be it thinking she would have to be put down in the summer.
Well shes still here looks blooming and is naughty, we are living a day at a time and if I was you I would blow the diet and just make him happy if its only for a short time.
 
After trying everything to get bute into our horse, the only thing that would work was a tomato ketchup sandwich. We searched the Internet high and low looking for suggestions and we were beginning to lose hope, like you. It certainly worth trying the tomato sauce, you never know, it could be the saving grace for you too :-)
 
My pony has been on Prascend in the past, and we've tried everything to get it down him.
He's very adept at dissecting apples, carrots, polos, sandwiches etc. Tried apple juice, syringes etc. Only method for me was to lob it to the back of him mouth and hold his head up till it desolved... Easier with a small pony obviously.
He's been off the Prascend for over 6 months as he lives at my parents, and my mum is convinced he's better off it than on (gets depressed)
Between the vet, myself and my mum, we've agreed to restart him on a low dose at the end of February, and see how he goes. My boy is supplemented with Fibrebeet, which adds more condition than speedibeet.
OP, I'd get your horses liver checked, as that can cause weight loss. Spring is round the corner, so hopefully you horsy will pick up soon
 
Does he have company or is he on his own, i find horses on their own eat less, and lets face it, they are herd animals. Obviously also get him o tke the pergolide tabs too.
 
Hi, I had a similar problem with my cushings horse not taking Peroglide.

On advice, I then started to use Fenugreek in his feed - it is a very strong smelling spice that they seem to love.

Crush the tablet (you can do that while it is in its packet) and add to a feed. I use unmolassed chaff, micronised linseed and something else for a bit of interest.

Mix really well, dampen and feed.

(NB. I now buy Crushed Aniseed, Mind and Fenugreek in quantities on line and change regularly)
 
You could also try cinnamon? Or a black treacle sandwich? Or a handful of top spec?

We give our cushings pony a slice of apple without his pile, followed by a slice of apple with his pill, followed by another slice without - it is absolutely the highlight of his day and he is FURIOUS if he is late coming in and his little treat is delayed.

He also seems to be doing really well on Pure Easy although he went through an anorexic phase when he first strated on his meds
 
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