Pearlsacarolsinger
Up in the clouds
When they are on the Prascend they can be treated pretty much like a normal horse, so you don't need to worry unduly about grass. I would very much limit sugary treats though.
Cushings: please help me
- Thread starter Keira 8888
- Start date
When they are on the Prascend they can be treated pretty much like a normal horse, so you don't need to worry unduly about grass. I would very much limit sugary treats though.
Red-1
I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
Wow, he looks wonderful. Such a gloss on his coat.
Keira 8888
Well-Known Member
Thanks so much - glad you are a fan of the clip!! How is your cushings horse if you don’t mind me asking? How old were they when you had the diagnosis? Xx
Keira 8888
Well-Known Member
Thanks Red-1!!!!!!
Keira 8888
Well-Known Member
what a good idea to give an MOT at certain age points. There must be so many undiagnosed cases everywhere!!
I am going to hide the pink tablet in a variety of cunning vessels so he doesn’t get wise to it - thanks for the advice! Might have to shoot it down his throat with a syringe if he refuses it, since he’s used to 30 days of gastro guard ??? Poor horse. Once he’s well I’m going to have to work hard on enrichment so all this stress he’s gone through is worth it! Feel a bit selfish sometimes putting him through all this. But then, 16 years is relatively young in the grand scheme of things, do you think? He canters and frolics in the field - and rolls over from one side to the other. I hope he will feel fantastic when the meds kick in xx
Keira 8888
Well-Known Member
What treats do you give if any? I’m terrible at having something to give him when I catch him and something when I turn him out. It’s normally a low sugar commercial treat or tiny piece of apple. I shouldn’t do it really, I’m just trying to buy his love ????
splashgirl45
Lurcher lover
mine was diagnosed at 20 but her levels rose very quickly until she was on 4 prascend a day, she was PTS at 25 as she had become a bit footy and vet thought low grade laminitis so i made the decision as i wasnt prepared to restrict her grazing and keep her in, she would have been very unhappy so i chose to let her go ...i think mine was unlucky as there was a pony at my yard who was only ever on 1 prascend a day and she was lost to colic when she was 35 and had been on cushings medication for over 10 years
Keira 8888
Well-Known Member
This is so sad ? How hard for you. But amazing that you chose to save her from a low quality of life, bet she is smiling down on you now from that giant hay field in the sky ??
splashgirl45
Lurcher lover
thanks keira8888, i really miss her ,had owned her for 15 years, but she deserved to have a good life and she went while at the yard munching on a big bowl of chopped carrots after having as much good grass as she could eat on that morning. its never easy but i have never regretted my decision...
Keira 8888
Well-Known Member
You are a great horse owner ??
doodle
Well-Known Member
I know one pony who gets a daily brown seeded loaf (he is particular about the bread!) jam sandwich and tablet goes down without noticing.
Keira 8888
Well-Known Member
I will keep this cunning trick behind my ear!!!!
Annagain
Well-Known Member
A marmite sandwich is also worth a try. I got tablets (not prascend) down my boy with a marmite sandwich.
JackFrost
Well-Known Member
He looks AMAZING ! You must be so proud of him.
Keira 8888
Well-Known Member
Thank you so much!!!!!! I am honestly so proud of him!!!!! He is the apple of my eye ? I’m desperately trying to track his previous owners down on various Facebook sites as I’m SURE one of his old owners must have loved him very much and wonder what became of him. It’s funny, because I know I should have bought a lovely patient cob for my first horse but having Prince has chucked me in at the deep end. And it’s been the best thing for me!!!! Happy Friday darling ?
Keira 8888
Well-Known Member
Luckily I have some marmite! Will try thus tomorrow! Thank you ?
skint1
Well-Known Member
Hey Keira, I haven't read the replies so sorry if I am repeating but I just wanted to offer you some hope and reassurance! My gelding (in profile pic) was lame as a lame thing no matter what I did for him. He didn't have many of the classic signs of Cushings but after trying to diagnose and treating him like a serious laminitic I was at my wits end and facing a very sad choice with him when my vet suggested testing him for Cushings. He had it and when given prascend (1 tablet, 1.5 in Spring) he was sound within a very short time. He has bloods done every 6 months but luckily it's not progressed beyond this dose. He was 18 when diagnosed, we went on to have 2 more happy, normal years together before he had to be retired due to his arthritis. He's 21 now and still with me, right now is extremely well. I am thinking of getting my vet out soon to reassess and see if maybe he might stand up to some very light hacking when the ground is right as he is being a right pestilence, full of beans 
Eta- in the spring and summer he comes in during the day when the grass sugar is high, and he stays in a pen at night during the peak springtime. He likes coming in of a daytime, I didn't think he would, but I guess his box is cool and no flies bothering him. I keep him on hay rather than use the yard haylage and he always had fibre based feeds with low sugar. As he's retired he only gets clipped in the spring/summer as he doesn't lose his coat as quickly as other horses, but he used to have same clip as your boy when he was ridden. He is an equine dustbin so he always just eats the tablet if I just throw it in his food but I think the marmite is a good suggestion!
Eta- in the spring and summer he comes in during the day when the grass sugar is high, and he stays in a pen at night during the peak springtime. He likes coming in of a daytime, I didn't think he would, but I guess his box is cool and no flies bothering him. I keep him on hay rather than use the yard haylage and he always had fibre based feeds with low sugar. As he's retired he only gets clipped in the spring/summer as he doesn't lose his coat as quickly as other horses, but he used to have same clip as your boy when he was ridden. He is an equine dustbin so he always just eats the tablet if I just throw it in his food but I think the marmite is a good suggestion!
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JackFrost
Well-Known Member
He looks a bit like the horse in the Lloyds bank advert. You don't suppose.....
Crazy_cat_lady
Well-Known Member
He's looking well! Have you started riding him? I know you had a few lovely hacks with him before you had that scary incident with him what did you decide to do in the end? You definitely come across as really loving and caring him He's very lucky he ended up with you!
Crazy_cat_lady
Well-Known Member
Mine has those big tubs of herby treats you can get for about 5 quid, he has 3 during the stages of catching and bringing in as he's tricky to catch so its important he has positive reinforcement when caught. He has half an apple and 1 carrot in am and pm food some may say that's too much but he's controlled on his prascend and he enjoys them.
I'm also naughty and give him a little likit every so often, they're his favourite treat so I'm not going to stop him having them every so often, obviously not every week! I only do the little ones though not the big ones you can get they're too much sugar and he just bit them in half straightaway when he had them!
It was a bit like when we had our kidney failure cat, she was put on the kidney food but she still had her dreamies on an evening, she was 15 and we weren't going to deprive her of all her favourite things
Winters100
Well-Known Member
He is a very lucky horse. Definitely landed on his hooves when he met you Kiera x
Keira 8888
Well-Known Member
Thank you so much ??? Well.... the short answer is no, I havent ridden him since the big rear but my daughter has in our sand school and he didn’t put a foot wrong. The day I was due to get on was when I noticed him being protective of his stomach and decided to get him scoped for ulcers. SO! Where I am now is... I have a saddle fitter coming out next Friday as I think his current saddle is too narrow. So (this could go so horribly wrong...) I am going to make my first magnificent mount then - so that she can see him move with me on him.
He still has lots of top line to build but I’m hoping she can recommend a nice adjustable saddle that will be suited to his high withers. I won’t lie, I am scared to get back on ? But I know I have to do it and I know him so much more now having done lots of ground work. Will give myself a big pep talk before I get on so he doesnt sense my nerves. May also glug back a mini bottle of wine too ??) We will do the fitting in the sand school. If he does rear with me again then I will send him to horsepital to get his back and legs xrayed as there will most certainly be some problem that I haven’t found yet! Wish me luck!! Better send my SS presents out next week just in case I encounter a grizzly fate ?????
PeterNatt
Well-Known Member
My horse was diagnosed at 15 with Cushings Disease and went on being ridden daily until she was 28. She was medicated on Pergolide and then Prascend (The same drug one licensed for humans the other horses).
Keira 8888
Well-Known Member
Ohhhh I love hearing stories like this! Thank you ?
Keira 8888
Well-Known Member
Thank you Winters ???
Keira 8888
Well-Known Member
This is really interesting - thanks so much for this. I think I will do the same with Prince come spring time as he gets very hot and really suffers with the flies.Hey Keira, I haven't read the replies so sorry if I am repeating but I just wanted to offer you some hope and reassurance! My gelding (in profile pic) was lame as a lame thing no matter what I did for him. He didn't have many of the classic signs of Cushings but after trying to diagnose and treating him like a serious laminitic I was at my wits end and facing a very sad choice with him when my vet suggested testing him for Cushings. He had it and when given prascend (1 tablet, 1.5 in Spring) he was sound within a very short time. He has bloods done every 6 months but luckily it's not progressed beyond this dose. He was 18 when diagnosed, we went on to have 2 more happy, normal years together before he had to be retired due to his arthritis. He's 21 now and still with me, right now is extremely well. I am thinking of getting my vet out soon to reassess and see if maybe he might stand up to some very light hacking when the ground is right as he is being a right pestilence, full of beans
Eta- in the spring and summer he comes in during the day when the grass sugar is high, and he stays in a pen at night during the peak springtime. He likes coming in of a daytime, I didn't think he would, but I guess his box is cool and no flies bothering him. I keep him on hay rather than use the yard haylage and he always had fibre based feeds with low sugar. As he's retired he only gets clipped in the spring/summer as he doesn't lose his coat as quickly as other horses, but he used to have same clip as your boy when he was ridden. He is an equine dustbin so he always just eats the tablet if I just throw it in his food but I think the marmite is a good suggestion!
I hope your vet gives you the green light for some hacking - that would be wonderful! Will have my fingers crossed for you. Thanks so much again for your great info xxx
Red-1
I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
I have followed your journey with Prince with interest and can say that, although the path you are taking now is not what you *thought* you signed up for, it may well end up being the best one of all.
I can feel your love and respect for him.
I can feel your love and respect for him.
Keira 8888
Well-Known Member
Thank you ? ?