Cushings

JustKickOn

JustKickOn

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I've a few questions about cushings....

What actually is it?
How long does it take till it's 'serious'?
Is there anything that can be done to slow it down/help prevent it?
What are the negative effects of it?

Thanks in advance
Lizzie.
 
equine cushings disease a.k.a. Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction. It is a hormonal disease, in horses it is mainly caused due to a tumour in the pituitary glands (normally the pars intermedia section of the pituitary gland)

It causes an increase production of the hormones produced by the pituitary gland leading to hormone imbalance which is unresponsive to most antagonist agents.

The disease itself rarely becomes "serious" it is more hte symptoms that are the "serious" problems, such as laminitis caused by PPID is recurrent and can (in some horses) become crippling, it can cause musculoskeletal disorders such as tendon breakdown. It causes muscle breakdown, fat diposits, hirsutism (excess hairyness), excess sweating, polyuria/polydypsia (excess drinking and weeing) and many other symptoms.

Pergolide is the treatment of choice, it does not "treat" the disease, nothing can do unfortunatly, pergolide (and other treatments such as bromocryptidine or trilostane) aims to minimise symptoms and the effects they have on the horse, so hirsutism reduced dramatically, and laminitis is much less severe and much less frequent!

Negative effects, it can not be treated and the above symptoms effect different horses to different extremes etc.

Does this answer most of your questions?

Is this because your horse suffers from the disease? or just knowledge?

There are a number of people on here with horses with cushigns e.g. Eaglestone (very good success story!)

Hope this helps!
smile.gif
 
Yep that's answers them pretty much.

Think the horse I ride is developing it, as when she had the back lady out she said she's showing the early signs of it. She still hasn't completely got rid of her winter coat either, so that seems to be a sure sign.
She's 20, and her owner said it's not worth getting the injection/tablet(?!) as it's very expensive, and won't be that successful on an older horse.

Thanks for your help though
smile.gif
 
Ermm.... ok well obviously its the owners call...... but cushings is a disease of older horses, it most commonly occurs in horses over the age of 15yo, hence treatment is designed to be effective in horses of this age and older (but works in younger horses).

Yes, holding onto winter coat (especially at this time of year) is indicative. The diagnostic tests can be expensive (e.g. dexamethasone suppression test) as it requires 2 vet call outs etc. but can do basal ACTH test is a 1 trip from vet and tested. Its not as accurate, but is cheaper and relatively reliable.
The pergolide treatment is not particularly expensive! I mean it is NOT cheap (like 10p a tablet or anyhting) but if I remember correctly its about 50p-£1 per tablet but obviously cheaper if you buy in bulk , and if you get it from a human chemist rather than direct from vet etc.......

Its ok, glad to help! spent the past 8months of my life doing research on it!
grin.gif
 
I have a pony with Cushings, she has had it for about 4 years now, she is 17. Holding on to her winter coat is about the last symptom she has displayed, we have had her clipped this year as she was finding the hot weather we had last month a bit much. Original indications were recurrent laminitis, despite being slim, off grass etc, drinking and weeing excessively, cresty neck and pot belly, and pads of fat over her eyes. She has been on pergolide over the past 4 years, is currrently on a maintenance dose of half a 100mg tablet a day. I paid £36 last time for 100 tablets from the chemist, which I don't think is excessive and am happy to pay that if it can help her have a decent quality of life. She is not in work as she is my daughters outgrown pony and obviously with her problems I do not want to pass her on to someone else.
As Lucy-N says it is the owners call, but I certainly wouldn't write off a horse showing early signs of Cushings.
 
I'm fully aware it's her owners choice on what to do, I was just curious as to what it actually was, and what can be done etc
smile.gif


MurphysMinder, said pony is being retired from jumping at the end of the season so will just be hacked once or twice a week and maybe a little bit of dressage or veteran showing from there on, so nothing too strenuous.
£36 for 100 tablets doesn't seem that expensive really.
Glad your pony seems to be ok
smile.gif
 
Wasn't implying you were interfering or anything, just got the impression (maybe wrongly) from your post that the owner didn't seem it was worth treating the pony, which seems a shame.
 
I agree with Murphs minder that that was the impression I got too, so I hope no offense was taken!

No pergolide is not expensive!

Ahh, sounds like an easy life after this season then
smile.gif
 
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