cushings :(

tango'smum

tango'smum

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my pony had laminitis 7-8 weeks ago, vet tested him for cushings and he has it :( his levels are 205... i have decided to treat him with agnus castus.. not pergolide.... hes been on it just over a month, when should i notice a change in him and when should i get him blood tested again?
 
Cushings isn't curable but it is manageable. The three horses with Cushings we have with us are not on any medication now and are acutally dong better than when they did have medication. It all depends on the horse and how fast the disease progresses.
 
classicalfan said:
Cushings isn't curable but it is manageable. The three horses with Cushings we have with us are not on any medication now and are acutally dong better than when they did have medication. It all depends on the horse and how fast the disease progresses.
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apart from being hairy(now clipped), he looks really well...vet said i didnt have to treat him, but hes likely to keep getting laminitis.. hes on restricted grazing over night...
 
My mare has Laminitis diagnosed mid july still lame badly one foot hobbling, been tested for cushings - neg. She is still on box rest will be sometime. I feel for you its horrid thing to happen .

Have you asked your vet when blood test should be re done??? i would be guided by them , i know i am .
 
Leviathan said:
My mare has Laminitis diagnosed mid july still lame badly one foot hobbling, been tested for cushings - neg. She is still on box rest will be sometime. I feel for you its horrid thing to happen .

Have you asked your vet when blood test should be re done??? i would be guided by them , i know i am .
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the laminitis only lasted a couple of days...
he was tested one month after the first test.... normally its monthly...or untill meds are at correct dose..
i am riding him again now as hes sound...
hes about 20 yrs old...
 
My vet recommends getting blood tests done roughly every quarter, however they are also quite happy to leave it as is (the horse isn't insured) and test when I want it done, I normally stick with a quarterly test unless she went lame again I would get the test done straight away if she went lame.

When mine was first diagnosed she was on box rest for 2 months after she started her medication, we noticed a difference in her within a couple of days (we cheated on the box rest and moved her 3 strides across the barn to an unused stable to save on bedding), she had a small set back when she stopped taking her metformin and got better once we started crushing them in her feed.
 
tango'smum said:
my pony had laminitis 7-8 weeks ago, vet tested him for cushings and he has it :( his levels are 205... i have decided to treat him with agnus castus.. not pergolide.... hes been on it just over a month, when should i notice a change in him and when should i get him blood tested again?
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Sorry to hear this OP. My mare has just recently been diagnosed too. Out of interest why did you chose not to go with peroglide/prascend ? My mare has been on it for just over 2 weeks and the difference is amazing.
 
SizzlerB said:
Sorry to hear this OP. My mare has just recently been diagnosed too. Out of interest why did you chose not to go with peroglide/prascend ? My mare has been on it for just over 2 weeks and the difference is amazing.
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pergolide is to expencive, plus i have read some really good things about agnus castus... i dont like pumping drugs into them if i dont have to.. i have read pergolide causes liver damage also... i know a few horses who have become very aggressive on it ....
 
Dont think theres any difference in cost between treating with prascend and AC! Never heard of aggression with perg either?

tango'smum said:
pergolide is to expencive, plus i have read some really good things about agnus castus... i dont like pumping drugs into them if i dont have to.. i have read pergolide causes liver damage also... i know a few horses who have become very aggressive on it ....
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I get my mare tested in October as Cushings is hormone related and when the days start getting shorter they are more likely to get lami. She was on it for three years before the pergolide was increased after her annual blood check. The improvement once she was put on pergolide/prascend was dramatic and within 7 days. From being a very depressed pony with lami she became her usual happy, bouncing and cheeky self and once she was sound enough to be ridden we carried on competing (showing, dressage and LDR).

She is 21 now and retired (unrelated back problems) but is still full of herself after 5 years on it.

I would have thought you should be seeing some sort of improvement by now if the Agnis Casti is working, although as the days are rapidly shortening perhaps you should be upping the dosage?

I would say that whatever works, be it "natural" or "chemical" should be the one to use. Constant depression and random bouts of lami are not something you should put a horse through.

I have never heard of horses being aggresive on it.
 
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I have put my horse on live yogurt, 1 table spoon morning then night, recomended to me by an african vet and i can honesly say he has never been sounder {is that a proper word :p} im slowly dropping his prescend tablets down from 1 a day to 1/2 a tablet a day well worth a try for you a tub cost about £1.30 500g and lasts a week.
 
i have uped the agnus castus from 20g a day to 30g day.. he's not depressed or showing sings of laminitis, if he does then he will go on the pergolide.. but i want to try the agnus castus first... vet said the can become agressive but very rare... the side affects can be nasty though.. read what it can do to humans... what about horses they cant tell us they have headache or feel dizy, or sick...
 
I have my retiree on purgalide hes unrideable due to excessive pedal bone rotation despite our best efforts and is happy as a field and stable ornament. He still gets lami sometimes regardless of whether he is on grass or not. We keep him as comfortable as possible and whilst his quality of life is good he will stay with us forever regardless of cost as mine first horse he is very special to us :). He is also now given the supplement "Rebuilder" by global herbs which is meant to help with the laminae he is a fussy eater but takes this in his feed fine :).
Purgalide can cause liver damage when used at high levels for years and years. My boy got it young and is on a lowish dose of 3 1/2 tabs per day reduced to 2 1/2 at low risk times and has been on it for 3 years or so now, the vet says the max allowed amount is 8 tabs per day I think if you had to give them that over a period of say 10 years than you may see liver damage. Never heard of any cases of aggression with it either. Use whatever works for your boy.

Just a tip when they are getting near a laminitic episode we find the pockets above my lad's eyes get more puffy (they are fuller than a non-suffering horse normally) but they become very outwardly swollen before laminitis strikes. Just something to watch out for :) good luck it is manageable.
 
Even though it is not complete I think it states quite clearly that this may "HELP" horses suffering but it is not a replacement for medication. That said the quote
The most consistent finding reported by the owners was the lifting of the depression which all of these cases showed, they became more energetic, interested in their surroundings and appeared to enjoy life again.
This is enough to convince any loving owner to want to at least try.
JMHO
 
i am going to keep him on the agnus castus for three months see what his bloods say after the 3 months...the vitex was too expencive plus i only pay £10 for the same thing but in powder..and lasts longer..
my friend had her cusings pony on hormoise with great results.. as the vet said pergolide is only to stop them getting laminitis...agnus castus dose the same thing..
 
minime said:
Even though it is not complete I think it states quite clearly that this may "HELP" horses suffering but it is not a replacement for medication.
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They can state whatever they like, but until they have completed the trial (which btw they are no longer running...) and statistical analysis, there is no proof whatsoever that their statements have any truth to them.
 
so worried about tango, i cant affored the prascend,i really dont know what to do... is there anywhere i can get it cheaper?..i really dont want him going through this :( why did he have to get it..
 
Iknow how u feel tangos mum I am going through hell to my mare is still bad with lami. Farrier came out yest to put heart bar but she too lame to do it, vet had ask her to walk round the area in front of the stables 3 times to see her walk. She got worst with walk now no shoe.

farrier says one thing vet another and lami trust another.


lami trust dont use styrofoam pads as they can cause bruise to sole. This could be the case , they said its like having a bruise and wearing wooden shoes . She is happy in herself , calls to her son in field and when he comes in . I hate seeing her like this. I dont know what else to do to help. I just made bed thicker ordered 40 bales bedmax and supplements . I wish i could have the pain , and then i could rest the foot .

I feel for you :(

you seen this bit??

What is Chastetree Berry?

CTB, Chastetree Berry (Vitex agnus-castus): An herb with some of the same effects as the drug pergolide and which may control equine Cushing's disease symptoms in some horses. Most horses will need to be placed on the drug pergolide for effective control.
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How much are you being quoted for Prascend?
There is another thread on here about pergolide which you can get from Tesco pharmacy for £66.90, others had found Prascend for £0.83 a tablet on viovet (don't know what doseage you are being advised or how much you are being quoted to know if this will make a difference). You would still need a prescription from your vet for it (mines is £9).
This time of year my mares levels normally go a bit crazy as well because the days are shortening.
 
Leviathan said:
Iknow how u feel tangos mum I am going through hell to my mare is still bad with lami. Farrier came out yest to put heart bar but she too lame to do it, vet had ask her to walk round the area in front of the stables 3 times to see her walk. She got worst with walk now no shoe.

farrier says one thing vet another and lami trust another.


lami trust dont use styrofoam pads as they can cause bruise to sole. This could be the case , they said its like having a bruise and wearing wooden shoes . She is happy in herself , calls to her son in field and when he comes in . I hate seeing her like this. I dont know what else to do to help. I just made bed thicker ordered 40 bales bedmax and supplements . I wish i could have the pain , and then i could rest the foot .

I feel for you :(
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poor you..its horried, tango had laminitis 2 months ago thankfully only lasted a day..but 6-7 yrs ago he had it for about 6 weeks..does your pony have cushings?
 
Naryafluffy said:
How much are you being quoted for Prascend?
There is another thread on here about pergolide which you can get from Tesco pharmacy for £66.90, others had found Prascend for £0.83 a tablet on viovet (don't know what doseage you are being advised or how much you are being quoted to know if this will make a difference). You would still need a prescription from your vet for it (mines is £9).
This time of year my mares levels normally go a bit crazy as well because the days are shortening.
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yes thankyou, i have posted on there...hes to have 1mg a day... vet wants £80 for 60 tablets..
 
Leviathan said:
lami trust dont use styrofoam pads as they can cause bruise to sole. This could be the case , they said its like having a bruise and wearing wooden shoes .
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I'm afraid I do not think I agree with this. My pony who has had episodes of acute laminitis over the past three years now is greatly relieved by the cheaper pads on this link. http://www.equinepodiatrysupplies.co.uk/Pads
Tbh I'm not 100% sure they are made of styrofoam (hence the 'think') but they squash down a lot and mould to her hoof. She has never had an abscess or other evidence of bruising to the sole from external sources.
I believe you can get wood 'stewards clogs to fit to horses but foam pads are NOT like wood!
I'd ask them for their evidence for that statement, it sounds like rubbish to me and I'm only an owner!

I urge you both to look on the link I put up earlier and join the Yahoo group.

Also look at this and his other articles. http://www.hoofrehab.com/LaminitisUpdate.htm
 
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