Cushings

[**puddleduck**]

Hi you may remember me posting last week asking for tips for my 30 year old mare, well we had the vet out on Tuesday for her booster and teeth and I asked about testing for Cushings. The vet seemed to think as she’d no symptoms that I didn’t need to test but I opted to do it anyways and the results have come back that she has very elevated ACTH? Levels and needs to start prascend. I’m hoping that this may help with her temperature regulation as I mentioned she was already in a heavy weight full neck rug and I really genuinely struggle to keep her warm, even dropping down to a lighter rug in the relatively mild weather last week left her shivering so hoping that this may be the reason why.

with the Cushings Any tips? Anything I need to know/change? The vet was a locum and I did have a fair bit of difficulty understanding her so didn’t get the most of out of the phonecall but hoping I may be able to have a word with a different vet when I collect the meds tomorrow.

Also in regards to her teeth and quidding, she had some sharp edges on one tooth that has caused an ulcer on her cheek and she has a wobbly tooth on the other side so I need to get her booked to go into the practice to have the tooth removed.

The vet agreed with me that she is starting to look old now and especially with the Cushings diagnosis and the daily bute for her joints, she’s definitely no spring chicken but hoping with the correct management and some TLC that she’ll be around for a while yet ????

 

[paddy555]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/12994389809

join this group, tons of info especially in the files

presuming your mare is a horse (not a small pony)she will no doubt start on 1 tablet pd. Introduce it very slowly over about 3 weeks, quarter tablet for a few days, then half for a few days etc. etc Pill cutter from chemist to cut the pills.

check the online price, Animed and the like of vet. med sites. If your vet cannot match the cost, and many can't, get a prescription and buy online. It will save you a lot of money.

When you come to retest do it at home and make sure the horse is not sedated. Travelling to a clinic affects them as does sedation (for teeth etc) and affects the ACTH results.

 

[Winters100]

The most useful piece of advice that I got was from this forum, and it was to give the tablet in something dry. I initially tried hiding it in apple or carrot, the only result being that she refused to take either from me, even when there was no tablet. In a handful of muesli she takes it no problem. It sounds as if your girl is jolly lucky to have you as an owner, so I am sure that you will manage everything with no problems.

 

[meleeka]

A diagnosis was good news for mine. They both got a new lease of life (agree about introducing medication slowly). One of mine has been on Prascend for 9 years now and it’s been worth every penny I’ve spent on it.

 

[splashgirl45]

Mine wouldn’t even go near the feed bowl when I added her tablet so I hid it in a carrot and she ate it, she still did even when she had 4 tablets daily . They all seem to be different and it’s trial and error. Also mine started on 1 tablet and was fine, she was 15.2 .

 

[Highmileagecob]

If your mare was sedated for dental work, and then had the blood taken, it may be worth re-testing before you start medicating just in case the sedation blurred the result. Fingers crossed for a happy outcome!