Early Cushings Signs ?

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Spangles

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Have booked full bloods incl Cushings for 15yo pony mare.
She doesn't have the typical symptoms .. yet, so if she does test positive then hopefully very early days. However, her coat is not 'quite right', dry, dull and short course.

She does have odd behaviours that are not listed as symptoms (I have listed them in another post but basically sensitive to touch, turns away if approached) but at age 15, I have been advised to have the test.
Are there any odd/ untypical signs that you have seen in your cushings horse/ pony?

Our pony hasn't had laminitis in the 7 years we've had her, she doesn't drink excessively, she's not wet, hasn't lost weight, doesn't sweat, isn't lethargic - keen to hack, no obvious fat pads, no infections etc.
 
I think you've done rather right thing. It can be asymptomatic, or at least outwardly, for years so early testing is definitely better. The only other thing I can recall is a lack of energy/slight dullness. The good news is that in the ones I've owned, prascend made a huge difference for many years.
 
Nudibranch said:
I think you've done rather right thing. It can be asymptomatic, or at least outwardly, for years so early testing is definitely better. The only other thing I can recall is a lack of energy/slight dullness. The good news is that in the ones I've owned, prascend made a huge difference for many years.
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Thank you ! Her body language is not her, my gut is shouting 'there's something not quite right'.
 
I have a pony who was diagnosed with PPID ten years ago at 16. the main symptoms were itchiness, coat changes and mood swings.Like you I could see that he was just not quite right. Prascend has changed his (and my) life. The tests used to be free in the autumn which is when the levels are highest, not sure if they are still but testing at any time will give you an idea.
 
One of mine had no symptoms apart from a scruffy looking coat so I think you are doing the right thing.

The other had laminitis but I also thought she was getting old. Once levels were under control she reverted back to her younger self and is still cantering round the field for fun 10 years later. She’s 28 now but you’d never know.
 
My 27yo has just had a full blood profile done, as he wasn't quite right. Everything came back normal, and he was not holding condition, woolly, dull coat, miserable. Turned out he had a hook on his last molar that was scraping his cheek. Two weeks down the line and he is back to his cheeky self. Hope you too have a happy ending!
 
Thanks all !
General bloods all ok & the Cushings was ‘equivocal’, so ambiguous ?‍♀️
Vet suggested re-testing in Oct but if signs on Laminitis materialise then there is a more sensitive test.
 
Spangles said:
Thanks all !
General bloods all ok & the Cushings was ‘equivocal’, so ambiguous ?‍♀️
Vet suggested re-testing in Oct but if signs on Laminitis materialise then there is a more sensitive test.
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That's good news, and good that you'll be keeping a close eye or for laminitis.

My horse was late teens when he tested positive for Cushings. He had actually been part of a Cushings veterinary trial prior to this, so had been having regular ACTH tests. His previous test had only been a couple of months prior and had been well within the negative range, then out of the blue he'd got mild laminitis. As part of the trial he was immediately re-tested and he had a really, really high reading. He had no other symptoms like coat changes etc. He went straight onto Prascend which really helped keep the Cushings under control.
 
The first signs for one of ours was stopping to pee when ridden and with the other a tendency to get rainscald and other skin problems
 
Spangles said:
Thanks all !
General bloods all ok & the Cushings was ‘equivocal’, so ambiguous ?‍♀️
Vet suggested re-testing in Oct but if signs on Laminitis materialise then there is a more sensitive test.
Click to expand...


I would ask now for a TRH-Stim test, which is done after a short fast. Our mare kept testing 'within normal range' on ACTH but the number rose each time and we were suspicious. The Stim test came back 8 times over the upper normal. If we had done the better test sooner, she could have had a longer time on Prascend with a better quality of life.
 
yeah my Cushings horses had very few symptoms, he would pee more, and also take longer to get over infections etc. he also really lost condition whenever it was coat change time.
 
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