First signs of cushings?

[Poppy2003]

19 yr old connie gelding has been a bit quiet past few days. Had a really strange episode last week where he’d been cantering in the field and ten mins later when I grabbed him in he was really breathing hard and sweaty. Like he’d been galloping for hours. Took hours to cool him down. Then noticed little things like he’s not kicking the stable door as much at feed time, not trying to untie himself when tied up. Just him but a bit quieter or not so much in my face. He’s eating and drinking fine.
going to get the vet out for some bloods but was wondering if this could be the first signs of cushings or something like that. He’s got a very thick coat but always has and it’s not curly.
What signs do people normally notice first?

 

[meleeka]

I thought my pony was just getting old. She appeared to lose about 10 years once medicated and continues to canter round the field at 28.

My other pony just had a rough coat, not particularly thick, but quite long and scruffy like neglect cases sometimes look.

 

[Honey08]

My mare got clingy, when she’d always been incredibly independent. Pacing at gates and neighing to come in (despite others in the field). It happened again a year or so later when she needed her tablets upping. She also got fidgety when being clipped (she’d been perfectly quiet to clip all her life). I presume her coat was changing, although it looked the same.

 

[planete]

Patchy coat shedding in Spring. Some areas would suddenly be bald for some time before the new coat started growing.

 

[Poppy2003]

My mare got clingy, when she’d always been incredibly independent. Pacing at gates and neighing to come in (despite others in the field). It happened again a year or so later when she needed her tablets upping. She also got fidgety when being clipped (she’d been perfectly quiet to clip all her life). I presume her coat was changing, although it looked the same.

Yes! That’s one of the things I’ve found odd recently is he’s been funny about bringing in time when the first horses start coming in, like anxious. Even tho he’s always been fine

 

[Pinkvboots]

Mine had a really thick long rubbish coat that wouldn't shed in spring and he had a few fat pads his 17, his only borderline so on half a tablet a day but he looks so much better fat pads have gone and his got more energy when ridden.

This is the best time of year to test.

 

[southerncomfort]

Thick, dull, scurfy coat that was taking longer to shed than normal plus she just completely lost her spark.

 

[suestowford]

I have a Cushings pony here. He was diagnosed aged 12 but I think he'd been brewing it for a while. The first signs with him weren't on the usual list of symptoms - he was really itchy (and grumpy because of it). I hadn't realised that could happen with Cushings so I'd been thinking, lice or sweetitch. He also had hard-to-shift fat pads, despite being lean everywhere else. When he then got laminitis the vet said, could be Cushings and did the test. I was surprised how bad the results were, his hormone levels were sky-high. No wonder he'd been feeling bad.
Once on Prascend all the symptoms went - the itching, the fat pads, the laminitis. Also the grumpiness

 

[Indieanna6]

Thats interesting @suestowford - I am having my mare tested later today - she has been drinking more, grumpy, lots of itching, fat pads despite not being overfed. We don't know her exact age but are led to believe she is around 23, not that she looks (or acts!) it.
I will be glad to finally have the test done as it will be the 4th time I have requested it.

 

[suestowford]

I asked the vet at the time, if it's Cushings could that be the cause of the itching and she said it could be. I don't know how old you are but when I started menopause I was horribly itchy, so it made sense to me when I thought of it that way! Hormones running riot, and so on.
Glad you are finally getting the test.

 

[Poppy2003]

Interesting everyone, thanks.
Vet came out today and took blood and will do a full blood work and test for cushings. The only way I can describe it is like someone has pressed mute. He’s there, but he’s on silent. We will see x