Following on from my cushings post, do you think he has it?

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LadyRascasse

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I know i need a vet to diganose it properly. basically my boy has been worrying me lately,

- he has been drinking alot recently (2 trug buckets a night)
- he seems quite down some time (but not all the time)

his legs are curly but nowhere else and he hasn't got any topline (but then again he doesn't do much work) he never grows a thick coat. he has dropped a bit of weight but thats because he has been on a diet over summer. his feet are getting there but they were ruined by a bad farrier so i wouldn't really know if they were a problem.

some photos of him this morning (Camera phone so not brilliant quality)

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compared with about a month ago

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am i being paranoid or do you think i could be along the right lines??

the vet will be out tomorrow to do another horse so i will be having a chat regardless.
 
Well, from my little experience of cushings I don't think he looks like a typical case there. The 'curliness' you have pictures of looks more just like a bit of winter coat that's got like that from him probably lying down. My horse gets that a lot as he has quite a thick coat.

He looks in pretty good condition. Remember this time of year the goodness has gone out of the grass and horses can quite often lose a bit of spark and condition so it could just be something as simple as that. He could also have a bit of a virus which would explain the drinking as well.

If you are really worried then maybe get a vet but I wouldn't be over worried about the drinking - some horses do drink a lot, others don't drink so much.
 
not sure about his eyes need to have a good look, and no he doesn't sweat, but he isn't over rugged or worked hard, would he still sweat if he has cushings?
 
looking at thoses pictures i would say he doesn't have it her is a picture of my 9 year ols cushings pony ( i know it is very rare to have cushings so young but he has been diagnosised as having it).

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Doesn't look typical Cushing's to me, either. Is he just in from being out all the time? The swap to hay/haylage and feed can make them very thirsty. Is he warm, perhaps? Might even be off colour and that's making him thirsty.
 
Yes he would probably be having odd patchy sweating for no reason. They tend to have a bit of a swollen/expanded looking belly too.

Of course not all ponies/horses show any physical symptoms at all. We only found out my young pony had it because she kept getting unexplained laminitis.

My elderly girl however was textbook to look at with her coat. I had to clip her in a hunter clip all year round to keep her comfortable. She had no other symptoms though.

The little pony in the post above looks pretty classic, the coat is very thick and long, also surprisingly soft in my pony's case.

Tikino it's horrid isn't it? My Dales pony was diagnosed at 6 which was unheard of
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Regarding him drinking a lot and being down, my ISH mare has been like this. Turned out she had a virus which bit back a couple of weeks ago as a bacterial infection.

He may well be brewing something, but personally I wouldn't be worrying too much about Cushings at the moment.

Good luck for Monday.
 
I wouldn't look at the horse and immediately think 'Cushings' but really, if your vet is coming out, it would be best to ask him to investigate further if you really think he has signs.
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Our 26yr old gelding never showed any of the symptoms at all, we knew nothing until he had Laminitis.
Our pony on the other hand who is 22 shows most of the symptoms, so far though no laminitis.
 
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