Insulin resistance - advice needed

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CazD

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Hi. My mare (14.2hh coloured cob, 11 years old) has just been diagnosed with IR. Vet did a glucose test (starved for 8 hours then 430g of glucose then blood test 2 hours later). The result has come back at 727.0. Is this as mega high as it sounds? Vet has now prescribed 16 metformin tablets per day for the next 8 weeks plus strict diet and daily lunging. She's never had lami in the 7 years I owned her but we've always struggled with her weight. Is there anything else I should be doing? Will she be on metformin forever? Any idea re costs? I've just lost my job and money is tight at the mo so I'm panicking now.
 
The one I have here is linked to Cushings, for which she has Prascend, but the IR is totally controlled with diet - minimal sugar and no cereals at all. She has unmollassed beet pulp, grass nuts and she used to have Top Spec Cool Condition which is cereal free. Hers is helped by the fact that she has very few molars so doesn't eat a lot of grass, at any time of year so I don't have to worry about stressed grass.
I don't know about the levels, we diagnosed hers with a simple urine dip test, but the diet has controlled it fine. What were the presenting symptoms if she hadn't had lammi?
 
Micky's right ,the laminitis site and facebook page are brilliant.My mare never had metformin just diet and exercise and NO grass.The advice from TLS meant her insulin was normal again within 3 months,but she will always need to stay on restricted grass,proper diet and lots of exercise.
 
Hi CazD - my mare was diagnosed 2 years ago with IR, please dont panic (like i did) its not the end and can be reversed... when my mare was diagnosed she had reads of 500 ish - was put on to metaformin (12 twice a day), increased her exercise and cnaged her food and grazing - she just been retested and we are down to a reading of 110 (12 tablets once a day) - so chuffed and not far to go now..... this is how i did it, changed her feed to fast fibre and happy hoof - she only has this in the moring to get her meds inside her.... soaked hay (soaked for a min of 4 hours) - 4-5 hours grazing only and she goes out in the afternoon - at night she has 1 scoop of high fibre nuts in a snackaball just so she thinks she has had dinner with the rest..... and finally the fitter you can get the pony the bettre - - exercise is the real massive key to this - - it seems horrid but she has no apple carrot or mints either but instead i buy her sugar free polos as a treat - - if you have anyquestions or just wanna sound off to me thats ok PM me xxxx goodluck
 
JillA said:
. What were the presenting symptoms if she hadn't had lammi?
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I've always struggled to control her weight and she is permanently on a low calorie diet. I can feel her ribs but she has a cresty neck and fat pads. Vet was out to do usual vaccinations in November so I took advantage of the free cushings test even though she is only 11 but this came back with a low reading. Vet suggested doing the glucose test just to test for IR.
 
Adding mag ox to her diet will help shift the fat pads, please check out the website as it will give you loads of info ie diet, facts about IR and PPID (Cushings) plus the facebook page is very helpful :)
 
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