Its Cushings :(

[Montyforever]

Gutted, she's only 10!
Positive side is that her liver is completely fine so have that worry off my mind.
She's not really showing any obvious outward signs other than a lack of energy and not tolerating a lot of grass despite being on the lighter side of a normal weight.
She's going on half a tablet of pergolide day and another blood test in a few weeks to check the levels.

I've known and looked after a few horses with cushings but have never seen the "progression" of it, just the hairy beasts at 35/40 years old! So any of your experiences/stories would be helpful as im feeling pretty gloomy at the mo!

She's with me til the end regardless, even if she ends up looking like a sheep!

 

[Wagtail]

So sorry to hear this. There seems to be more and more cushings cases in horses that are younger. Though I suspect it's more a case of we are testing for it a lot more now. My mare's main sign unfortunately, was laminitis. She didn't really show any other signs. And sadly, despite doing everything possible, I was never able to fully get on top of it, even though prascend kept her levels within normal range. Hopefully, the prascend will soon have your girl back to her old self again. My girl was absolutely popping with health in all other respects on prascend.

 

[brighteyes]

So sorry to hear this. There seems to be more and more cushings cases in horses that are younger. Though I suspect it's more a case of we are testing for it a lot more now. My mare's main sign unfortunately, was laminitis. She didn't really show any other signs. And sadly, despite doing everything possible, I was never able to fully get on top of it, even though prascend kept her levels within normal range. Hopefully, the prascend will soon have your girl back to her old self again. My girl was absolutely popping with health in all other respects on prascend.

Yep, vets are really onto it now, and luckily often before laminitis strikes. I think that the laminitis is the real death sentence attached to Cushing's. What do you mean she can't tolerate grass? Has she already had a laminitis attack? If so, you are really going to have your work cut out with the diet, but it can be done if EMS is not present also.

 

[Wagtail]

Yep, vets are really onto it now, and luckily often before laminitis strikes. I think that the laminitis is the real death sentence attached to Cushing's. What do you mean she can't tolerate grass? Has she already had a laminitis attack? If so, you are really going to have your work cut out with the diet, but it can be done if EMS is not present also.

Sadly my poor mare had EMS too. Poor thing had to be very thin in order not to have sore feet and then, near the end, even on meagre rations, she had chronic laminitis. Absolutely nothing worked. But she wasn't diagnosed with cushings until she had laminitis, and I do wonder if things may have been different if I had had a few years' warning. OP I know plenty of people with Cushings horses that do very well, so long as laminitis is not an issue, and even then, if the cushings is under control they tend to do all right. But as Brighteyes says, the real problems come when ems is present too.

 

[Jsye]

If it makes you feel any better my 10 yo TB was diagnosed in february and since starting the medication he has been 1000x better, honestly he's like a different horse. Before he was sluggish and 'lazy' but now he's really forward and interested in everything.

At the mo mine is in at night and out in the day (currently unmuzzled) in a normal field. His hay isn't soaked yet, just damp to take away the dust. If he wasn't doing so well on this routine i'd probably soak his hay all the time but at the moment he seems to be doing ok. I'm riding almost every day and he's doing so well, hopefully it will be the same for your horse.

I previously thought mine was one of the youngest i've every seen diagnosed but my vet told me he diagnosed a 7 year old eventer with it, and he's still out eventing and doing well. If managed correctly PPID isn't a death sentence and many can go on for years leading a relatively normal life.

Fingers crossed everything works out okay for you

 

[Cheshire Chestnut]

So sorry to hear this, my mare was diagnosed with cushings at 14. I had sold her on 18 months before so I felt dreadful on the new owners - obviously neither of us had any idea and it was only flagged up because of an ongoing nasal infection she contracted randomly and the vet suggested a cushings test at the same time to rule it out with her not responding to antibiotics that well. Both myself and the new owners were flummuxed, didn't see it coming at all.

All I can say is that some horses respond really well to the treatment available, it's come a long way in research. Your horse is very lucky to have someone like you to care for her, I wish you both the best in her upcoming treatment xx

 

[Montyforever]

She's had laminitis twice, once as a youngster and once when she was 7/8. She's muzzled for the majority of the year and in at night. I am laminitis paranoid so check for pulses/footiness regularly as it is ... Ill just be more paranoid now she's managing to be out 10 hours a day or so at the mo with no problems which is the best we've had in 2 years. She's been very well up until the last few weeks where she's not been herself really so hopefully the pergolide will get her back on an even keel again

 

[Montyforever]

Is it worth contacting my insurance? Laminitis is excluded already and obviously anything relating to Cushings will be at my next renewal. But could i get bloods/medication until then covered? Or would i be wasting my time? This test was free but obviously next lot of bloods will be around £100. My excess is £250 so may not even be worth claiming but I've never actually claimed and with a growing list of exclusions im wondering if its even worth it!!!

 

[Burmilla]

I seem to remember advising my insurers that my old boy's sight was slightly worse in one eye than the previous yearly vet check had indicated, however the vet had advised it was not unsafe to continue riding him (having watched me ride school patterns and pop a small cross pole). They promptly excluded both eyes from cover, although they knew he had the condition from the original vetting (same vet) and did not exclude it then. They said that I would have breached my policy if I had not informed them immediately, and he would therefore be deemed uninsured from that date. So it may be risking your whole insurance policy if you don't tell them about the diagnosis immediately. Check with the insurance ombudsman or perhaps BHS?
It was about six years ago, and the old boy has been causing havoc in the Rainbow Pastures for the last four. Pm me if you wish to know which reputable ins co it is. They continue to be very helpful n supportive with the rest of my menagerie!

 

[Annagain]

It won't hurt to give them a ring to discuss it. You'll have to declare it at the next renewal anyway so you may as well get something back. Pergolide is pretty expensive isn't it? If she's on that long term, even having a year's supply paid for will help.
Mine has foot problems and melanomas. There was so much excluded, I didn't renew my insurance and started paying my premium into a savings account instead (I was already a BHS gold member so public liability is covered). Touch wood, I haven't had to dip into it yet and I'm up to nearly £2000. Maybe it's worth maxing out the insurance and then doing that?

 

[Alchemy]

Mine was recently diagnosed with cushings and like you I felt :-( about it especially as you really couldn't tell just by looking at him it was very subtle things I noticed in the last year that made me get him tested he is on 1 prascend a day which has made a real difference and I did ring up my insurance company and they have been brilliant in paying for blood tests and his medication. After this year I am not looking forward to paying £1 a day out of my own pocket for the next x years!!! but he must have it so I shall find a way to cover the cost just glad this year the insurance is paying as after paying them £59 per month for the last 9 years I think I am owed something back!!!!!!

 

[Jsye]

Is it worth contacting my insurance? Laminitis is excluded already and obviously anything relating to Cushings will be at my next renewal. But could i get bloods/medication until then covered? Or would i be wasting my time? This test was free but obviously next lot of bloods will be around £100. My excess is £250 so may not even be worth claiming but I've never actually claimed and with a growing list of exclusions im wondering if its even worth it!!!

i've claimed all of mine off my insurance - theyve paid £123 so far (my excess was 275) this is covering the original test and re test. I now have cushings & laminitis excluded from my policy from next February. They may also (probably) cover the cost of the prascend for a year from the onset of the condition?

 

[Wagtail]

Is it worth contacting my insurance? Laminitis is excluded already and obviously anything relating to Cushings will be at my next renewal. But could i get bloods/medication until then covered? Or would i be wasting my time? This test was free but obviously next lot of bloods will be around £100. My excess is £250 so may not even be worth claiming but I've never actually claimed and with a growing list of exclusions im wondering if its even worth it!!!

Yes, you should claim because prascend is over £1 a tablet and if she has to have her dose increased it could get costly. Also if you don't claim you still have to inform them of any developments which could affect your policy and so cushings would be excluded in any case. Yoou will need to have one or two more tests before the year is out to check her levels and to see if the dose of prascend is correct. If you decide not to claim and do not inform them of the cushings, then they may refuse to pay out for any other claim even if it's completely unrelated if they find out.

 

[Tnavas]

So sorry to hear this. There seems to be more and more cushings cases in horses that are younger. Though I suspect it's more a case of we are testing for it a lot more now. My mare's main sign unfortunately, was laminitis. She didn't really show any other signs. And sadly, despite doing everything possible, I was never able to fully get on top of it, even though prascend kept her levels within normal range. Hopefully, the prascend will soon have your girl back to her old self again. My girl was absolutely popping with health in all other respects on prascend.

Hopefully someone somewhere will start testing the effects of Soy on the horses metabolism. This increase at an early age certainly correlates with the increasing use of Soy products in our horses feed.

OP sorry to hear your horse has succumbed, fingers crossed for you the medication helps.

 

[Montyforever]

i've claimed all of mine off my insurance - theyve paid £123 so far (my excess was 275) this is covering the original test and re test. I now have cushings & laminitis excluded from my policy from next February. They may also (probably) cover the cost of the prascend for a year from the onset of the condition?

Mine was recently diagnosed with cushings and like you I felt :-( about it especially as you really couldn't tell just by looking at him it was very subtle things I noticed in the last year that made me get him tested he is on 1 prascend a day which has made a real difference and I did ring up my insurance company and they have been brilliant in paying for blood tests and his medication. After this year I am not looking forward to paying £1 a day out of my own pocket for the next x years!!! but he must have it so I shall find a way to cover the cost just glad this year the insurance is paying as after paying them £59 per month for the last 9 years I think I am owed something back!!!!!!

Yes, you should claim because prascend is over £1 a tablet and if she has to have her dose increased it could get costly. Also if you don't claim you still have to inform them of any developments which could affect your policy and so cushings would be excluded in any case. Yoou will need to have one or two more tests before the year is out to check her levels and to see if the dose of prascend is correct. If you decide not to claim and do not inform them of the cushings, then they may refuse to pay out for any other claim even if it's completely unrelated if they find out.

Good to know, thanks
Such alot to think about, will be picking up her first lot of tablets on Monday from the vets. No idea how much it will cost yet, completely forgot to ask so will ring up tomorrow to check but apparently the prescription from them is £17 if i want to buy online. Cheapest I've found is 90p a tablet, depends how much more it is to buy from the vets wether its worth buying online in the long run? Obviously not things i need to think about straight away but i like to be prepared! Have to say vets been a star, lovely lady and has been nothing but helpful but i have to admit i sort of zoned out after she told me it was cushings (was a shot in the dark "why not while its free!" test) and didn't take much in!

 

[The_snoopster]

I have a horse and a pony with cushings, the pony was 12 when diagnosed and is now 18 and doing really well. My mare was 29 when diagnosed and if I am honest she does better than the pony, prascend can make them quite depressed to start with the pony still gets bouts of depression yet my mare is always jolly.

 

[fatpony]

Tnavas. Interesting idea. My six year old pony has just been diagnosed and he is fed grass and hay and nowt else. I think its more that we know the more subtle signs to look for, the test is easier and more accurate and most importantly free so people test on vague signs and a humch because there is nothing to lose.

 

[Montyforever]

Hopefully someone somewhere will start testing the effects of Soy on the horses metabolism. This increase at an early age certainly correlates with the increasing use of Soy products in our horses feed.

OP sorry to hear your horse has succumbed, fingers crossed for you the medication helps.

She's on fast fibre, just looked up the ingredients and it contains "soya beans" same thing as soy? Interesting, she's been on it for 3/4 years now.

 

[Northern Hare]

My horse was diagnosed with Cushings last year at 23 yo. He started straight away on Prascend and has since been retested several times and remains on one tablet per day.

However, he did go through a really low period when he started on the Prascend, he seemed really depressed, went off any feed and dropped weight alarmingly fast. To the extent that I wondered if it was worth it. After a couple of weeks we found something he would eat (Topspec balancer and Alfa-a molasses free), and he seemed to turn the corner and he then went from strength to strength and he is on great form.

I believe the depression is sometimes called the Prascend veil. I have read that if you introduce the Prascend slowly, then this can help to avoid the depression, but your vet will be able to advise on this I am sure.

Also, as you have discovered I am afraid that Prascend is expensive - but IMHO it is worth the cost. I found the cheapest I could find it online was 90p / tablet - a lot cheaper than from the vets.

However, when I approached my vets, I asked if they could match the online price if I purchased 160 tablets at a time. They agreed to that as long as I paid a prescription charge on top, which I would have had to pay if I had purchased them online. So, I am happy with this arrangement and so are the vets! I would recommend approaching your vets to check if you can come to a similar arrangement.

Good luck with your horse - I am sure she will be fine!

 

[MagicMelon]

Prescend works out for me at about £1.50 a day for 1 tablet for my 13.2hh who has had cushings for about 6 years now. Touch wood, he's actually been doing very well and you wouldn't know he had it other than the fact that he has a slightly thicker coat (but not curly etc.) but he's out 24/7 in a small paddock. It really depends on the horse I think as to how quickly they go downhill. I had to have my shetland PTS a few months ago after she was diagnosed last year, she kept foundering even though we took her off the grass completely and we couldn't increase her prescend as she got bad side effects. In the end, her laminitic episodes got longer and closer together to the point I couldn't put her through it anymore. Cushings is a horrid thing, but hopefully your horse will have a decent few years ahead of him. x

 

[EmmaB]

Don't panic too much! The pracend is amazing, my 18 yo was diagnosed a few months ago, had him tested because he was so thin no matter how much feed and hay he had. I had a thread on here about him. He's on 1 tablet a day and the difference is unbelievable. His dose might have to go up yet but he is back to his old lively self and looks fab.

He isn't insured so I'm paying but its not that bad, the tests haven't cost much and I paid £175 for a box of tablets which will last 3-6 months depending on if the dose goes up. Even if it does, its costing me less now on the tablets than it was in feed and hay bills before when I didn't know what was wrong with him.

 

[Peregrine Falcon]

At least you have an answer now and can manage accordingly. Fingers crossed things will go well now. Benji (my 20yo NF) was recently diagnosed too. He isn't exhibting any symptoms, it was picked up in blood tests taken as part of MOT.

 

[Montyforever]

Thanks everyone feeling a bit more positive now! Had a research last night into the newer research/treatments etc as my only experience was years ago.
Am very happy that its not her liver too, milk thistle works a charm as all her liver markers in her blood are normal
Going to be a long road to work out the levels but we've overcome serious laminitis, colic twice, slipping stifles and liver issues. She's bounced back from all of them so we can do this!

Another thing is she's been pushed out of the herd and is grazing separately (although in the same field) would that have anything to do with the cushings? The others I've known with it have been in individual fields so never seen the interaction with other horses?

 

[Northern Hare]

Great to hear you are feeling a bit more positive now - that's good news! Once your horse is settled on the Prascend, I am sure she will be back to her old self.

It certainly made a huge difference to my boy - I had forgotten how tight I had to sit at times and when he became a bit of a handful again out hacking, it really took me by surprise - but in a good way!

Also, maybe she is feeling a bit subdued at the moment so has extracted herself from the herd for a bit of peace and quiet, instead of being actively pushed out? Just a thought.

 

[Montyforever]

Great to hear you are feeling a bit more positive now - that's good news! Once your horse is settled on the Prascend, I am sure she will be back to her old self.

It certainly made a huge difference to my boy - I had forgotten how tight I had to sit at times and when he became a bit of a handful again out hacking, it really took me by surprise - but in a good way!

Also, maybe she is feeling a bit subdued at the moment so has extracted herself from the herd for a bit of peace and quiet, instead of being actively pushed out? Just a thought.

See that's what i had put it down to, but another mare was actually chasing her out today and its unlike mysti to take it lying down and dutchess usually wouldn't dare!!

Found out today her ACTH levels were 71.6, not horrifically high judging by what I've found out googling, her bloods/prascend is covered by insurance for the next year too so all good may as well buy it from the vets while its covered but after that i need to find somewhere cheaper (£2.31 a tablet from the vets ... Ouch!)
cheapest I've found online is 95p a tablet so is anywhere else cheaper?

 

[Amo]

Glad I found this thread, just got test results back for my boy and his result was 126, apparently it should be 47 or under so pretty conclusive.only reason we had him tested was a stubborn tooth infection and the test was free, he has absolutely no other signs, far from it actually, even my vet was proper shocked. Starting him on tablets today so hopefully soon under control.

 

[MrsNorris]

See that's what i had put it down to, but another mare was actually chasing her out today and its unlike mysti to take it lying down and dutchess usually wouldn't dare!!

Herds often reject a horse that they consider a liability ie a bit infirm and therefore easy prey, as it draws predators to the herd, obviously not a problem for domestic horses, but its hard-wired into all horses. We see it a lot in the semi-feral herds around here, the oldies are always kicked out and end up wandering around alone, its very sad....

 

[doriangrey]

Hopefully someone somewhere will start testing the effects of Soy on the horses metabolism. This increase at an early age certainly correlates with the increasing use of Soy products in our horses feed.

OP sorry to hear your horse has succumbed, fingers crossed for you the medication helps.

What is it in soy that is meant to be the problem? Is it the phytoestrogens? Montyforever, sorry to hear about your horse, but there are some encouraging stories out there, good luck with her ongoing care

 

[Montyforever]

Thanks all levels were retested on Wednesday and were 23 so spot on perfect. So carrying on with the half a tablet a day and retesting in a year or if symptoms get worse. Happy feisty pony is back, still a few issues with her picking at hay but she is eating up other than that and vets said her weight is perfect. Can relax a bit now, think I've been subconsciously tense for the last 6 weeks as i am ill and exhausted now!

 

[doriangrey]

Thanks all levels were retested on Wednesday and were 23 so spot on perfect. So carrying on with the half a tablet a day and retesting in a year or if symptoms get worse. Happy feisty pony is back, still a few issues with her picking at hay but she is eating up other than that and vets said her weight is perfect. Can relax a bit now, think I've been subconsciously tense for the last 6 weeks as i am ill and exhausted now!

Result Montyforever!! Look after yourself, so glad your girl is responding but you need to take care of yourself too, seriously, she'll be no good without you . Any response to the soy question would be good also, considering it's a major player in horse feeds.