Managing turnout for a horse with Cushing's

[HelenBack]

My horse was diagnosed with Cushing's last autumn. He responded well to Prascend and we tried to reduce the dose. He went a bit footy at the beginning of the week. I got him off the grass and thankfully I managed to get his bloods done before everything went into lockdown. His ACTH levels had gone up again so I've increased his prascend dose with immediate effect. He was trimmed last week too, which I think may have contributed to the footiness, along with the ground drying up very quickly.

Obviously I'm going to have to be very careful with his turnout now, and am especially concerned about this with everything else that's going on.

The issue I have with the turnout is I'm on a livery yard where things like strip grazing or tracks are not an option. The horses are generally turned out in large herds in big fields that are used all year round. The fields haven't been fertilised in years but the yard was a cattle farm many years ago and we do have good grass in the summer. Lots of people struggle with their horses weight!

There is possibly the option of some small paddock turnout, although space in these is at a premium. The paddocks have similar amounts of grass in them at the moment but over the summer they will get grazed down and have less in them. They never reach the point of being bare though.

So I'm wondering what my best option is really. I've ordered a muzzle for him and don't know whether he'd be better in the big field where there's more grass but he will move around more, or in a paddock with less grass but he won't be moving as much. I'm realistic that he won't be able to go out 24/7 either way and I'll be watching him like a hawk whatever happens, but I would like him to have enough time out to have a quality of life.

If anybody can offer any advice I'd be very grateful as this is all new territory to me, I'm much more used to dealing with feeding up poor doers!

 

[ester]

The laminitis app has been at super high this week across the country so that probably didn't help. Worth downloading if you can and using it to help determine the amount you let him have.

My choice would be to try with the muzzle and keep him with a bigger group to encourage movement (I muzzled to avoid individual turnout). Which one have you ordered?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I wouldn't panic, tbh. Now that you have increased the Prascend he is probably no more likely to develop laminitis than any other horse. Obviously you will need to be vigilant but you probably won't have a problem.

 

[HelenBack]

The laminitis app has been at super high this week across the country so that probably didn't help. Worth downloading if you can and using it to help determine the amount you let him have.

My choice would be to try with the muzzle and keep him with a bigger group to encourage movement (I muzzled to avoid individual turnout). Which one have you ordered?

The lami app has been in the green all week in my area so I think I was lulled into a false sense of security!

I ordered the dinky muzzle but my friend has a couple of other makes I can borrow to try too. He did wear a muzzle when I first had him and he accepted it well so I'm hoping he will do again now.

I would prefer to avoid individual turnout too as he's a very sociable character. There is a possibility of company in a paddock but it would depend on what space was available. Perhaps it would be best to keep him in the group for now and see how he gets on, and then resort to a paddock if needs be. I will feel a bit sorry for him not being able to play with his friends in a muzzle but needs must!

I wouldn't panic, tbh. Now that you have increased the Prascend he is probably no more likely to develop laminitis than any other horse. Obviously you will need to be vigilant but you probably won't have a problem.

This is exactly what my vet said actually but unfortunately not panicking is not in my nature! I've never dealt with laminitis before but have only tended to see bad endings with other horses. Mine has got quite a lot of problems and if he did get laminitis I think that would be the end for him so I guess this is why I'm even more neurotic than usual. Thank you for your support though, it is reassuring even if I know I will still carry on to worry!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Laminitis is horrible but my mare with Cushings, who had recurrent abscesses before starting the Prascend, responded really well to it, she never had another abscess again. Sadly the disease progressed and she became ataxic but the treatment gave me extra quality time with her.

 

[ester]

You should be fine with the muzzle then.
So long as he doesn't manage to get any friends to play with him and remove it.
Hopefully increasing the prascend will make a big difference but I think if you have other plans in case then you at least feel like you do have all bases covered.

 

[HelenBack]

Laminitis is horrible but my mare with Cushings, who had recurrent abscesses before starting the Prascend, responded really well to it, she never had another abscess again. Sadly the disease progressed and she became ataxic but the treatment gave me extra quality time with her.

Thank you. My lad had no symptoms really except that I knew there was something wrong so I had him tested for everything and this was what came back. He was battling other lameness issues at the time as well though so I suppose I thought maybe that was what was making him miserable.

He's only 13 and I'm very aware that he's probably not going to have the longest life but I do know that lots of horses have managed to carry on for many years with the help of prascend. He's a really lovely happy chap who deserves the very best so I'll carry on to do whatever I can for him for as long as I can.

 

[HelenBack]

You should be fine with the muzzle then.
So long as he doesn't manage to get any friends to play with him and remove it.
Hopefully increasing the prascend will make a big difference but I think if you have other plans in case then you at least feel like you do have all bases covered.

Yes that's a good point. Last time he wore a muzzle he was just with one other who also wore one so not much opportunity for taking them off each other! Plenty of the other horses wear muzzles and those that get them off tend to do it themselves. They're not all as playful as mine though! I'll have to monitor that one and see how it goes and then go to plan B if needs be.

One other question - at the moment the horses are all still in by night but once they're allowed out any thoughts on whether he'd be better turned out by day and in by night or the other way round? Opinions on this seem to vary because the sugars in the grass are lower overnight but then they tend to be out for longer if they're out overnight. Or is it a case of just seeing what works for him?

 

[meleeka]

He can only eat a certain amount whichever field he’s in so I’d muzzle in the big field. I check pulses daily. It’s a habit for me now and that’ll give you an early warning before any lameness is apparent.

 

[splashgirl45]

once they are on prascend its not usual to be able to reduce the dose by much as cushings is a progressive disease and prascend only manages it rather than cures....my mare was diagnosed at age 20 and had 5 good years with normal turnout and soaked hay when needed, i made sure she had only light chaff and supplements with fast fibre in the winter to help with keeping weight on.....try not to worry ,you could have him for quite a while yet as long as he is on medication...

 

[HelenBack]

once they are on prascend its not usual to be able to reduce the dose by much as cushings is a progressive disease and prascend only manages it rather than cures....my mare was diagnosed at age 20 and had 5 good years with normal turnout and soaked hay when needed, i made sure she had only light chaff and supplements with fast fibre in the winter to help with keeping weight on.....try not to worry ,you could have him for quite a while yet as long as he is on medication...

Thank you and I do hope so. I realise now that it was a mistake to try and reduce the dose but hopefully we'll get back onto an even keel now.

 

[splashgirl45]

i used to have mine tested twice yearly so we could keep her levels where they should be. unfortunately we had to increase the dose gradually over the 5 years until she was on 4 prascend daily. my vet contacted leahurst who said that as she was still increasing her levels even on 4 a day, they felt that it wouldnt help to increase the tablets, i let her have the rest of the summer and PTS in september before the seasonal rise of levels..she was ridden until march of that year and i continued to look after her the same, grooming daily etc...it was a hard decision to let her go but i didnt want her to get laminitis as i had managed to keep her free from it for so long...

 

[HelenBack]

That sounds very thoughtful and sensible. I think we do have to consider their quality of life too. Mine is only on one tablet a day currently and we'll probably test again in a few weeks to check we've got it right. I'm aware that will probably increase over time but that's okay. It has occurred to me that if I really can't manage him in a traditional livery yard setting I could move him to a track place but there are none near me so it would mean sending him away and only seeing him now and then which would be a real wrench. I hope we're a long way from that though yet and I keep hoping something will open up closer to home in the meantime. Nothing so far though!

 

[splashgirl45]

i kept mine on diy livery and couldnt do track systems so had to cross my fingers and luckily she never got laminitis, i felt she was getting a bit footy in september and got the vet to look as i had 99% decided to let her go. vet couldnt find any pulses but agreed with me that as she was already on 4 prascend daily and her levels were still increasing she felt the cushings was out of control and it would be quite likely that she would get laminitis shortly. if i didnt take her off the grass and even if i did there was no guarantee that she wouldnt get it if she was stabled..so didnt really have a choice...

 

[meleeka]

Just to give you some hope OP, Mine has been on Prascend for 6 years (diagnosed at 20) and lives a pretty normal life, albeit on pretty rubbish grazing, but is out 24/7 during summer.

 

[HelenBack]

Just to give you some hope OP, Mine has been on Prascend for 6 years (diagnosed at 20) and lives a pretty normal life, albeit on pretty rubbish grazing, but is out 24/7 during summer.

Thanks, that's reassuring. I really wish I could find somewhere round here with rubbish grazing for him but those sorts of places don't seem to exist. I'm doing some window shopping while we're on lockdown and will look again in earnest when things return to normal. I can't see that being for a while though and I'm not really hopeful of finding anywhere anyway

 

[Micky]

Another positive for you, mine has been on Prascend for 5 years plus, when we were on a livery he was muzzled and out in the big field with the others, soaked hay at night, i swapped to night turn out come June time when the grass was properly growing, touch wood no recurring laminitis since, he’s on 2 and half pills a day, no option to reduce the pills over the years, only upp them..if you can just keep a eye on his muzzle, ive only had one instance when his muzzle got caught on his lip and I could tell something was wrong the minute I turned up, the muzzle was old and had perished over the years, so a new one was bought and fitted! He’s still getting ridden too, he’s 22!

 

[HelenBack]

Another positive for you, mine has been on Prascend for 5 years plus, when we were on a livery he was muzzled and out in the big field with the others, soaked hay at night, i swapped to night turn out come June time when the grass was properly growing, touch wood no recurring laminitis since, he’s on 2 and half pills a day, no option to reduce the pills over the years, only upp them..if you can just keep a eye on his muzzle, ive only had one instance when his muzzle got caught on his lip and I could tell something was wrong the minute I turned up, the muzzle was old and had perished over the years, so a new one was bought and fitted! He’s still getting ridden too, he’s 22!

Thank for sharing your experience, it's really encouraging to here from people who have managed to make things work for several years on a livery yard. Although my yard is not ideal in many ways, my horse is very happy there and I have excellent livery help, which is very important to me.

I've got the option of a few different muzzles to try so hopefully I'll be able to find one that works well for him and I'll make sure to keep an eye on it for wear and rubbing etc too.

One other question - did any of you try any of the supplements aimed at Cushing's horses, with things like chaste berries in them? I'm wondering whether to get something to try but can never make my mind up whether that sort of thing is a gimmick!

 

[splashgirl45]

if you look at the laminitis site, the scientists dont think anything other than prascend works. i did try a couple and they made no difference,i was still giving mine her prascend but hoped the supplements might have bought her levels down a bit, if anything they rose...there have been a couple of people on here who think the supplements have worked so its up to you if you want to try but i am afraid prascend is the only treatment at the moment which has been proved to work. good luck

 

[Micky]

No just stick to feeds (if needed) that are less than 10% sugar and starch,(combined) ..keep soaking the hay, restricting grass intake (either strip grazing, muzzle, track system. Exercise once he has stopped being footy, do check he doesn’t need x rays to check there has been no rotation ( when possible in the current climate) and feet correctly balanced with or without shoes.
the only thing that works is Prascend..supplements don’t.

 

[HelenBack]

Thank you both, I'll save my money in that case.

 

[NOISYGIRL2]

Mine is 41 diagnosed PPID Nov 2015 had his one and only bout of laminitis over 16 years ago and has been muzzled when turned out ever since. Have used the bucket style (shires) but changing the last 3 years to the Ultimate grazing muzzle, mine thankfully hasn't got it off, very rare, I fit an extra throat lash with duct tape and the muzzle is shaped higher at the front than the back with lovely big nostril holes so I don't think they find is so claustrophobic. He is in at night with hay and has 5 feeds a day to manage his weight. Mine was on prascend for nearly 5 years up until I changed him to the BOVA paste Nov 2019 as he didn't get on with the pink pills, wouldn't eat, so lowered the dose so much it wasn't helping control the PPID, he's like his old self now

 

[HelenBack]

Wow, 41 is really impressive, well done! That's so lovely to hear how much you do to help him. Thank you for sharing your story.