metformin

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sanchob

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does anyone have a laminitic metabolic pony? my pony has just been put on metformin by the vet, his had laminitis and has been recovering for 4 months. We had him tested to see if he was metabolic and he came back as 19.3, we then done the glucose test and he was exactly the same but he only had a few mouthfuls of it and then he wouldn't eat any more. He then picked up quiet a lot and was almost sound, a few week's ago he has become quiet footy again so he is back on 2 weeks box rest again. The vet thinks he is metabolic but didn't want to put him any drugs at the start as he was doing so well. He started his drugs on Tuesday, i just wondered if anyone knew how long they take to start to help them and when i should start seeing a difference in him if they are going to work. thanks
 
I didn't have a very good experience with Metformin.

My horse was diagnosed with (hold on) 35 a day. Every day was a misery for him and me getting the drugs down, not letting the poor thing have much freedom (he is retired) etc, etc.

After a month of this horror, where we both were thoroughly miserable, there was absolutely no change in his tests!!!

I then asked for a cushings test and low and below he had cushings. After a week on Prascend (the drug for cushings) he was a different horse.

Sorry to be so down, but I have a sneaky suspicion that most EMS cases can be solved with restricted diet and the tablets are slightly irrelevant to the management routine. Also, there is no point is doing the Metformin thing unless Cushings has definitely, absolutely and completely been ruled out.

Just my personal experience though!!
 
2 years ago my boy wa diagnosed with EMS. He had 6 weeks of Metformin and then another 6 week. He needed 16 tabs a day. After the initial 12 weeks of metformin we was put onto 0.5 pergolide a day. This regime has kept his weight down and he is back to acting like a 12 yo.

To get him to eat the Metformin, I disolved in water and mixed into his feed without any problems. Hope your lad feels better soon
 
I had a lot of trouble getting my pony's laminitis under control, he was on a very strict diet, soaked hay, everything weighed out etc and the oldest hay I could find. Even opening a new bale of hay could spark his laminitis off again so had him tested for EMS. Vet prescribed Metformin and touch wood he has been so much better. He went through the full winter with no bouts, first time in 3 years, he is on 16 tablets a day. I don't have any trouble feeding them, just put them in his feed and they disappear! Not sure how quickly they become effective but judging by my experience pretty quickly. Good luck, hope they prove as successful for your horse.

PS he was also tested for cushings and the test was negative
 
My boy is on 16 tablets a day as well. I have noticed his glands have always been up above his eye's and I have been told these are sugar eye's, since taking the metformin his eye's have gone down and they had been up for about 3 month's.Thanks for your replies.
 
My old loan horse was on metaformin. Had a very good experience, he had been on it for 2 years after being v severely laminitic and over weight, tablets kept his feet from falling apart as they were v soft. His tablets coupled with regular excersise meant he was fine. Apart from drinking a lot of water and being a very wet pony (nightmare to muck/dig out) he was fine :)
 
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