Moderate cushings has been diagnosed

B

Bens_Mum

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 September 2008
Messages
1,118
Visit site
My 20 year old cob for the first time ever has no top line and wasn't fat! His coat is lovely and super shiny but we had a cushings test done as all else is ok teeth etc.

So it comes back today not only positive but moderate and the vet says the levels were high. He has prescribed paracend one tablet a day then retest him in 6 weeks.

I have had him forever and he owes me nothing but I'm rather confused. I was under the impression cushings was ultimately fatal however the vet has said that with treatment if you keep the levels down they can live to a normal age and it's not an issue.

I have a todler so it's not like we are out competing a lot I usually hack once and school maybe twice a week. Before this I was thinking about having him ridden an extra day to help build his muscle and because he can be very naughty.

YO is saying that there is no point putting much work into him and acting like its a matter of time. I was going to have a new saddle as I came into some money and she's saying it would be better to spend my money on buying another horse and retiring mine.

I'm very confused to be honest my only experience of cushings was not a good one and very expensive at that.

Just wondering what others think? I haven't had the bill yet but I'm sure it will be far from small!

I don't want to part with him nor would I but I'm trying to work out what I can expect to happen. The vet is saying about 4 weeks to see an improvement. He is footy so we are being very careful about what he's eating for fear of lami so getting condition on wont be easy.
 
Mine has had cushings for a few years. I cannot remember what her ACTH levels were when diagnosed but 30s or 40s. She has other issues unrelated to cushings. Cushings wise her biggest issues are recurrent abcesses. She is now on 1.5 tablets a day. However she is still happy in herself which is what I am being guided by.
 
No it's not a matter of time at all! In fact your horse will find a new lease of life once the meds kick in. Keep doing and planning g everything. My girl was diagnosed 3 years ago. At the time was being ridden 6 days a week and at 22 now, still is. We go out competing once a month and hack, jump, school in between. Medical advances mean that as long as Levels stay normal, they are normal. Ok so one day the meds may stop working as well or the dosage upped so much but we are talking years here! After 3 years my girl has just been upped from 1 tablet to 1.5. Yes it's a cost I can do without, but she is so full of herself on the new dose it's amazing the change. Having cushings isn't ideal but a normal life for the horse is still possible! So keep riding and planning and treat yourself to that new saddle! :-)
 
linperrie said:
No it's not a matter of time at all! In fact your horse will find a new lease of life once the meds kick in. Keep doing and planning g everything. My girl was diagnosed 3 years ago. At the time was being ridden 6 days a week and at 22 now, still is. We go out competing once a month and hack, jump, school in between. Medical advances mean that as long as Levels stay normal, they are normal. Ok so one day the meds may stop working as well or the dosage upped so much but we are talking years here! After 3 years my girl has just been upped from 1 tablet to 1.5. Yes it's a cost I can do without, but she is so full of herself on the new dose it's amazing the change. Having cushings isn't ideal but a normal life for the horse is still possible! So keep riding and planning and treat yourself to that new saddle! :-)
Click to expand...

That's great to have a positive story thank you! He's the horse of a lifetime he really is and perfect for me in terms of what I want to do these days. We have done everything in the past but time constraints mean a slower pace of life for us both!
He has never had lami and does look well other than the muscle wastage. Teeth are fab etc so fingers crossed its been a real rollercoaster week to be honest.
Funny how you realise how much you do love them when something like this happens!
 
Cushings is a strange one. My overweight cresty poofy eye mare came back neg and not even close to the positive results despite the vet saying "I can tell she has it by looking at her and experience"

I read somewhere that results vary from the time of year/what they have eaten so not 100% sure my results are correct so i manage her anyway but shes so far very healthy.
 
It can take a while for the prascend to take effect, and the horse can go very quiet, inappetent and even ataxic in the early days and weeks of medication. This is quite usual, so don't panic. Its often recommended to start with a half or even a quarter of a tablet daily and gradually build up.

Once the horse has been stabilised on a suitable dose, (may need a few blood tests on the way to check levels), then they often are completely rejuvenated!

My mare has been on 0.5 tablets a day for the past three or so years, she was very ataxic and wobbly at the start of treatment but is grand now, barring a tendency to skin infections. Vet checks her ACTH levels every 6 months, they are in the low 20s on the prascend.

Good luck.
 
My lad was diagnosed 3yrs ago after becoming v lethargic and lami, now he's like a rocket, more so than before! He is 18, and with diet management and grazing management, plus x2 prascend a day, he's not looking back.
Cushings horses can lead normal lives and it isn't usually the cushings that gets them but all the other normal things like heart failure or just old age! So carry on with yourplan, make sure he is settled in to his treatment and then go out ride! Enjoy!
 
equi said:
Cushings is a strange one. My overweight cresty poofy eye mare came back neg and not even close to the positive results despite the vet saying "I can tell she has it by looking at her and experience"

I read somewhere that results vary from the time of year/what they have eaten so not 100% sure my results are correct so i manage her anyway but shes so far very healthy.
Click to expand...

ACTH is pulsatile, and you can have the sample from the lower end as easily as the higher end.http://www.thelaminitissite.org/articles/pulsatility-of-acth And there is a seasonal rise from August to October, so there are lots of false negatives in horses who still respond well to Prascend, and my old mare lived well for 5 years to the age of 34 with it. It ISN'T the end of the road, far from it.
As Tiddlypom says, hang in there if she gets depressed and stops eating for a week or two - this is known as the pergolide veil so don't be tempted to take her off it. There is lots of information on The Laminitis Site because a great deal of lami is down to PPID (Cushings). You'll find it pays to read up and research.
 
Bens_Mum said:
My 20 year old cob for the first time ever has no top line and wasn't fat! His coat is lovely and super shiny but we had a cushings test done as all else is ok teeth etc.

So it comes back today not only positive but moderate and the vet says the levels were high. He has prescribed paracend one tablet a day then retest him in 6 weeks.

I have had him forever and he owes me nothing but I'm rather confused. I was under the impression cushings was ultimately fatal however the vet has said that with treatment if you keep the levels down they can live to a normal age and it's not an issue.

I have a todler so it's not like we are out competing a lot I usually hack once and school maybe twice a week. Before this I was thinking about having him ridden an extra day to help build his muscle and because he can be very naughty.

YO is saying that there is no point putting much work into him and acting like its a matter of time. I was going to have a new saddle as I came into some money and she's saying it would be better to spend my money on buying another horse and retiring mine.

I'm very confused to be honest my only experience of cushings was not a good one and very expensive at that.

Just wondering what others think? I haven't had the bill yet but I'm sure it will be far from small!

I don't want to part with him nor would I but I'm trying to work out what I can expect to happen. The vet is saying about 4 weeks to see an improvement. He is footy so we are being very careful about what he's eating for fear of lami so getting condition on wont be easy.
Click to expand...

Prascend helps to slows the progression of the disease so it's not the end of the road.
It's important to introduce prascend slowely to avoid the side effects....so a quarter tablet for a few days and gradually increase to full dose.
The laminitis site linked above is an excellent source of information
 
Our anglo arab now 22 was diagnosed with Cushings 18months ago .He had no classic Cushings symptoms he had a series on abscesses (6 in 4 months) and was a little bit less lively.Tested at 280 after 6 weeks on Prascend his test was 31 .He weighs 450 kilo and takes one tablet a day (in a hollowed out carrot)
He has a new lease of life full of beans and ridden.I find the cheapest supplier is Animed at 98p a tablet and I get a prescription the vet to get them online.
Cushings is not a death sentance and although mnot curable the progress of the disease can but slowed down and horses live an active life.
 
Our pony has been on pergolide/prascend for 10 years so with careful management it certainly isn't an early death sentence. Admittedly she hasn't been in work as she was outgrown before she was diagnosed but the only thing seriously affected has been my bank balance as she is now on 2.5 tablets a day.
 
My old boy is 25 and has been on Pergolide, which then was Prascend for, i think 8 or 9 years now. In the time he has increased from 1 to 2 tablets about 4 years ago,

I test him annually for changes but all has settled. His ACTH levels were absolutely through the roof, considering his only symptom was lethargy! Vet didn't want to test as wasn't pointing towards it, but i insisted as i knew him so well and just knew he had it.

He is still a nutter, still does everything at lightning speed and is still the most crazy pony on the yard - nothing changed for him! He is retired for another medical reason, if it wasn't for that he would still be out doing fun stuff i am sure.
 
Bens_Mum said:
Before this I was thinking about having him ridden an extra day to help build his muscle and because he can be very naughty.
Click to expand...



cushings horses get muscle loss, a lot. I found it impossible to rebuild with exercise/schooling or even just with prascend. It needs high dose natural vit E oil. I use the equimins one at 8000iu per day. (haflinger size) it is the cheapest and I believe the most effective vit E. It would be difficult to describe how bad he was muscle wise before diagnosis. He was dire. Now he is 18 but looks like a 6yo. Unfortunately the prascend cheered him up a bit and he behaves like a 3yo.

if you were considering fitting a saddle I would use vit e for 6 weeks or so beforehand as you may well find he changes shape and it would need refitting.
you are very lucky to have it diagnosed. At least you have a chance to get it right for him and even have several more years of riding. Good luck
 
Building muscle up in diagnosed horses is possible but it takes longer to build..yes Vit E helps but working correctly will too...myoplast from the vets also helps build muscle though it is pricey, I have a friend who put her horse on it and it did help tremendously...have a look at the laminitis site as I'm sure there's something on there about an ingredient in myoplast that you can buy as a supplement, which basically does the same thing...but horse must be in work or it's a waste of £... You can also check your horses diet on there too and the rest of management for a cushings (PPID) horse..
 
Maybe someone should tell my little Welsh that it's the end of the road, because he seems to have missed the memo. He was diagnosed just over a year ago, with a reading of 105. Since starting on Prascend, he has a new lease of life - only yesterday someone commented that he seems to be ageing in reverse. Cushings may not be curable, but it's certainly not a death sentence either, and my 22 year old is still fit, happy, and healthy despite his diagnosis.
 
My Arab mare has been on 1/2 a tablet for about 4 years now - that seems to keep her levels nice and controlled! Her only symptoms involved a nasty series of abscesses (at one point she had an abscess in each hoof!) but since she's been on the prascend she has hardly had any and is doing amazingly.
 
My mare was diagnosed aged 9, been on half a tablet a day since and we haven't really looked back!
She's now coming up to 12, levels stable and although she's got laminitis currently Cushing wasn't thought to be the main cause.
Its not so much a death sentence/end of career, the prascend slows the degeneration. Obviously there will come a time when it no longer works, but she could break a leg tomorrow so why worry about something that could be 10 years down the line and just enjoy your horse now
 
Thank you so much to everyone for taking the time to write their stories! Feeling much more positive today and have been for the tablets.

The vet insists to start on one a day so I have given him that and hopefully the side effects won't be too bad.

He's never had an abscess, infection nothing and his coat is amazing. If it wasn't for the muscle loss I would have been clueless there was anything wrong really. I am hoping that we will get to enjoy some of the better weather. I'm guessing no riding for a while until it's all settled down? The vet said it would be ok but I'm a bit worried what do we think?

Il get on to that oil sounds fab and have a look at the links
 
my 25 year old mare was diagnosed in 2011 and has a good quality of life, the real downside for me is that she is now on 4 tablets daily so VERY pricey. her levels started at 172 , i have her tested every 6 months and the tablets have been increased gradually as her levels have been down but not quite far enough, last time her levels were 62...I was riding till a short while ago but she had a looney turn in the field and is now lame after tweaking an old injury..so not due to cushings...just read your last post, I started mine on 1 tablet daily and didn't have any problems at all although I had to change her feed as she decided she didn't like her normal feed, I wonder if it changes their taste buds,,once I found something she liked she ate everything...
 
Last edited:
Well I went up today to give him tablet two and he's eating fine but looks uncomfortable behind a bit bambi like if that makes sense. I made him move off and it improved a little as he got going and only behind. He then just looked a little lame on one hind. Just paid the vet £179 for the horse and last week £300 for the dog here's hoping that it's not another problem
 
Are you sure he isn't laminitic? Often is a presenting symptom of Cushings and as he is only just starting the Prascend.................................
 
There was no heat in the hooves and no pulse. He's on poor grazing but living out. YO says he's moving a bit better this evening but good point if he's not right tomorrow il haul him back in and see if coming off the grass helps. It's such a worry to know what to do for the best.

Being in alone with nothing to see is going to cause a riot too.
 
We started our mini Shetland on prascend a few months ago, she was tested for cushings and the score was in the 400's. We weren't sure whether to treat her, she's nearly 30, and really the sign we had noticed -apart from having to be really careful that she did not get lami- was just that she was a bit off all last summer, and we couldn't get weight on her.
She's now looking and feeling great. Escaping from the field, carting my children up and down the drive when it's time to come in, and being very feisty about taking her tablet -we have to syringe it into her as she won't eat it in food - I'm so glad we did it. She even looks different, she had a pot belly which has now gone, her weight is fine, and she's able to be in the field with the others, not in a tiny bald patch.
Her test after 6 weeks was 17!!!!
 
Seems normal today maybe he just got up funny who knows. He's eating fine and just seems his normal self it's only day 3. How long is it before you know they have avoided the side effects? We are away for a couple of days next weekend and YO is looking after him but he will have had 7 by then.
 
I think it can take up to 6 weeks before their levels go down sufficiently,and not all of them show side effects. when my mares levels have gone up she gets lethargic and grumpy, so with the vets agreement I increase her tablets by 1/2 daily and within 7 to 10 days she is back to her old self. I think it depends on your horse how long it will take. unless he has anything else wrong having cushings doesn't mean no riding, in fact it will probably do him good to keep his muscles working.
 
My old boy has low grade Cushings, levels in the mid-high 20's. He was diagnosed 3 years ago, when I was suspicious that his winter coat was taking longer than usual to shed out.

In retrospect, the previous winter he'd had his first ever mud fever, which is another symptom in some horses. I'd thought nothing of it at the time, but I'm sure it was connected as he'd never had it previously and hasn't had it since.

He's on 1 x Prascend per day and never had any side effects. He's as chipper as he's ever been and I certainly wouldn't consider Cushings a death sentence.

So don't worry unnecessarily, OP. Many, many horses live with the disease and go on for many more years.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top