New cushings diagnoses

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RhaLoulou

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Hi just looking for any advice re Cushings. My 25 year old welsh cob has just been diagnosed and is on one Prascend tablet. The symptoms she has have been muscle loss and lethargy. I am hoping that I am doing the right thing for her, I have had her since she was born and save from one episode of laminitis eight years ago she has never been sick sorry or lame, I think I thought she would last forever. Can anyone help with their own experience of cushings? Thanks
 
My girl has cushings which was diagnosed following a laminitic episode whilst on box rest after a tendon injury she is on 1mg prascend daily and has gone from strength to strength the only issue I have is she is now very picky on how she gets the tablet we ate currently using sugar free polos which seem to work. Best of luck
 
Hi RhaLouLou. Don't despair, once a horse is properly diagnosed and on Pergolide/Prascend they get back to their old selves within a weekor two! Your mare will be with you for years to come and you will be able to ride her and do averything you used to do with her. Keep an eye out for laminitis though and other odd bits and pieces like weight loss and hair shedding problems. Obviously, Prascend only tackles the SYMPTOMS of Cushings, it isn't a cure, but honestly, most horses have years and years of happy life once they're on the proper medication. My veteran Sunny developed the weirdest symptoms ever and I honestly thought it was getting time to consider his quality of life. He was confused, couldn't remember where his stable was, was found lying in the field in the pouring rain when all the others were sheltered under the trees, he couldn't control his body temperature (that was the first symptom) and was always too hot to the point where he got terribly distressed, his sweat absolutely stank like the worst, most disgusting pair of socks you've ever smelt, enough to make you gag, he had mild ataxia, coat shedding problems (just started). Thank god I read about the statistics for older horses and Cushings and got his ACTH levels tested. Should have been about 38 at that time of year - his was 200! Started him immediately on 1 Pergolide daily but upped it to 2 after only a few days as I had a gut feeling it was too low a dose. You need to retest after a month or so and Sunny was back to the high end of normal. He was back to his old self within 10 days and has never looked back. That was 18 months ago and he's happy and enjoying life again xxx
 
Our 22 y.o. welshx has been on Prascend for four years and is going like a train! She started on one tablet a day and is now on 2. We get her bloods tested at this time every year to make sure the dosage is correct, she is on a sugar free diet and generally fed as a laminitic. She has a lovely shiny coat and still sheds it in Spring and shows no visble signs of the disease.

I know she won't last for ever, but as long as the pills work and she has a good quality of life, rainbow bridge will have to wait a bit longer!

Good luck.
 
Its not the death sentence it used to be :)
my girl is 17 y/o and suddenly became very hairy, very depressed, foot sore and kept having laminitic episodes....diagnosed with Cushings (eventually). At this point, she could not hold her own weight. Vet advised PTS but we gave her a chance.

2 weeks later on 1mg a day she was able to take 3 tottery steps by herself, her eyes were bright, ears were pricked and she was eating like a maniac again. Now 2 years on she's still on 1mg and although its been a rocky road - she gets footsore very easily on hard ground and stones (her soles get easily bruised), she's being ridden again and we're building up her fitness. She has heart bars on and will probably never go back to normal shoes. She's treated as a strict laminitic.

She's a lovely, lovely girl and is back to her usual, bolshy, diva-ish self! I'm just so glad we gave her a chance and I hope you have the same experience.
K x
 
mine was diagnosed in aug 10 at age 20 and we have had a bit of a struggle to get her levels(originally 172) back down to nearly normal. she is now on 2 1/2 prascend a day and has been her usual nutty self for the last 12 months . she is ridden almost daily and seems to be happy so i hope this will carry on for a long time ...although the cost is a pain!!!!!!
 
So glad I have read this my cob(12years old) was diagnosed on friday, he doesnt have any visible symptoms as such some slightly strange fat pads, vets only tested him as it was free, he was having bloods done for a sheath problem.
I dont really know anything about cushings i just thought it was a death sentence, but reading here as given me some hope.......Thankyou.
 
Definitely not a death sentence! More of a management sentence, really.

I adopted an older (25+) large pony gelding mid-September. He had had quite a few laminitic episodes this year and his former owner knew that he was Cushing's (textbook symptoms - cresty neck, thick & wavy coat, PU/PD). When I took over his ownership I had the vet out to test for endogenous ACTH levels & farrier out (x-rays showed some rotation).

He's been on pergolide now since beginning of this month and is cantering around like a maniac. Just a month ago, the vet & I looked at him & were both thinking PTS. Simon has made such a turnaround that we all find it hard to believe that he's the same pony. He's also on Timothy Balance hay cubes, which is formulated for Cushing's & IR, and is on 24/7 turnout on a dirt lot.

Have heart! Although as another poster said, treating the condition can be costly but very much worth the effort when you see the medication helping.
 
This is so good to read, I'm waiting for the test results on cushings for my girl, the vet has said it is likely that she has it at 31.

I'm really struggling to keep weight on her, which was why I've had her tested.
 
From my first post my old mare is on day six of the Prascend tablets, it only took her five days to spit the apple with tablet hidden it back at me! She already seems a bit brighter and has eaten the tablet hidden in molasses tonight. Could be a sticky future!
 
I hide Simon's capules inside sugar free peanut butter (got it from a local health store) if anyone needs ideas on how to get them to take their meds :)
 
ApacheWarlord said:
This is so good to read, I'm waiting for the test results on cushings for my girl, the vet has said it is likely that she has it at 31.

I'm really struggling to keep weight on her, which was why I've had her tested.
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Cushing's also makes them more vulnerable to parasite infections as their immune systems are compromised, which would contribute weight loss. Your vet will probably give you a deworming regimen to help with this.
 
Nanolol said:
Cushing's also makes them more vulnerable to parasite infections as their immune systems are compromised, which would contribute weight loss. Your vet will probably give you a deworming regimen to help with this.
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Thanks for that - they didn't mention that, but I'm about to worm with equest, I usually worm separately for tapeworm and did that about 10 days ago.
 
Nanolol said:
I hide Simon's capules inside sugar free peanut butter (got it from a local health store) if anyone needs ideas on how to get them to take their meds :)
Click to expand...

Thanks for that suggestion, she is eating the tablet snapped.in half mixed in with lo-cal and outshine but I will keep sugar free peanut butter in reserve!
 
My little 24 year old New Forest mare has just been diagnosed with Cushings with a result of 230.

She is field companion so I am going to start her on the Hilton Herbs CushX and re bloodiest her in a months time.

She never really showed any signs other than having a couple of foot abscess in the last year.

I took up the free blood test which has been very helpful.
 
Its just a management issue but certainly not a death sentence. Mine have done amazingly well since being on medication. leaving normal, happy, healthy lives. the only thing i would say is keep an eye on the acth levels as i did not know about this and had an issue when Harleys levels went high. Good luck. i hope all goes well.
 
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