Pergolide - experiences please!

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bexandspooky

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My horse has just been diagnosed with cushings, with a bit of laminitis thrown in for good measure

I thought Spooks time had come yesterday, but the vet suggested a month or so on Pergolide before we make any decisions as he thinks the results can be quite staggering and says that Spooks is a good candidate to 'have years shaved off of him' (in the vets word).

I am sceptical and am concious of the pain that Spooks is in at the moment, and being an old boy heading into the winter I dont want to put him through anything unneccesary. The vet was so convinced we would see a huge change in 1 month, I agreed to give it a try (topped up with pain meds to keep him comfortable at the moment).

So can anyone give me info of your experiences with this, good or bad, so I know what I am facing.

Many thanks!
 
I had an old cushings pony on pergolide and it definitely did help. But it is expensive, and as you say, you need to weigh up quality of life. I would give it a try, and in my pony's case it took only a few days to make a difference, although about a month before he came sound (but he already had had several bouts of laminitis). Long term improvements took longer and mine was always very hairy and required clipping all year!

Is yours on acp and bute/danilon for the pain as well? Both helped mine and I reduced the acp and bute as the pergolide kicked in. Also you can buy pergolide over the counter with a vet's prescription, so make sure you are not paying your vet too much for it directly.
 
I use Pergolide 250 micro gram on my 27 and 24 year old (both of which are regularly hacked.

It is believed that Pergolide reduces a horse that is suffering from Cushings Disease from getting Laminitis however, it is very very important to keep the weight of your horse well down (ribs and haunches showing) and to keep your hors eregularly wormed with a wormer that is effective against encystead small redworms.
 
One thing to add - mine was able to come off pergolide in the late autumn/early winter, but I had to put him back on it in January, as the lengthening daylight affected him (I guess it's all to do with the pituatary gland sensing longer days) and he would get a lami attack in January - nothing to do with grass or being fat, just simply hormones surging.
 
He was only diagnosed and started on everything yesterday, loads of danilon at the moment, to be reduced gradually as the Pergolide kicks in.

He takes the Pergolide in a handful of pony nuts, but getting the Danilon into him is turning out to be a nightmare - going to have to get hold of a syringe i think!!

Works out at about £1 per day once he is on maintenance level, so not bad at all really.

I am remaining sceptically hopeful!!
 
Good luck my dear- I have no experience of eithe r the drug or disease but i feel you need a good luck moment
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and i hope your ned will resapond really well xx
 
I tried hiding mine in a banana (he liked them and nice and squidgy to put them in) but soon discovered he could spit out the tablet and just eat banana!

Some years ago I used periactin which is sometimes prescribed instead of pergolide, it is cheaper and works for some where pergolide doesn't. Just another idea if the pergolide doesn't perform miracles
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My horse was diagnosed with Cushings 8 years ago at age 14. His main symptom was laminitis.

He was put on Pergolide and was transformed within a week. He has had to stay on it summer and winter and his dose has increased over the years to remain effective.

It has given my horse 8 extra years of happy life without laminitis so well worth it from my point of view as he is my horse of a lifetime.

I think if it is going to be effective for your horse you will see the benefits quite quickly.

The only side effect my horse had was that he went off his food a little at the beginning but that didn't last long.

As he has got wise over the years to my many ways of giving him the tablets he now gets them wrapped in fudge, he prefers Thorntons
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I'd say its definately worth a try, its not expensive through your local pharmacy we get one hundred tablets for thirty seven pounds.

the difference in our cushings pony is amazing, she kept coming down with weird viruses, had lumps on her skin and had a few bouts of relly mild laminitis, once on the pergolide shes been really well (touch wood!) no lami attacks although we feed her on high protein low starch to help this. Id say its definately worth a try.
 
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