Prascend and cushings

[lelly]

Hi,
I was just wondering if anyone on here has a cushings pony who has been on prascend and come off it. My pony was diagnosed in august 2010 she is on prascend which was doing a great job but doesn't seem to be so good now. She started on half a tablet then went up to a full tablet and now it seems it will have to go up again. I don't like to give too many drugs but am not sure if she will do any better on anything else. She is a 9hh shettie. She doesn't show any signs of cushings other than she is sweating a bit so will have to clip now. She is blood tested possitive though.

 

[ameeyal]

Have you changed any thing with his diet?
Perhaps he didnt have cushing to bad in 2010, but now he needs more care for his cushings, i.e:- less turn out in the field.
Are you very strict with his turnout/diet?
Could he have IR as well?

 

[muff747]

It is likely, if she is not doing as well, that her PPID is getting worse and if you withdraw the Prascend now, she will be at risk of laminitis, whether she is on grass or not.
In Cushings ponies/horses, the laminitis can happen apparently without cause. It generally strikes between autumn and late winter. This is because the ACTH in the blood rises from late July and peaks late December, roughly following the day lengths. So the blood test is to measure the ACTH and the higher the result, the higher the risk of lami.
If I were you I would ask your vet to do another test so you can guage if it is safe to withdraw the Prascend, but more often than not, once you begin the treatment, the horse/pony needs it for the rest of their life, and will need more as the disease progresses.