Putting weight on a Cushings pony

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Caramella2

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Hi, just looking for advice on how to put a little bit of weight on my 22 year old Dartmoor pony who has been diagnosed with high factors for Cushings - we wouldn't have known he had cushings had we not got his bloods done. It came as a bit of a surprise. However, once on Prascend his bloods markedly improved so-much-so that he is presently no longer on Prascend, but he is a bit ribby, and a fussy eater.

He won't look at hay (soaked or unsoaked) and has 4 meals a day consisting of speedibeet (not a stubbs scoop, just a pony scoop), 2 handfuls of soaked veteran vitality, garlic, pink powder. However, he won't take veteran vitality in his first feed of the day - just the speedibeet x 2 scoops, lunchtime veteran vitality x 2 handfuls soaked, speedibeet, garlic etc .. same at dinnertime and then at bedtime. I always offer him a soaked haynet but he won't touch it, and he won't even look at fast fibre and because of his poor teeth he can't digest chaff or haylage. However he can eat grass.

I have him out on a low cut field but taped off with electric fencing, it's not a big field as I'm quite strict about feeding grass in case of laminitis. He picks away at it and seems quite happy.


I take him in at night for company for my 19 year old other pony, but he just stands there until morning, and then practically gallops out the stable door to his field! He's out from 8am - 9pm and comes in under duress!!


I've looked at a few alternatives for his feeding but I don't want to change it too much, just want to either change/add in FIBREBEET or ??? something else. What does everyone think please?
I would be very grateful for advice.
PS I do add in carrot sticks and a drizzling of molasses sometimes which can make a difference, but even then he sometimes leaves half his feed.


Cheers now

Caramella2
 
I use linseed and equi jewel on my old cushings lad, he is 25 and 17.2. He will eat VV and that is his main source of calories.
 
I didn't think you were supposed to take them off prascend once you'd started it? I would perhaps discuss that with your vet, especially as he's underweight and has a poor appetite.

Linseed is good for weight gain, so you could try adding that to your existing feed. My cushings mare had quite a poor appetite when she first went on prascend, but is fine now. She won't always eat a feed in the summer so doesn't get one, but that is because she prefers grass. Even on restricted grazing she is a very nice weight.
 
Garlic upsets the gut flora, so I would get rid of that immediately. My Cushings mare did well on linseed with Agrobs Wiesencobs. I, too, would discuss Prascend with the vet, I don't understand why the pony has been taken off it. It only works on the symptoms, it's not a cure, so it won't work if the pony isn't taking it.
 
copra, linseed, equijewel (or cheaper rice bran product).

I'm not sure why you don't want to change it much if he isn't eating it though? Agrobs was a revelation for my fussy one. (I also feed the weisencobs currently, and linseed).
 
Unmollassed beet pulp, Ready Fibre Mash (soya hulls, and soaked so good for elderly dentition) micronised linseed and protein in the form of whey powder is what my 36 year old used to get. Kept her reasonable but you are unlikely to ever get him looking on show condition, especially without the Prascend.
 
Back on the Prascend, his symptoms will worsen without and more likely to have a bout of laminitis, cut out the garlic, known to make horses anaemic, micronised linseed is great, a good mugful, can he digest hi hi molasses free chop? And a good balancer.plus a tbsp or less of salt...sugars and starch content of feed should be 10% or lower ideally..have a look at the laminitis site for more feed guides..
 
Hi there, thanks for reply. It was the vet who suggested that he didn't need it, as his bloods were normal. He suggested we try to get a bit more covering on him, vet knows how fussy pony is .. he only eats soaked feeds at a push maybe because he's out on limited grazing. Will try linseed though as it seems to be coming up a lot in replies on here. Also, when on Prascend lost appetite completely, was difficult because no grazing due to grass not in at the time. Also, when on Prascend is flat and no interest in anything. Since being off Prascend has picked up in mood and now neighs/speaks to other ponies. Many thanks now.
 
How slowly did the vet put him on the prascend? Unforutnately it certainly doesn't suit all.

re. the linseed, charnwoods micronised is the best option :)
 
Caramella2 said:
Hi there, thanks for reply. It was the vet who suggested that he didn't need it, as his bloods were normal.
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There are loads of false negatives with the ACTH test, and was he tested before the seasonal rise. What were his initial results that prompted the Prascend in the first place? They must have been borderline to reduce to normal on the medication?
 
I agree with microbuses linseed. I cared for an underweight Cushing's pony for a while and I found adding fruit juice (e.g. apple juice) to feed helped make it more palatable. Grated carrot or apple may help too. Feedmark do a supplement for Cushing's and I seem to remember the pony eating that with gusto, so may be worth trying too.
 
Griffin said:
I agree with microbuses linseed. I cared for an underweight Cushing's pony for a while and I found adding fruit juice (e.g. apple juice) to feed helped make it more palatable. Grated carrot or apple may help too. Feedmark do a supplement for Cushing's and I seem to remember the pony eating that with gusto, so may be worth trying too.
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Thank you Griffin, that's very helpful. Unfortunately I cant get him to take anything but speedibeet at the moment, and that's at a push, even with grated carrot and other bits and pieces in it, and I would have to feed it in the bucket load to get weight on him. Linseed seems to be the way forward, and it's great that a lot of people have suggested this .. must be the way to go !
 
ester said:
How slowly did the vet put him on the prascend? Unforutnately it certainly doesn't suit all.

re. the linseed, charnwoods micronised is the best option :)
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Hi ester, he was put on it half a tablet last September, and stayed on it until February this year when he took impaction because of chaff and haylage … he had to stay off Prascent for a few days until he got better, however his appetite had been dropping quite markedly a few weeks before he took the impaction and so then we got bloods done … they came back normal, so vet said to just leave him off Prascent. His appetite returned good but didn't seem to be putting weight on, and this is what I have at the moment … he will eat speedibeet by the bucket but when I try to add in a little of something else ie veteran vitality he just pushes the bucket around the stable, although will eat some feed. He likes being outside on limited grass, but vet said to be careful at this time of year, so he comes in with my other pensioner at night for company. Have tried leaving him out but he isn't happy on his own. Other pony doesn't like being outside at night, will run up and down alongside fence when it starts to get dark and clearly wants in.
 
SusieT said:
leave him out - put other pony out too? give him more access to grass?
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Hi Susie, I wish I could but my other pony goes beserk if he doesn't get in at night. Have tried to leave him out but he runs up and down, back and fore , round the feed full whack if he doesn't get in at night. Plus he has had laminitis so has to come in at night now. cheers now.
 
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