Starting my horse on Prescend

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claireree

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My horse has been diagnosed with cushings, he is doing well and now have his diet etc under control. I have also got him some prescend which I am going to introduce into his feed tomorrow, I was just wondering if anyone had any advice with the drug, I know there are side effects but just wondered if it does make a difference
 
My 10 year old pony was showing mild symptoms of cushings, and seemed very depressed/quiet, was ravenous, drinking loads and generally looked unhappy. I had her blood tested and her ACTH levels were above the normal range.

She started on prascend just over 2 weeks ago, and I can see a massive difference already....I was under the impression it would take up to 6 weeks to make a difference, but I she seems much better already :-)
 
She is much brighter, far less ravenous, drinking less and generally looks 100% happier!!

She hasn't put any weight on yet, but it has only been a couple of weeks....
 
If you're on facebook, there's a really good group "equine cushings disease" there's lots of good story's on there, plus lots of helpful people too.
 
Claireree, sounds a bit dodgy when you say you've got your horse some Prescend! It's PrAscend and should only be obtained on prescription from a vet. Your vet would have told you a) why your horse needed Prascend, b) correct dosage and c) results, side effects, etc. What was your horse's ACTH level? If he was very high you may need to start him on eg 1mg per day but after 4 weeks you should ideally get his ACTH levels checked again so that you know whether he needs eg 2 tabs per day or whatever. Some owners report a transitional period of mild lethargy and loss of appetite but these are symptoms of Cushings too! The biggest effect you should see is that your horse becomes completely back to his old self! He should perk up, gain weight if he's lost it, regain his interest in life...all the things he lost when the Cushings took hold. Do remember though that Prascend isn't a cure for Cushings. It merely suppresses the production of cortisol, the flight or fight hormone. The tumour on the pituitary gland in the brain will continue to grow and will eventually prove fatal. Remember too that Cushings horses are VERY prone to laminitis. Talk to your vet about all this and if you got your Prascend from a dodgy source I'd bin it because you don't know what it really is. Could be pressed talcum powder!
 
Sorry I have mis spelt it but the tablets are at the stables and not at home with me, I actually only know the drug as Pergolide. I have spoken to my vet who has advised me on the tablets and yes i obtained them through him, I just wanted everyone elses advice on them.

I know it is not a cure i have done a lot of research into Cushings since my boy was diagnosed.
 
hi, my boy has been on them over a yr now, started on 1 a day now on 2 a day... hes such a differant pony, so full of life again... hes in his 20's and acting like a 3 yr old.... :D hes also insulin resistant.. i control that with diet and exercise...his acth levels were 375... now there 20 which is good...i have to find differant ways of getting the tablets down him though, hes got wise to them being in carrots or apples, at the mo hes having them in high fibre cubes. by hand, him his bucket he'll just leave them..:rolleyes:
 
Mine did really well, she regained topline and lost a lot of pot belly, the fatty eye pads reduced and her coat looked better. But the biggest benefit was her energy and mood, she was so much brighter and I saw her canter for the first time in years. Sadly as has been pointed out, it's not a cure but it can help for years, so well worth the expense. Mine had no issues eating it but then she always was a greedy so and so.

It can cause depression in some cases but if it does you can always speak to your vet about reducing the dose.
 
I had to introduce the prascend into her diet slowly, but what a difference in a short space of time!
Less wee, lost pot belly, full of even more energy (she has always been bonkers)
 
Mine has been on Prascend/Pergolide for 6 years now. She's 23 and still acts like a 3 y.o. Over time we have had to gradually increase the dosage and although it isn't a cure it keeps the symptoms under control so your horse aooears normal. Just make sure you treat your horse as a laminitic with a high forage, no sugar diet. Get her bloods tested in October to make sure her levels are correct going into winter as this is the danger time for Cushings.

Good luck!
 
I introduced it very very slowly even tho my vet said just to go ahead with one a day. I did a quarter a day for 4 days, then onto a third, then onto half for at least a week and up to 3/4 then to 1. It took a good 2 weeks or more but I had absolutely no side effects, depression or stopping eating and I think it is just as quick to do it that way than to introduce it quickly and then have to reduce it if the horse has problems.

I started seeing improvements afer about 2 weeks on a fully dose of 1pd.
 
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