Talk to me about cushings....

C

Chestnut mare

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My 19yo pony has been diagnosed with cushings today. She does not look like a cushings pony but we tested her as she has had a couple of tooth root abcesses and the test is currently for free so had nothing to loose.

Both the vet and myself were shocked with the result.

I just want to know about your horses with cushings, management advise, how they are on treatment. Did they show any clinical signs prior to diagnosis?

Thanks
 
there are quite a few posts on this as they all show different signs...mine didnt shed her coat, had fat pads above her eyes, was a bit grumpy(not like her) was cribbing much more than usual, her breathing didnt seem quite right and she was very quiet(usually a real nutcase). she is 22 and had levels of 172, has been on prascend and have had to gradually increase the dose to 3 daily and she seems fine. she is managed more or less the same, out 24/7 in summer and out 10am to 5.30pm daily now. hay at night and sugar free feed of fast fibre and baileys light chaff and formula4feet. if your horse is prone to laminitis you may need to restrict grazing more than i do. hope this helps, my only problem is the cost!!!!!!
 
Our little pony was diagnosed with cushings last year - he didn't have many of the symptoms, the only thing that really raised concern was the fact that he seemed to age very suddenly - he had always been a hyperactive little thing but suddenly was pottering around like an old man and looking depressed and miserable - extremely unlike him. He'd always held onto his winter coat a little longer than the others but not really noticeably. He's in his twenties, our first vets refused to test him as they said he was just old, but when we asked another vet out they did it immediately and confirmed our suspicions that he had it.
He's only on 1/2 a prascend tablet a day but within about a week of being on the medication he had changed, he is now back to his nutty little self and completely full of energy, chasing around the fields with the others and being a hooligan. We've always managed him very carefully due to the fact that he's a little pony and therefore lami-prone, so haven't needed to change how we do anything. Still cannot believe the change in him!
 
starryeyed said:
Our little pony was diagnosed with cushings last year - he didn't have many of the symptoms, the only thing that really raised concern was the fact that he seemed to age very suddenly - he had always been a hyperactive little thing but suddenly was pottering around like an old man and looking depressed and miserable - extremely unlike him. He'd always held onto his winter coat a little longer than the others but not really noticeably. He's in his twenties, our first vets refused to test him as they said he was just old, but when we asked another vet out they did it immediately and confirmed our suspicions that he had it.
He's only on 1/2 a prascend tablet a day but within about a week of being on the medication he had changed, he is now back to his nutty little self and completely full of energy, chasing around the fields with the others and being a hooligan. We've always managed him very carefully due to the fact that he's a little pony and therefore lami-prone, so haven't needed to change how we do anything. Still cannot believe the change in him!
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Ah this is good news. I had my girl of about 16 diagnosed a few weeks ago. Levels in the 80s. She had become very steady and lethargic. One day she literally would not move out of her field. I've only had her on the pills for 3 days so no noticeable change yet, but I really hope she has a similar response!
 
I've got a 28 yo on half a tablet a day his ACTH was in the 90's pre medication and last time he was tested they were about 19. He had lost his topline and held his winter coat long into the summer. He's been great since going into the meds.

I have just had a 2nd pony diagnosed who shows no typical cushings symptoms. I only tested because she is 23 and the test is free. She came back as ACTH 119. I'm unsure what to do with her due to the fact she doesn't show any signs of illness.
 
My pony had levels of 97 and the vet said anything over 40 is cushings. I am always paranoid about Lami anyway so I expect I will be worse next spring. Other than the recurrent abcesses she had no symptoms. But looking into it more weight loss is a symptom along with lethargy which I put down to stiffness/old age. Also she is having a problem with pinworms which I cant seem to get on top off. Hopefully with the medication she can live a happy, healthy life.
 
Mine just kept being footy. I had her tested three times and it kept coming back negative, but I just knew she was cushings because of the footiness that I couldn't get on top of. She had also started to wee when I was riding her - I will have had her fourteen years on Saturday and prior to getting cushings she had only weed under saddle once before - she is very shy about it. Last winter she had her first abscess ever which burst out of her heel and took several weeks to resolve, despite veterinary intervention. She also shows up as having worms every time I have her counted although she is in a field with only one other pony which is poo picked every day or two. Her coat is still beautiful though.
Eventually we got a borderline positive test and the vet allowed me to put her on prascend which has been such a relief, apart from the cost. It has been easier to keep her sound. Her soles are still very thin and I still have to carefully monitor what she eats but this has been the first summer in several years without an episode of laminitis.
 
Prascend (pergolide for horses) is very effective, but just be aware that for a few days it suppresses the appetite. Doesn't last long though and within a couple of weeks you will see the difference.
My old mare lost weight and was drinking/weeing a lot, due to the Insulin Resistance which usually goes hand in hand with Cushings, and my vet diagnosed purely on her age and the clinical signs. She has a low sugar/starch diet which helps the IR, and she is now 34, 5 years from diagnosis. Not really carrying enough weight but has enough energy on unmollassed beet, grass and alfalfa nuts and grass all year round (dentally challenged and can't manage forage).
 
Im currently waiting for my boys test results to come through.

He is 26 now, and i have noticed this year he has lost weight/muscle and his topline, i assumed the lack of topline and muscle where due to the fact he wasn't being ridden anymore, however, as the test is free and the vet was visiting our yard i decided to have the test done just so i know what im dealing with and if it is cushings how i can go about getting a little more weight on him, he has never had laminitis but i have noticed his eyesight doesn't seem to be as good as it was. The vet did say he had two small cataracts one in each eye, but they shouldn't affect his eyesight.

Watching this thread with interest.
 
Mine was diagnosed just over a year ago. The reason I had him tested was that we just couldn't shift the weight. He had a large crest, fat pads behind his shoulders and also has fat pads above his eyes - despite being on restricted grazing and soaked hay, also whilst being ridden 4 or 5 times a week. He was tested and his levels came back as 102, so he is now on 1 prascend tablet a day. Thankfully his levels have come down to 31 so the medication seems to be working, he has also lost a lot of weight but still has a crest despite looking quite ribby.
Management wise, he is muzzled in the summer and out during the day then in over night with soaked hay. We did make the mistake of trying him out 24/7 in the summer which caused him to get lami so we have to be careful with his management.
 
I only got my mare tested as I had a free voucher for a test. I was totally shocked when she was diagnosed with cushings. She did have a thick coat but I'd put that down to her age (24) rather than cushings.

We tried and tried and tried to keep her on Prascend but she didn't get on with it at all. She ended up VERY depressed and when she stopped eating all together when we had thick snow on the ground I took the decision to take her off it. She is now doing REALLY well on Hilton Herbs Cush X. She shed her coat completely normally in Spring etc.

The only symptom that we still have a problem with is the increased occurrence of mud fever due to compromised immune system, so we have to be very careful about making sure her legs are always slathered in barrier cream/pig oil even in the Summer.

We were able to keep her weight even throughout the Summer, however in the Winter she does need extra feed and extra warm rugs (last year she had a HW rug on for the first time ever!) due to the inability to regulate her temperature. And even in the Summer, if we have very heavy rainfall then she needs a light rug on or she shivers terribly.

I have to say that when she was first diagnosed I was devastated and convinced she was on borrowed time, but so far we've been able to manage her symptoms and keep her happy, healthy and most importantly, lami free!
 
My 8yr old clydie x cob tested positive a few weeks ago. Her ACTH level was 90. I got her tested as she was really dull and depressed and was sweating quite a lot even after light hacking. She was also very thirsty.

The vet started her on 1 prascend a day. For the first week, she was back to her normal self -bright and alert and came over to me in the field which she had stopped doing previously as she just no energy but now on week 2 she has gone a bit dull and is off her food. The vet said to leave it till the end of the week and if she doesnt pick up, stop the tablets for 7 days then re-start with 1/2 a tablet and see how she does.

Its so sad that such a young horse has to be on medication for the rest of her life :( but nevermind, it could be worse and if we get the dose right hopefully she can continue on with everything as normal!
 
Does anyone feed any vitamin/mineral supplement to keep the immune system strong or does the prascend help this?

My horse is currently on top spec anti lam and top chop lite - however, she has gone off the top chop lite completely and will eat the anti lam with persuation. Just wondered if this is enough for her or if I should feed a supplement....
 
Tayto said:
Does anyone feed any vitamin/mineral supplement to keep the immune system strong or does the prascend help this?

My horse is currently on top spec anti lam and top chop lite - however, she has gone off the top chop lite completely and will eat the anti lam with persuation. Just wondered if this is enough for her or if I should feed a supplement....
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bit late i know but i feen IMUNEPLUS herbals supp- get it from robinsons
 
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