To test for cushings/ir or not?

[popularfurball]

I'm in a quandary.

Vet came out who hadn't seen pony before and said he was fairly sure she was IR and cushings. She is a good weight - nice and ribby but since going On straw three weeks ago has piled on the weight and bow has fatty bits above her eyes and behid shoulders. Bum and tum and neck all ok though.

She is barefoot and suffers sensitivity to grass. As a result she is out on a bare field with hay. She also gets footy when in season, but booted she is fine. She has a vit and min supp and she has bad skin stuff so that's no indicator of coat problems really. She wees regularly and is wet but nit unusually so.

She was tested in march time and wasn't even close to borderline for either.

Will mOre testing make any difference to current things? How many times doyou have to test to get a reliable reading? Obviously she could go on Pergolide, but if she has cushings is that necessary at this stage when it's not "getting in the way"?

Ive Questioned cushings the two plus years I've had her, an usual vet said he would eat his hat is she wasn't (and duly ate it!!!) but with the final diagnosis of skin problems (auto immune disease) I'm not so bothered as a lot of things are now explained and managed with no further problems

 

[splashgirl45]

not sure what you are asking...i got my horse tested little while ago as she did not lose her winter coat and didnt seem quite herself(cant put my finger on it but have had her for 9 years and knew something wasnt right) she is now on prascend and my main reason for getting her tested was that i am worried about laminitis and as far as i know being on prascend should help to guard against an attack. obviously i am managing her very carefully regarding feed and excercise. if you say yours is footy some of the time i would be a little worried that she has low grade laminitis or the beginnings of it . there is a herbal supplement which is supposed to help with cushings if you dont want to go down the drug route.i think its called vitex agnus castus(chaste berry) hope this helps...

 

[Tammytoo]

If you're managing your pony's symptoms successfully at the moment I wouldn't have thought it necessary to go onto pergolide. Our cushinoid pony has been on it for 3 years, but had to have the dosage upped last Xmas when she had a lami attack.

Apart from the fatty swelling above her eyes (which disappeared when she went onto pergolide) she had no signs she had cushings other than an unexplained lami. attack in winter 3 years ago.

If you can continue to manage her diet successfully and she isn't depressed (another sign) or in pain then I would save the pergolide until it is really needed.

Good luck

 

[popularfurball]

Having had strong negative results for both earlier in the year, is the stress and cost worth having more tests done? Would it change what I was doing? At what point is Pergolide appropriate? The vets seem to use it straight away and against just management first?

I'm just feeling a little resistant to putting her through more medical procedures when she has had so much interference, but I don't want to put her health in risk (though starting medication and taking bloods may do that anyway).

She has shed her summer coat but her winter coat isn't coming through very thickly so she is looking a bit sparse - but having had a totally Bald pony a few months back and coat is appreciated an why I'm not sure it is related to cushings. She doesn't over coat more than any other native, or have winter lami. Footyness is one week every six weeks - so has happened three times this summer and now seems to have stopped. At the same time she is very uncomfy in her back and short behind and messily in season though ovary scan is clear and hormone bloods were normal.