Update on Laminitic Pony - Pergolide successful on non-cushings case

[Flame_]

I posted a while back about one of work's driving ponies who had a bad attack of laminitis at Christmas. Thankyou to everyone who offered advice and support - he's now on a super-strict diet and his weight is under control. Anyway, when I last posted despite all the standard laminitis treatment he had failed to show any sign of improving, until about three weeks ago after the vet had put him on one pergolide a day. He doesn't have cushings, but as my boss also owns his half brother, who does have cushings and is doing superb on pergolide the vet thought it would be worth a try. The only other option was looking like a bullet.

The improvement in a matter of a week was absolutely unbelievable and the vet and farrier are very pleased with how he's doing. He isn't 100% sound yet but he's close and he's down to half a bute a day. I just wanted to let everyone know in case anyone's in a similar situation. It is possible that even if a pony does not have cushings disease pergolide can help to treat laminitis - I don't know if it can help prevent it in non-cushings cases but if anybody is tearing their hair out with a recurrent laminitic it is certainly worth discussing with your vet.

 

[Eaglestone]

I am so pleased for you and so glad your ponio is doing well

There is always the possiblily that although there are no other signs of Cushings that something is happening with/to the Piturity Gland and you have nipped it in the bud (so to speak!)
I hope you have many happy times with your 'non Cushings' Cushings type pony, as I have had with my old boy, now you have the Laminitis under control

 

[MagicMelon]

I always thought that vets wouldnt offer peroglide unless they were diagnosed with cushings. My vet certainly wasnt very helpful at all when one of mine was continually coming down with lami last year, I had asked about peroglide but she basically said that it wasnt worth it even if the horse did have cushings! Luckily, I managed to eventually find out a way to maintain the pony and she is now finally sound (but through no help of theirs!).

I do however know of some shetlands near me who keep getting lami no matter what. I will certainly mention this to her!

 

[brighteyes]

I have heard of this happening - someone on Yahoo groups themetabolichorse - once posted about a guy doing this for accidental grain overloads. No idea if the results were conclusive but pony might have Cushing's going on but none of the classic signs?

Good luck with it.

 

[ecrozier]

QR
Hiya
Do you mind me asking (OP that is) what test your vet did to say that the pony definately didn't have cushings? Got a similar situation and looking for other people's experiences, as I think the original laminitic problems we had a few years back might have been the early onset of Cushings, however pergolide didn't work!

 

[Flame_]

Vet took bloods and they were analysed at some lab - same test the half brother had about three years ago. The laminitic pony was definately negative, the half brother was 'strongly borderline'. I agree with what everyone has said, its almost definately connected to cushings, possibly he will be diagnosed with cushings in five years time. The vet told me he is treating a similar case at the moment, another pony prescribed pergolide after failing to respond to laminitis treatment and this pony has also now improved greatly. I'm sure its not the answer to all laminitis problems or anything, but it must be worth knowing about to anybody struggling.

 

[Happytohack]

I have a pony with Cushings, he is on pergolide and is doing very well at the moment. I had another pony with repeated bouts of lamintis - he tested negative for Cushings and EMS. However, my vet said that in some cases the only way to really tell if a horse/pony has Cushings is to try them on Pergolide and see if they respond to it - if they do, then they would be regarded as having Cushings. I am so pleased that your pony is doing well. Sadly in the case of my other little pony, he didn't make it and had to be PTS.

 

[MagicMo]

[ QUOTE ]
I had asked about peroglide but she basically said that it wasnt worth it even if the horse did have cushings!

[/ QUOTE ]

I'm shocked by this, it seems a very strange thing for a vet to say, it is normally considered the drug of choice.