Vet work up

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Sorry this is a bit later in the day than I intended, today has just gotten away from me.

So Kia had the vet today, got a full work up, everything checked. On a good note, eyes, ears, heart, teeth, gut, motion and action, reactions are all excellent in a horse his age apparently so that's given me a huge sigh of relief

He does however have decreased breath sounds due to what sounds like mucus on the left side, so this may be the reason he is heaving, so I will have to slowly fitten him up and he has been placed on a supplement to try to help this. The spells are a little more complicated, they may be just spells and go no further than what they are, they may progress and he may become dangerous to ride or handle, or they could be a symptom of cushings. This is the bitter sweet part for me. I don't like to medicate unless an animal is suffering. I'm just not one for long term meds.

He is having a full blood panel done including an acth test, if he comes back positive I have agreed to do a prascend trial, if during the trial he has no spells and he seems to be fine we will then remove him from it to determine if the spells return, if they do then I have a decision to make which will be to go against what I believe and keep medicating or let nature take its course with him. It will depend on his quality of life for me, as prascend has many side effects and many don't get on with it and he is fussy to feed and getting prascend into a good eater can be hard.

This boy has been a part of my life for longer than most humans so I will be honest in saying that I love him to bits but I will not have him unhappy on meds just to keep him with me, fingers crossed the bloods help us help him and if any meds are required that they help more than hinder.

Anyway some recent pics of him since he is just amazing to me

Field posing

Begging for treats and looking cute

Please mum

Pretty please?

Give me a treat now!

Go on mum

I'll look pretty

Off in a huff

Last ride before his serious episode, exploring a new track

Love living in such a picturesque place at times

 

[PorkChop]

He is adorable

Would you consider a scope maybe? Might give a clearer picture before long term meds.

I don't have any experience of cushings I'm afraid, but hope he feels more chipper soon

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

He is adorable

Would you consider a scope maybe? Might give a clearer picture before long term meds.

I don't have any experience of cushings I'm afraid, but hope he feels more chipper soon

Thank you

Vet never mentioned scoping and at 25 he isn't insured so if that was on the cards I would have to save for it, when the vet calls with my results I will mention it and see what they say

 

[Goldenstar]

Try him on wynergy ventilate it worked wonders on one of mine .

 

[paddy555]

I am not sure you are right about prascend. It is very easy to get into them. I give it to a semi feral. I just dissolve it and syringe it in. Very easy and no problem to the horse. I think there is a lot of over exaggeration about side effects or horses not getting on with it.
I have 2 on it. The only side effect for one of them has been to give an 18yo the quality of life of an 8yo. It has worked wonders for him and indeed for many other horses.

 

[Nari]

I agree with Paddy555. People only tend to post on forums if they have problems, it's very rare that anyone feels the need to post "this drug has improved my horse's life & I've got no problems with it at all". Also if you read the possible side effects of any drug you wouldn't take them, not even an aspirin - almost everything is listed, up to & including the main reason you'd take the drug.

No Prascend won't cure cushings so it's a life long med, but it will reduce symptoms & slow progress. Even if you do get short-term side effects it's worth persevering, particularly when weighed against the effects of cushings.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Thanks for the above that does make me feel better about getting him to eat it. I have been part of a Cushings support group on Facebook for a few years now, I joined the group as there were always good fussy feeder tips and also barefoot tips, I see the problems that some horses do have with the drug and I want to be prepared if this happens as he is a fussy beggar at times. Winter is normally much easier to get him to eat so hoping this helps.

 

[ester]

I do think cushings probably causes a lot of issues for the horse that aren't easily identifiable to us as 'symptoms', as such I think prascend is always worth trying.

 

[lornaA]

Don't discount using pracend. My old mare was on pracend for Cushings and it made a huge difference to her on only 1 tablet a day. I did have to introduce it very carefully as she did get the pracend veil that they can get so we reduced the amount then built it up very slowly and she was gr8. She did generally eat it though she could be fussy. I just broke it up and put in the feed.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Well his results have shocked both myself and the vets. His last test done came back in the 30s but this test has came back 370. Vet was very shocked as she expected him to be positive but not that positive. So I'm off to Malta today for a week and we will be starting his treatment when i return. I have agreed to the trial. If there is a significant difference and improvement in him and his levels drop then I will see how things progress.

 

[milliepops]

Good to have some answers then Had to say he looks super in the pics, a proper golden oldie

 

[ester]

Wow! That's thoroughly significant, will be interesting to see how the trial goes

 

[paddy555]

Well his results have shocked both myself and the vets. His last test done came back in the 30s but this test has came back 370. Vet was very shocked as she expected him to be positive but not that positive. So I'm off to Malta today for a week and we will be starting his treatment when i return. I have agreed to the trial. If there is a significant difference and improvement in him and his levels drop then I will see how things progress.

you will have seen on the FB group but just to say again start on 1/4 a day for several days, then a half, then 3/4. I took 3 weeks to get mine onto 1 tablet and not a single side effect. If you start on 1 and you have problems you will have to reduce the doseage so starting low really does get there just as quick in the end.

 

[Beausmate]

My 23 year old has just started on prascend. ACTH of 78.4. I thought I would take advantage of the free test, as my chap has lost his topline and didn't get fat this summer. Not like him!

He started on one tablet a day, just broken in two and mixed in his feed and he doesn't seem to have even noticed it. He has been on it a week, so nothing to see yet. He was a bit spaced out and looking sorry for himself for a couple of days, but he's nearly back to normal now.

He's going to be re-tested in three weeks, we're hoping to get him down to half a tablet. I may get my other oldie tested too, just in case.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Paddy thanks believe it or not I spoke to the vet about this and she wants him in a full tab straight away. I have decided against this though and I will start him off slowly and I'll have to give him molasses to take it I think as I can't think of any other way to get it into him without a bug feed and he's not eating much just now so hiding a bitter tasting med is a tiny feed will be impossible without. He doesn't get molasses so I'm sure he will lap up an handful of chaff with a big dollop quite happily well fingers crossed!!!

 

[paddy555]

Paddy thanks believe it or not I spoke to the vet about this and she wants him in a full tab straight away. I have decided against this though and I will start him off slowly and I'll have to give him molasses to take it I think as I can't think of any other way to get it into him without a bug feed and he's not eating much just now so hiding a bitter tasting med is a tiny feed will be impossible without. He doesn't get molasses so I'm sure he will lap up an handful of chaff with a big dollop quite happily well fingers crossed!!!

I can't believe vets are so far behind the times. So many people have worked out that the best way onto prascend is very slowly.

For the one I don't syringe he gets soaked copra and alfalfa pellets. I just keep a handful of soaked feed back and put it in there. he falls for it every time. Before that I used to give him a tiny handful of molassed coarse mix and put it in there. He also fell for that. What he didn't fall for were carrots, apples or bread.