Worried :'(

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Crazy_cat_lady

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Going to have H cushings tested on Friday with the free voucher

Have nasty feeling he will be diagnosed with- he is quite lethargic, think he has the fatty eye thing and some of the other signs

Just feeling quite upset thinking about it as a) I know it's incurable and kind of would rather not know and b) it's another sign he's getting old :'(
 
It is not the end of the world if he does have it, it may not be curable but it is manageable with drugs and diet, far better to know what you are dealing with in order to manage the symptoms than be worrying about the signs and having no answers.
 
My horse was diagnosed with Cushings 10 years ago and she is still going strong. (She has been on one tablet daily of Pergolide 250 micro gram ever since).
 
Of course youre worrired hun. But i belive knowing about what maybe wrong is half the battle with any illness or situation equine and hunman. once you know you can plan and manage it. my world crumbled the day i was told baby was going blind. but after i had cried my tears but it answered so many questions. Then i started planning. her stable was laid out speficallly, people were told, the yard owner told(who was fantastic and understanding to not moving her when horses were moved for spraying and telling everone exsisting and new liveries) and it was known i was fussy who handled her. Bit waffley there but just wanted to say of course you are worriedbut knowing understanding and managing is better than being unaware. please let us know as people on here will have good advice to manage. hugs x
 
((( Hugs hun )))

Hope it goes okay today, but it's not the end of the world if it comes back with the wrong answer. It is manageable. It doesn't mean the end. X
 
Thanks for the messages x

Just called vets and the vet I need to speak to is back later so need to call back later but results suggest borderline suggesting low grade/ early cushings :(

They will discuss with me when I Cb later :'(
 
Sorry about your lad - my lad was diagnosed with early Cushings at the start of this year. He's 18 and is on a quarter of a tablet of Prascend which he munches in a slice of apple every morning, plus Chasteberry in his feed. It's so routine I don't even think about the fact that he's got Cushings now :)
He's perked up no end and is ridden 6 days a week. For the last 2 years, each Autumn he used to get lethargic and a bit depressed, like he had a virus: riding him was like sitting on a log and I ended up giving him a few weeks off thinking he'd picked up a virus...

Now I understand it was the disease and I'm just pleased that it was finally sussed and I can keep him happy, so hopefully the same will be true of yours. :)
 
Mrs B said:
Sorry about your lad - my lad was diagnosed with early Cushings at the start of this year. He's 18 and is on a quarter of a tablet of Prascend which he munches in a slice of apple every morning, plus Chasteberry in his feed. It's so routine I don't even think about the fact that he's got Cushings now :)
He's perked up no end and is ridden 6 days a week. For the last 2 years, each Autumn he used to get lethargic and a bit depressed, like he had a virus: riding him was like sitting on a log and I ended up giving him a few weeks off thinking he'd picked up a virus...

Now I understand it was the disease and I'm just pleased that it was finally sussed and I can keep him happy, so hopefully the same will be true of yours. :)
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this is such a lovely enthusisatic reply - so nice to read thanks x
 
Thats good to hear Mrs B :)

Just had a little cry but know it is good that I now know and can start to help him

Have now spoken to the vets in more detail- he has the early stages/ mild Cushings. I was given the option of whether I wanted to put him on the tablets yet or wait but it may suddenly turn so knowing he was going to have to have them some day anyway have asked for a months trial (died a little at the cost!)

Has anyone got any advice on management?

I have clipped him out this year as he was getting so sweaty but anything else I can do to help him?

Also, would my insurance cover the cost of the tablets? Know it may make my premiums not worth it if I were to ask them to but is it something they are likely to cover? Just one of my old cats had thyroid tablets and they would have covered them should she been insured?

Thanks for all the nice comments x
 
The insurance should cover the cost for the first year from diagnosis.
Introduce him to the tablets gradually, 1/4 or 1/2 a day as it can cause a reaction, they may lose their appetite for a while as they adjust dont panic if he doesn't want to eat his normal feed, most pick up again once they get used to them.
 
my lady was diagnosed 3 weeks ago, she's on day 21 of treatment and she has so much more energy already! back to being a trouble maker, charging around the field, winding the others up!! she stopped this around a year ago and I put it down to old age but clearly it wasn't her age but cushings!!

she was diagnosed as she had some sort of allergic reaction, to god knows what, they were doing blood test so just got it down to cross that off the list! and steroids weren't helping her allergic reaction but after about 15 days of the cushings meds her lumps had disappeared, so I have put it down to her immune system being weaker than a normal horse! so I'm very pleased with the results of the meds!!

Good luck for your pony!!
 
My girlie was diagnosed 2weeks ago and I Think'm I'm still in shock! Had her tested due to lethargy and fat above eyes. So it came back positive. She has been on meds for 11 days now, 6 days half tablet, 5 days full and we haven't reached the perky stage yet. I am sure it will come but right now she looks half asleep . When she comes in :-( I've changed her feed to healthy hooves which is fine and fibre ready mash which she hates! I thought that would be the treat bit! So it's all go and not out the woods yet buts it early days still. However I'm glad I know what to deal with and I'm sure things will improve soon!
 
hey guys, my mare already has EMS and last year she had the cushings test and she came back borderline but due to already being on meds we decided to leave the cushings at that moment..... well today she has her glucose challenge to check her ems (not that she is entirly helpful when it comes to eating the glucose powder lol) and were doing the 2nd lot of the cushings tests to - keep everything crossed for me xx
 
As you've done, keep him clipped.
Get him on to a low starch/low sugar/no molasses diet.
Add chaste tree berry powder to his feed.
Be patient with the Prascend, he might feel pants before he feels a difference, you might just need to go down to a lower dose.

It's not the end, my pony still does everything asked of her!
 
I can highly recommend the facebook group below - the admin team are very helpful and knowledgeable!

https://www.facebook.com/#!/groups/475349259169277/

My girl was diagnosed last month and she is only 8 :(

We started her on 1 tablet a day but she suffered from what they call a "veil effect", she went off her food, was very lethargic and suffered a milc colic one night. I stopped the tablet for a week then started back on 1/2 a tablet a day and so far she is doing great (touches wood). Last night she was full of energy and was back to her cheeky self :)

Just a note about chastreeberry - the laminitis site have a section on chastreeberry stating that research shows it does not have much effect on cushings (aka PPID). I also THINK I read on the facebook page that you should not feed it at the same time as pergaloide but I could be mistaken so you would need to double check this info.

Here is the link to the chastreeberry research if anyone is interested

http://www.thelaminitissite.org/u-v-w-x-y-z.html
 
Tayto said:
My girl was diagnosed last month and she is only 8 :(

We started her on 1 tablet a day but she suffered from what they call a "veil effect", she went off her food, was very lethargic and suffered a milc colic one night. I stopped the tablet for a week then started back on 1/2 a tablet a day and so far she is doing great (touches wood). Last night she was full of energy and was back to her cheeky self :
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Ah, this is so unfair being diagnosed at age 8! :-( I am in shock at my 19 year being diagnosed but it kind of comes with the age territory, so not totally unexpected I suppose. Mine is on 1 tablet at the moment but not quite got all her energy but it's coming. She has started eating everything in sight including her straw bed which she hasn't done in ages! So I think the (mild) veil is on its way out and she will be my girl again soon! :-)
 
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