reds Posted July 26, 2009 Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 Just me musing but has anyone had a horse with Cushings? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collies r best Posted July 26, 2009 Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 My boy Bumble is a possible very early cushings as he has a kink in some of his coat and would also explain why he gets laminitis with no reason. Vets have said just to keep a close eye on him for now and he has regular checks. My friends pony has cushings and is sadly nearing the time for her to go but for a long time shes had medication which has really helped. If you want i can find out what meds shes on if its any help? Its the sudden flare ups of laminitis that is so distressing, another cushings boy used to get it in all four feet and would be in agony. Having said that i know of another which doesnt get lammi but is definate cushings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reds Posted July 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 Thank you As you know from my frets on here Duke has had various infections over the last 12 or so months, latterly the mud fever and then the hoof abscess. In the last few weeks he has developed a fat belly now this may be purely down to the grass and my Dad feeding him not me during the week (not blaming my Dad by the way more myself for not being there enough). However I have noticed that he is an 'eater' now whereas normally he'd be the one looking around in the field whilst the others graze. He's never been a greedy horse and would rarely finish a net overnight if in the stable. On Friday the vet suspected laminitis which was a complete shock and is yet another first for us. I know he is more at risk anyway because of the changes in his feet from the ringbone and previous x-rays have confirmed this. I also know that the rain we've had lately is another higher risk. He looks well and his coat is good but I'm just curious about cushings given his belly and his appetite and now possibly laminitis. He's probably just gotten too fat (540kg) but I am suspicious especially as he's 26. Not noticed any great drinking changes but will keep an eye and ask the vet when I phone for his update tomorrow. It's the appetite that's gotten me worried as it's so not Duke! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reds Posted July 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 (edited) Do you know how the other cushings boy was diagnosed? I know for dogs it's a series of blood tests checking the hormone levels but don't know much at all about it in horses. Really sorry for your friend, awful position to be in Edited July 26, 2009 by reds Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
collies r best Posted July 26, 2009 Report Share Posted July 26, 2009 http://www.recoveryeq.com/cushings_syndrome_pro.htm They are normally done by blood test but its not always accurate. My vet was telling me his daughters pony always had negative results although showed all the cushing signs so he treated her for it anyway. A lot of them begin to get the thick wavy coat which is where most diagnosis seem to start but i must admit you've got me wondering now as Bumble has a big appetite and would eat 24/7 but i've never asociated it with cushings. He will eat anything including stinging nettles etc , he literally doesnt leave anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Houndwoman Posted July 27, 2009 Report Share Posted July 27, 2009 We have had 3 ponies with Cushings Two have gone to the Bridge and one still with us. It can do different things to different horses. Of the two we have lost, Tina a 13hh pony had the classic long curly coat but didn't have laminitis at all in her 33 years despite access to as much grass as she liked! In the end we lost her to a twisted gut which was not grass related but the vet thinks was made worse because of the Cushings or may even been a tumour in her stomach as she did have melanomas in other parts of her body. Poppy had laminitis for the last 10 years of her 30 years because of the Cushings. She didn't have access to grass at all for her last eight years. We lost her in the end because the laminitis had done so much damage to her feet and she was on three legs over her last 48 hours Shadow, who is now 21, the survivor was diagnosed 18 months ago as however careful we were he kept getting laminitis. He kept getting abscesses in his feet also. He was diagnosed with a blood test and he had high levels of ACTH in his blood. He doesn't have the classic coat problems but does have a crest on his neck although he is not overweight. He has fat pads above his eyes, drinks and pees a lot too. He does have 3 hours a day out in a diet paddock so he can stretch his legs and comes on to the yard for the rest of the time where there is a minimal amount for him to pick at. He has a hay net each evening. Late cut, old meadow hay is the best. he has Dengie HiFi Light, Top Spec Antilam, Alfalfa Pellets with a little garlic and 50ml of Aloe Vera juice added to it. He is not allowed any cereal based feed at all, no sugars or starches either. During the Winter months he has Dengie Alpha Beet in addition to all that and he is also on Pergolide prescribed by the vet. We did give him Hiton Herbs Cush X for about 11 months which worked well but found eventually it didn't work so he had to go on the Pergolide. I think the sooner you can get a diagnosis the better and get on to a regime asap if it is positive. Our vet told us that it is more common than people realise but is under diagnosed as people tend not to have them tested. I know it is a bit of a complex test as the blood has to be chilled immediately and sent off to Cambridge. Not sure whether it can be processed differently now but our vets are very hi tech and they couldn't do it. Hope it isn't that with your boy though but thought the info' may be usefu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rmb3971 Posted July 27, 2009 Report Share Posted July 27, 2009 No experience sorry but just wanted to send positive thoughts for you and Duke Let's just hope that he's just taking advantage of your dad's generous feeding and becoming a greedy boy and it's middle aged spread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts