hi my mare of 15yr shows afew sign of cushings, they are after riding out for 1/2 hour she gets all sweaty and her coat goes all curly like a perm, dips above her eyes are popping out, seems very lethric(sorry can't spell), coat last may came out in patches and she looked bald, im quite upset by all these signs, i've heard the tests the vets do arn't always right, im scared about the cost, i love my horse to bits, but im afraid about how much it will all cost, as money is tight these days, i don't want to get rid of her or her pts, please help
Cushing Disease
- Thread starter kizz1e
- Start date
Please don't panic 
and trust me that a horse with Cushings is not immediately at the end of its life. Do talk to your vet, though, ask them out for an opinion, and if a blood sample is needed for testing then don't put off knowing. I understand that the tests have improved in recent years, and once you know for certain either way, your horse's quality of life can be assured and you will have peace of mind.
*hugs*
and trust me that a horse with Cushings is not immediately at the end of its life. Do talk to your vet, though, ask them out for an opinion, and if a blood sample is needed for testing then don't put off knowing. I understand that the tests have improved in recent years, and once you know for certain either way, your horse's quality of life can be assured and you will have peace of mind.*hugs*
Sorry to hear about your mare.
I recently had my 20yo shetland diagonised with cushings, the cost of the test including call out was £90.
My shetland has suffered from mild laminitis due to the cushings, which is at present managed by diet.
I will look into treatment with peroglide if his condition, deteriorates and/or he fails to shed his coat this summer.
I have done alot of research on the net regarding cushings and have found it may be possible to obtain a vets prescription for peroglide, which can then be purchased much cheaper from a chemist.
I recently had my 20yo shetland diagonised with cushings, the cost of the test including call out was £90.
My shetland has suffered from mild laminitis due to the cushings, which is at present managed by diet.
I will look into treatment with peroglide if his condition, deteriorates and/or he fails to shed his coat this summer.
I have done alot of research on the net regarding cushings and have found it may be possible to obtain a vets prescription for peroglide, which can then be purchased much cheaper from a chemist.
I have 2 with Cushings, & a third over 10 years ago. I treat mine with diet & vitex which you can get at saddlers or on ebay. Pergolide is a drug of last resort. & it is very expensive. Also it has side effects.
Your horse sounds classic. My vet didn't do the blood test on the last one, he said a diagnosis was obvious so why waste my money telling what I already knew!
Your horse sounds classic. My vet didn't do the blood test on the last one, he said a diagnosis was obvious so why waste my money telling what I already knew!
Cushings can often be managed for years without medication. I have known several cushings ponies and none have been on medication for it; all managed well into a ripe old age with proper management.
Is she insured?
Is she insured?
Try the diet first. Low sugar - that means only low sugar feed & soak hay for 1/2 hour to get rid of sugar. Restrict grazing in fast growing times ie Spring & autumn & after rain..
Soaking for 30 minutes will do very little to get rid of sugars. Soak for 6-12 hours depending on her current weight and lami-risk level.
Personally I would buy a grazing muzzle and keep it on her from about March - October. It is better to be safe than sorry, and I would say you are better to restrict her grazing this way and feed her a low calorie balancer suitable for laminitics (Baileys LoCal etc) than risk her ODing on grass and getting lami. If she gets lami, it can be costly and time-consuming to deal with (box rest, bute, deep shavings bed, frog supports etc), not to mention agonising for the pony involved, so its better to do whatever you can to keep it at bay. You can get a grazing muzzle for around £10 - it's worth buying two so you have a spare incase she breaks one.
She will be better in a field of long grass, as the tips of grass (which she will eat) are the least nutritious and lowest in fructose. I often see lami ponies in fields of short grass, often with sheep, and its one of the worst things you can do - the newly grown shoots of grass are super-rich in the naturally occurring sugars that horses prone to lami need to avoid.
Also, as she is insured, check your policy to see if they would pay out for long term medication - I know my friend's insurance covers the cost of maintainance bute for her old arthritic horse.
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