Prascend/cushings and spooking

[joellie]

Well as I have said in previous posts Marley was diagnosed with cushings , the vet had said he needed one tablet, which i did think was a bit too much to be starting of with and I did say this, the vet I usually deal with was on holiday and even though it was the same practice it was a vet I had no dealings with before and she insisted he start on the one tablet .
He was not good on the one tablet, started to refuse his feed (marley doesn't refuse any feed ever) I also noted that about half an hour after getting the tablet he would quiver and twitch his muscles and turn quickly around to his sides as if he had a fly on him,which he didn't , he was becoming even more jumpy, spooky which is a new thing for marley these last few months so I am now linking it to the cushings as he is normally solid as a rock, but on the tablets his spookiness has become even worse. I rode him last night after giving him the week off while he adjusted to the tablets and he was very spooky but forward going, I know he had the week off but that usually doesn't matter to Marley. He was wanting to take of into canter at any opportunity and then when we were cantering ( about our 3rd canter) he threw his head down and started broncing but not in a really bad way to get me off??? I don't know what it was about?? We ended on a good note and he did some lovely leg yeilding and half passes.

My usual vet was back today and I spoke to him this morning and he has agreed with me to put him on half a tablet until his bloods are taken again in 6 weeks time to check his levels.

Has anyone else noticed a change in their cushing horse regarding spooking and just generally more jumpy?

 

[carthorse]

I think it can make them feel better than they have in a while by taking away a lot of niggling symptoms & in some this is shown by the sort of behaviour you describe.

 

[domane]

Were you advised to feed Marley half a tablet twice a day? One pill in one feed is a heck of a shock to their system. Even on half a pill daily you may need to feed a quarter twice a day for a couple of weeks whilst he adjusts. Prascend does funny things to them whilst their body adjusts so give Marley a few weeks to settle down.

By the way, one pill daily is standard for starting. Vets like to get a handle on it for that first 6-week follow up test and often over rather than under medicate. Depending on the result you would probably have been advised to drop to a half anyway.

 

[joellie]

@carthorse, thanks, yes I am hoping he will start to feel good in himself. I have had a very tired, hard to get going pony this past year, but then also spooky which he never has been before, He can be very nappy if allowed but has never been spooky or nervy type so I am hoping this will settle when the medication starts to bring his levels down.

@domane, thanks for the reply, no the vet didn't suggest it divided up in to twice a day. My oldie has cushings, has done for years and I remember at the start I had to cut his meds right down and gradually bring them up as he wouldn't eat, but he never showed any other signs like Marley is.

 

[Trewsers]

Gosh I never realised how strong the prascend was or that it could have such an effect! All I do remember when Chloe started on it six years ago was that she went from being quiet and tired looking - to sparkly eyed and having a real march in her step when being turned out and brought in. I never thought to introduce it slowly.

 

[joellie]

Gosh I never realised how strong the prascend was or that it could have such an effect! All I do remember when Chloe started on it six years ago was that she went from being quiet and tired looking - to sparkly eyed and having a real march in her step when being turned out and brought in. I never thought to introduce it slowly.

Yes it is strong and stronger than the pergolide that my oldie has been on up til now, my vet can no longer get the pergolide so they are both on Prascend which is a lot more expensive but also a lot more stronger so Rummy (my oldie) is only on half a prascend tablet compared to one whole pergolide tablet.
That's good Chloe only showed good changes on the tablets, although I wonder how her sparkley eyed and having a real march in her step would have felt under saddle lol

 

[Trewsers]

Yes it is strong and stronger than the pergolide that my oldie has been on up til now, my vet can no longer get the pergolide so they are both on Prascend which is a lot more expensive but also a lot more stronger so Rummy (my oldie) is only on half a prascend tablet compared to one whole pergolide tablet.
That's good Chloe only showed good changes on the tablets, although I wonder how her sparkley eyed and having a real march in her step would have felt under saddle lol

Hahaha yeah, walking her and handling on the ground is one thing - riding her would be quite another

 

[Bodshi]

I can't help as Raf was completely the opposite - he was started on just half a tablet and he became so depressed that I honestly thought I was going to lose him. He didn't go off his feed though. After coming off for a break and restarting on a quarter tablet (think how difficult that is with those tiny tablets!) he coped better and was able to go up to half, but he was much duller than usual and it took several months for the dullness to wear off and for him to return more to his normal self.

A few months ago his medication was increased to one tablet daily and I have noticed him being a bit more spooky, although it's difficult to tell with him whether he's just having a spooky day - I never have any idea what he's going to be like until I get on him anyway. Took him on hound exercises yesterday (after boasting to the saddle fitter how good he is out hunting) and he was a bit of a maniac - he bucked, made up his own jumps (I daren't do any proper jumping - saw too many people fall off) and wanted to race at every opportunity. Although it was fantastic to think that he felt so well, it was also a little alarming and I have a horrible feeling his mouth might be sore today. So whether that enthusiasm is anything to do with his increased dosage or he was just unusually excited I don't know. I'd kind of like to think it is due to the Prascend and him feeling well.

The behaviour you describe with Marley twitching , happened with Raf when I tried him on micronized Linseed, except that he'd actually nip at his sides and legs and occasionally buck around his box. It was very odd - as though he had so much nervous energy he didn't know what to do with himself. I tried him with it on two separate occasions and he was the same both times. Horses seem to be exceptionally reactive to what they ingest don't they?

 

[joellie]

@Bodshi firstly I am glad Raf got over the depression and sounds like he is doing well now and secondly Wow you are brave to go hunting. I loved the fact he made up his own jumps lol

Yes, what you described Raf to have been like on the micronized linseed is what Marley is like now, too much nervous energy. I couldn't ride him today, but I am going to hopefully tomorrow so I will see what her is like ...I'm too old for Nervous Energy lol

 

[Bodshi]

Yes, what you described Raf to have been like on the micronized linseed is what Marley is like now, too much nervous energy. I couldn't ride him today, but I am going to hopefully tomorrow so I will see what her is like ...I'm too old for Nervous Energy lol

Me too! I don't think it can be nice for them either - I imagine it's how I feel when I've had too much caffeine lol.

 

[Jessey]

I think Jess is more spooky since she's been on Prascend, but it's not one of the official side effects. She's always been solid as a rock but has been more of a tit the last couple of years about the silliest stuff.

 

[joellie]

Well I rode him this morning in the field, he was a lot harder to get going at the start. He kept stopping for no reason After about half an hour of just walking and stopping and walking on my say so not his he started to wake up. Still not very forward going so we did take it easy. He had one spook, which was at nothing, we were trotting along and the next thing he crouched and shot across to the side I then brought him down to a small section near the yard and we did lots of serpentines, leg yields and walk, trot, halt transitions which he seemed to enjoy.

I will just have to take each day as it comes and try to find a happy balance of not being too firm but also not too soft as he is the nappy type and is smart enough to get out of work if he can.