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T O P I C R E V I E W
Liz100
Posted - 19 Nov 2015 : 06:44:03 AM Raf has just been diagnosed at the age of 9. It wasn't expected - thought he probably had a virus - but the vet did the PPID test as an afterthought because it was free in October.
He's on Prascend, had quite a bad reaction so he had to have a break and re-start on 1/4 tablet which he seems to be ok with, so will be increasing to half a tablet at the weekend.
At the moment I'm finding it hard to believe I will ever get my boy back. Does anyone have a PPID horse that is out and about doing endurance? Or any other sport for that matter. How do you manage them and do they have good days and bad days? If so, is it possible to plan ahead when entering comps etc, or do you just have to take each day as it comes?
The other thing that I didn't ask the vet and I will have to pluck up courage to ask him when he next comes is what is the prognosis for a horse diagnosed at a relatively young age? I understand the medication only addresses the symptoms so presumably the disease will continue to progress over time.
25 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First)
Liz100
Posted - 07 Feb 2016 : 4:02:02 PM Thanks Renee, that's very interesting about the light, I've never heard of them being used with horses. I'd be reluctant to change anything at the moment, as Raf is obviously feeling so well, but it's certainly something to bear in mind. I'm going to have a google ...
Renee
Posted - 06 Feb 2016 : 11:38:38 AM Hi Liz, I have had 3 with cushings and they all were worse with drugs, the first one was on pergolide or periactin (I forget now) from the start, and she had to be put down a year after diagnosis due to unmanageable laminitis, she'd been totally depressed. The second horse was diagnosed at about 26, I tried him on drugs for 3 months but he got depressed so I stopped, luckily he'd not had laminitis. I did lots of research and got a daylight light made (details later in this post), along with various herbal supplements. I clipped him fully all year round as he had the typical coat, and rugged & bandaged him as appropriate. He was never shut in his stable, always had access to a large yard so he could be out in the sun when he wasn't turned out, also I figured if he didn't want to be near the light he could choose to move away from it. He went on until he was 34 and was PTS due to something else. So, the daylight light - a large (3ft-4ft long) full spectrum (daylight) light made with a very long lead. It was tied to the ceiling of the stable & I ran the electric lead high up in the rafters so it couldn't be chewed, through to the tack room where it was plugged into a simple timer. This was set to come on morning and evening, say 5.30am to 9am and 4/5pm (in winter) to 10pm. This mimics summer sunlight and the theory is it has an effect on the hormonal system (thoroughbred studs use this I believe to bring mares in season in the winter - this is the only downside, all mares anywhere near the light will cycle all year round). I currently have a miniature pony with cushings, diagnosed about 8 years ago, she is 22 this year. She was very sick to start with, we tried drugs but she was so ill it was pitiful, virtually off her feet and so unhappy. I really thought we'd have to put her down. Again, stopped the drugs, she has the daylight light, for several years we had to clip her but her coat is now a lot better and comes out, with a bit of help. She doesn't sweat anything like as much as she used to. She is kept off grass completely as soon as it starts to grow in the spring, until it stops growing in the autumn. She has a big yard all the time, has company all the time (another mini pony), is never shut in and goes out for about an hour a day to run around and have a pick of grass. She is happy & content, not all horses would be. I'm not saying you shouldn't give your horse drugs, but you could try the light and some supplements. Global herbs are good. Best of luck.
Liz100
Posted - 05 Feb 2016 : 06:35:13 AM Thanks folks. We are only just over the border from South Yorkshire. Will be glad when the cough leaves! Out of the 15 horses on the yard, only 3 haven't had it, and there's still time for them to get it.
FireLight
Posted - 04 Feb 2016 : 05:36:22 AM Excellent, enjoy your exciting rides, long may they continue.
The cough has been through our yard and we are South Yorkshire so it must be going up the country. It's nothing serious just annoying.
Kharidian
Posted - 03 Feb 2016 : 9:14:40 PM Great news (apart from the annoying cough)!
Caryn
Callisto
Posted - 03 Feb 2016 : 6:51:27 PM So pleased that you have your bouncy horse back - long may it continue!
Pasch
Posted - 03 Feb 2016 : 6:50:05 PM Very good news! Enjoy your bumpy rides Cough is probably just a virus,we've had that a few months ago at our yard and vet said a lot of horses were having it,nothing serious though,guess it travelled up North!
Liz100
Posted - 03 Feb 2016 : 3:46:11 PM Just wanted to post an update and say thanks for all the support I received on this thread.
Raf slowly improved. I carried on riding him every weekend to see how he felt and it got so that he would feel fine one minute, then really stiff and sluggish the next. I did wonder whether I was just going mad so I got a girl who works at the yard to ride him for me and she thought the stiffness was coming from his left shoulder. I got the vet out and Raf (obviously) did his best Arab floaty trot up and down the yard, looking absolutely fab, but vet progressed through the flexion tests, right down to the front feet and eventually got Raf to display slight lameness on his left fore. He diagnosed mild arthritis below the fetlock and prescribed a course of Cartrophen injections. Also did repeat bloods to check his hormone levels and they were just about normal on the half tablet a day, thank goodness.
Now, a few weeks on, Raf is absolutely bouncing. In fact the last two or three rides I've had on him have been very bumpy indeed, with his back end trying to overtake his front end and all that spare energy coming up into his back. He can barely contain himself - he hasn't felt this good for years.
Slight drawback now - he has a cough - most of the yard do - so we're in quarantine for the time being.
I'm so pleased with how things have progressed though, I didn't dare hope that he would ever feel this good again, and it does make me wonder how long he'd been ill before it became obvious.
FireLight
Posted - 01 Dec 2015 : 12:39:29 PM Liz100 I hope that Raf never reacts like my boy, it is very hit and miss with the symptoms of PPID.
Give Copra a try as it turned my 19 year old my ex-racer (not a PPID sufferer as yet) into a 2 year old! Had to take him off it but he is now on Blue Chip Original and his top line is fantastic.
I really feel for you and can only keep my fingers crossed that Raf improves, PPID can be very cruel to some.
Liz100
Posted - 01 Dec 2015 : 06:45:13 AM Thank you so much for taking the time to reply everyone. So far the only personality change is that Raf was very much more cuddly when he was suffering the bad effects of the Prascend, but he's pretty much back to normal in that respect now. He is like your horse Nashiba in his manners and I would hate for that to change. FireLight, it must have been heart breaking to see your horse change so much, I've already thought ahead to this possibility and I will do exactly the same thing if it happens to us.
I may give Coolstance Copra a try - have thought about it many times, but I also thought about micronized Linseed after hearing so many good things about that. It didn't agree with Raf at all (was quite bonkers on it, not like him, and also rather itchy) so I'm more cautious about trying new stuff now! Contrary to everything I've read, his appetite has increased rather than suffered with the illness/medication. He's never been a greedy horse, often leaving a bit of feed and coming back to it later, but now he's licking his bowl out and always hungry. So at the moment getting the tablet in him isn't a problem, but then again he's only on half a tablet so far, it might get more difficult when the dose goes up. He still hasn't gained any weight, in fact he's lost even more topline and looks like an old horse now.
Callisto
Posted - 30 Nov 2015 : 10:34:49 PM Our 12 year old part-bred welsh pony got laminitis this year, so I requested a cushings test (which fortunately was on a free offer) as I had my suspicions, and he was positive. He has been on 1 Prascend tablet a day for about 4 months, he has lost weight, recovered from the laminitis, and is now on light exercise. The main difference is that he is back to his former self, no longer depressed, cantering around the field, bucking and carrying on. He has not been like this for about 3 years, which is how long I suspect he has been suffering. He used to just stand on his own, potter about and sometimes refuse to get up (before the laminitis). For him Prascend has really improved his quality of life. The only problem is getting him to eat it - started off sticking it in an apple or a carrot but he got wise to that, then in a piece of bread, now we have to give him a molasses sandwich with it in and then stuff a carrot in afterwards. I understand they taste very unpleasant.
brockle
Posted - 30 Nov 2015 : 5:47:55 PM Our 27 yr old mare has a Cushings score of over 1000 and at the end of winter 3-4" flowing hair, quite a sight to see. We already have two on Prascend but she couldn't cope on even a low dose and financially it was maybe a prescription too far. However she lives her life perfectly happily, with the odd gallop even with knobbly knees, once we tried Coolstance Copra. Someone on here, bless her, had written in glowing terms about it with her old horse and we got some to try. Its like a miracle food for Edda, the one day we'd run out she just stood staring glumly at her bowl. After years of trying to keep weight on her this is the answer and seems to have a great effect on her general well being too.
FireLight
Posted - 30 Nov 2015 : 09:12:22 AM My boy was aggressive with PPID and not the Prascend. PPID robbed me of my beautiful, gentle, dependable best friend. He bit me, kicked me with aggression and then would look at me with horror and confusion, his eyes became hard and wild. He was ok with his pair bond at first then he started to turn on him. I put him on Prascend hoping he would improve but sadly he didn't. We battled on for two years with me as his 'carer' but in the end I had to make the heartbreaking decision to pts at the age of 22. He looked the picture of health but mentally he was very ill. I miss him every day but now he is at peace and no longer tormented.
My friend put her horse on Prascend and the difference is fantastic but it took about 4 months and she now has her horse back and you would never know she had PPID.
Nashiba
Posted - 29 Nov 2015 : 10:25:23 PM My lovely boy 17 years old was diagnosed with Cushings in September after the farrier suggested a bloodtest as there was some separation in his front feet. I was totally gutted as I haven't had him that long and had such plans for over the winter and for Veteran classes next year. He was prescribed Prascend so I did a little research and came across quite a few cases of the horse/pony undergoing a complete personality change as well as the depression etc. My horse is a gentle giant (pure bred) but over 16hh,he is the kindest most affable chap you could wish to meet,my grandaughter having had several bad experiences with her ponies and won't go in the stables to brush them will go in with this guy with her hoof pick and pot of oil and he will pick up his foot for her-she is 7 years old-and when she has finished one foot and walks around him to do the back one he has already lifted it for her!She asks to be lifted up to sit on him and he just stands there for her to clamber on board. I'm afraid I do not want to lose the special chap I have so have taken the decision not to give the Prascend and treat him as if he has laminitis -by that I mean soaked hay ,deep sawdust bed and Dengie Healthy Hooves dampened with Kwik Beet/Speedy Beet which is approved by the Laminitis Trust and his favourite carrots. We shall just take him day to day and enjoy his company whether or not he is sound enough to ride or not.
debs
Posted - 28 Nov 2015 : 10:11:22 PM Will pm you
Liz100
Posted - 28 Nov 2015 : 7:47:19 PM Thanks Debs. Would you mind PM'ing me her contact details? I don't think I will contact her yet because I need to give the Prascend a few weeks before I know exactly where we stand. I think trying different things at this stage will confuse the issue and I won't know which particular treatment is helping.
However, a few weeks down the road, I will probably start to look at other remedies to either complement or replace the Prascend, depending how we get on with it. It could be fate that your homeopath has moved to Yorkshire!
debs
Posted - 28 Nov 2015 : 6:59:47 PM Liz our homeopath moved from Bucks to Yorkshire....let me know if you want to contact. She is spookily brilliant :)
Liz100
Posted - 28 Nov 2015 : 6:02:13 PM Thanks debs and Ziadomira. I'm going to persevere with the Prascend for now because it does sound as though it will take several weeks before I know whether or not it's effective. If it doesn't work out then I'll be looking at alternatives.
I started him on APF this week, which is supposed to counteract the negative effects of the Prascend and he is thankfully much brighter in himself. I rode today (ride every weekend to 'test' how he's feeling) and he certainly isn't back to himself yet, but I suppose it's early days.
Ziadomira
Posted - 26 Nov 2015 : 3:17:25 PM Spoke to someone this morning whose 18 year old gelding (not Arab) was diagnosed with Cushings earlier this year. When started on Prascend he was not very well but after a few weeks he got used to it and is now much better and has put on a lot of weight.
debs
Posted - 26 Nov 2015 : 06:53:04 AM One of our old boys was on homeopathic remedies for cushibgs.... We lost him lady year at 37.
Liz100
Posted - 26 Nov 2015 : 06:31:35 AM Thank you both, it's nice to hear happy stories. I hope Raf can be the same, only time will tell I suppose.
My mother is going progressively gaga at the moment, so I'm loving the idea of a horse being the same!
Ziadomira
Posted - 25 Nov 2015 : 3:42:25 PM We have one on Prascend. One tablet a day. Initially we thought she was thin due to her teeth but when the equine dentist came she advised to check for Cushings. She has not looked back and is now ell covered. She is 25 and after they were in for a few days recently because of the weather she went across the field at a gallop, could not wait to be let go. Very happy at the moment so if you can stabilise your boy then there is not reason why he does not have a happy life. Izzy was diagnosed about three years ago.
Judith S
Posted - 25 Nov 2015 : 11:20:17 AM Sly (22) is on Prascend, 2 tabs daily, keeps him well, has been difficult to get/keep weight on him. Adding micronised linseed to his daily feeds seems to have helped this year :) He is more or less retired, I climb on him bareback occ for a potter round the farm. Jet (23) isn't on any treatment now, we have used Prascend & will again if he needs it, but it makes him rather depressed. He is getting progressivly ga-ga bless him, but well in himself. He is retired, became too unpredictable to ride!
Liz100
Posted - 25 Nov 2015 : 06:26:42 AM Hi Judith. How are yours? Do you have them on Prascend?
Judith S
Posted - 24 Nov 2015 : 10:57:54 AM Interesting thread.... I have two Arabs with Cushings.
Cough is probably just a virus,we've had that a few months ago at our yard and vet said a lot of horses were having it,nothing serious though,guess it travelled up North!
