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Veteran
Posts: 201
Location: Lincoln, NE | My 18 year old walking horse was recently diagnosed with Cushings. I've been reading about it on the Internet but there seems to be conflicting advice. Does anyone have experience caring for a horse with this disease? My questions:
Did you treat with medication? How expensive was it? How did you get the medicine into your horse? Did it help? How old is your
horse?
What about diet? Grazing? Alfalfa and brome (grass) hay? The Internet sites seem to agree that grain is bad. Beet pulp is okay. So what should I feed him?
Thanks for any ideas, suggestions and experiences.
Flatlandfilly
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Veteran
Posts: 282
Location: southcentral pennsylvania | My 25 year old mare was diagnosed with Cushings about 7 years ago. She has done well on 0.5ml of Pergolide per day, gotten via prescription from Wedgewood Pharmacy. $67.00 for about a 3 month supply (1 bottle). I am not able to ride her due to her arthritis, due to Lymes disease. She is also on Previcox for arthritis. She is fed Blue Seal Senior feed (2quarts/day), and McCauleys M-30 supplement per vet recommendation. She is on a poor quality pasture, and grass hay. In the winter she gets alfalfa hay to supplement her normal grass/timothy hay because I have trouble keeping weight on her, even though I only maintain her at a "4" on the Heineke scale due to her arthritis. Since starting Pergolide, she sheds better each spring, and I can actually get her coat to shine!Hope this helps! |
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Veteran
Posts: 201
Location: Lincoln, NE | thanks for sharing the information about caring for your mare with Cushings. Sounds like you are doing all the right things.
How do you give her the Pergolide? If poured on her feed does she eat without any problems? Did you try different doses before arriving at the 0.5?
It's encouraging to hear she is doing well except for the arthritis.
Thanks again.
Cynthia |
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Veteran
Posts: 282
Location: southcentral pennsylvania | The company providing the Pergolide supplies a very small syringe with each purchase. The vet decided on the dose, based on the results of the testing. The Pergolide comes in a variety of flavors, and I have no problems administering it. I just stick it in her mouth and push the plunger. |
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 Veteran
Posts: 197
Location: AZ | Kinda late..but I have a Cushing's horse. HE is on Prascend, which is the name brand Pergolide. He was on a compounded version, and it is cheaper than the name brand BUT it's compounded, not guaranteed to be 100% product. I paid $45/60 pills. My vet switched to Prascend, I get 60 pills for $112. Yep, A huge jump but my horse is thriving and per my vet, she does not want to risk her clients health over a pill. I can go to an online pharmacy and get the compounded but my horse is thriving, I ride him daily, he is fine. Why mess with it. My horse gets: Bermuda hay daily, bermuda pellets, Nutrena SafeChoice, BOSS. He is also on a Low Thyroid powder. Stay away from proteins over 12% if at all possible. Also, with beet pulp, get the NO molasses kind. Stay away from molasses. |
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Veteran
Posts: 197
Location: AZ | Too late to edit...the Prascend I use is a pill, I make a hole in an apple and put the pill in that and plug it up with the apple chunk...I call it his 'poisoned apple'. The Prascend pill is about the size of an alleve pill. |
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New User
Posts: 3
| In the winter she gets alfalfa hay to supplement her normal grass/timothy hay because I have trouble keeping weight on her, even though I only maintain her at a "4" on the Heineke scale due to her arthritis. Since starting Pergolide, she sheds better each spring, and I can actually get her coat to shine!Hope this helps!???? |
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New User
Posts: 3
| In the winter she gets alfalfa hay to supplement her normal grass/timothy hay because I have trouble keeping weight on her, even though I only maintain her at a "4" on the Heineke scale due to her arthritis. Since starting Pergolide, she sheds better each spring, and I can actually get her coat to shine!Hope this helps!????-------GuL |
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New User
Posts: 3
| In the winter she gets alfalfa hay to supplement her normal grass/timothy hay because I have trouble keeping weight on her, even though I only maintain her at a "4" on the Heineke scale due to her arthritis. Since starting Pergolide, she sheds better each spring, and I can actually get her coat to shine!Hope this helps!????security+ labs |
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Cushings
