Cushings and eating

Code3
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Cushings and eating

Postby Code3 » Wed Oct 17, 2018 8:48 pm

Last April during his annual health check with the vet we decided to test my 11 year old Arabian. Oddly enough because we were talking about his head shaking. My vet told me the story of an IR horse he treated and for some reason the IR medication stopped the head shaking. Long story short, my horse is not IR but is Cushings to both our surprise.

I started him on 1/2 pill and he went off his feed. Took him off until he started eating then gradually increased him 1/4 pill at a time, not increasing until he was eating. He's been on a full pill since July. During that time he eats hay and grass but it's a crap shoot whether or not he'll eat his supplements. Once he ate his meal four days in a row and I was ecstatic since the "pergolide veil" is not supposed to last. Unfortunately he was just teasing me. I also tried giving him APF (which is stupid expensive) and it didn't help.

Vet was out yesterday to draw blood and we discussed alternatives such as injectable Cabergoline. Neither of us knew if not eating was also a side effect of Cabergoline. Has anyone tried it and, if their horse wasn't eating, did it eat on the Cabergoline? The idea of a twice monthly injection is nice. Vet agrees the horse needs his supplements so we're trying to find a solution. Thanks!

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Re: Cushings and eating

Postby Josette » Wed Oct 17, 2018 9:51 pm

My guy had some minor colic when I started on pergolide pill. I also started on 1/4 pill and increased to 1/2 pill. My vet had me add a probiotic and he has been eating fine including all his supplements. I do give the 1/2 pill in one of those small pill pockets from Smartpak site. He is very eager to get this treat.

Code3
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Re: Cushings and eating

Postby Code3 » Thu Oct 18, 2018 12:57 am

My guy eats the pill itself when I put it in a cookie. The problem is he needs other supplements that he isn’t getting because he won’t eat his soaked alfalfa pellets with them. I’ve had him since he was five months old and eating was never a problem so I’m sure it’s the pergolide. I guess I could do a probiotic paste and see if that helps. I’m just at my wits end.

Josette
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Re: Cushings and eating

Postby Josette » Thu Oct 18, 2018 11:09 am

The probiotic may just settle his stomach and encourage him to eat. My guy went through that "pergolide vail" too and that was when he had the mild colic episodes. Now he seems back to his normal self with his eating routine.

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Chisamba
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Re: Cushings and eating

Postby Chisamba » Thu Oct 18, 2018 11:26 am

Could you mix his other supplements in a treat with applesauce and hand feed to make sure he gets them ?

Code3
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Re: Cushings and eating

Postby Code3 » Thu Oct 18, 2018 3:36 pm

I’m doing that with a couple. To get all of them would be at least six large syringes and I can only mix the powders. We are in a selenium deficient area and I’ve purchased a selenium supplement I can mix with applesauce and syringe. He gets herbs and magnesium for his head shaking. At this point he won’t even eat his pelleted vitamin/mineral. Normally oat flour is added to the horse’s soaked alfalfa pellets but he won’t eat that. I’ve tried adding aloe Vera juice. He ate it twice then refused it. My only option for his tummy would be a paste or syringing. We’re going on two months. Josette, how long did your horse’s “veil” last? I’m not sure I should try to wait it out much longer. The vet is concerned and also notes how rare it is. That’s my sensitive boy. Just to be clear, I’ve tried everything separately to see exactly what he is refusing and it changes. The only constant is that MOST of the time he’ll eat some soaked alfalfa pellets with absolutely nothing added. Everything else is a crap shoot and it’s getting worse instead of better.

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Chisamba
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Re: Cushings and eating

Postby Chisamba » Thu Oct 18, 2018 5:18 pm

My horse will eat a small amount of grain with applesauce and a touch of molasses plus all supplements as if it's a luck the bucket clean treat. Do you really need to syringe it, have you tried just rolling it like soft muffins and feeding? I personally would not want to have to squirt 6 syringes daily

Josette
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Re: Cushings and eating

Postby Josette » Thu Oct 18, 2018 6:37 pm

It did go on for several weeks with my guy making me crazy. It seemed he would always get a mild colic on a late Saturday afternoon. First time, I did panic because he never had colic since I owned him. Vet examined including check for possible ulcers - negative. We discussed the pergolide as a possible culprit and after 3rd mild colic started the probiotic. I assume that is what settled his gut and resolved it.

My guy gets a multi-vitamin supplement, Magnesium supplement, allergy powder plus the probiotic. He is also on Thyro-Lo and 1/2 pill pergolide. The once a day daily supplements are split - so some given in am versus pm - never all at the same feeding.

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Re: Cushings and eating

Postby Hayburner » Thu Oct 18, 2018 7:09 pm

My old guy never got the Prascend veil, but we always put it in a small piece of apple or banana. My guy was never much of a grain eater anyway, it wasn't unusual for him to leave his grain and then if he ran out of hay, he'd eat the grain.

My mare was on a ton of powdered supps during her injury rehab. She'd eat her grain, but not the supps, I top dressed her grain with equine omega complete and boom she started gobbling everything up. The oil is also supposed to be good for horses with metabolic issues as well help boost the immune system. If your guy has Cushings boosting the immune system is important.

Code3
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Re: Cushings and eating

Postby Code3 » Thu Oct 18, 2018 9:50 pm

Chisamba wrote:My horse will eat a small amount of grain with applesauce and a touch of molasses plus all supplements as if it's a luck the bucket clean treat. Do you really need to syringe it, have you tried just rolling it like soft muffins and feeding? I personally would not want to have to squirt 6 syringes daily

My horse won’t eat it however I’ve tried to disguise it- grain, molasses, treats, etc. Only way is syringe and you can imagine how well that goes over.

Code3
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Re: Cushings and eating

Postby Code3 » Thu Oct 18, 2018 9:54 pm

Josette, my guy’s supplements are split too. I’m glad your horse started eating again! We haven’t had any colic so I’m lucky there. I’ll give him a probiotic tonight and see if it helps. Can’t hurt.

Code3
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Re: Cushings and eating

Postby Code3 » Thu Oct 18, 2018 9:59 pm

Hayburner, I’ve been boosting his immune system ever since he started head shaking as a 7 year old. It’s one of several supplements that I’m trying to get down him. I’m willing to try Equine Omega complete. I’d be thrilled if it worked. But he won’t even eat things he used to love.

Code3
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Re: Cushings and eating

Postby Code3 » Thu Oct 18, 2018 9:59 pm

So no one has used Cabergoline? If I try it, I’ll report back.

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Re: Cushings and eating

Postby Hayburner » Fri Oct 19, 2018 1:05 am

As a long shot I wonder if giving pergolide a shot instead of the Prascend. I know it's not as stable since it's compounded but we do have one horse at our barn on it, they have to mix it with applesauce and suringet it.

Maybe it will help his appetite,

Have you tried any oils? Or flavorings? It's so hard when you have to also watch their sugars.

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Re: Cushings and eating

Postby Srhorselady » Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:10 am

If you decide to use compounded pergolide get the flavored powder. It is good for 6 months. In liquid form it’s only good for a couple of weeks. I had three Cushing horses and always gave them peppermint or alfalfa flavored powdered pergolide. It also came in apple but one of them wouldn’t eat the apple flavored. I never had any problems with them not eating their other supplements. I did syringe the pergolide with berry flavored applesauce to make sure they got it all. The dosing amount in powder is usually quite small. All three of my Cushing horses were on powdered on pergolide with no symptoms for at least five years before I lost them.

Code3
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Re: Cushings and eating

Postby Code3 » Thu Nov 15, 2018 4:45 pm

I started him on Cabergoline, his first injection being given yesterday. First two injections are .5 cc, then 1 cc given every 14 days.

In answer to questions, I've tried oils, flavorings, etc. I tried probiotics and Equine Omega Complete. The only thing at this point I can get him to eat is Triple Crown Balancer mixed with TC senior. Which I will admit is a huge relief. If I add anything in he refuses it so we're sticking to straight Balancer and senior and calling it good. At least he's getting some selenium (we are deficient). He still isn't getting needed supplements but luckily we are out of the head shaking season for him so this gives me the winter to hopefully get him back eating. Fingers crossed his appetite returns on the Cabergoline. If not I'll try the compounded pergolide instead of prascend. It would be worth a shot.

Abby Kogler
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Re: Cushings and eating

Postby Abby Kogler » Thu Nov 15, 2018 7:13 pm

Thanks for this update!

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Re: Cushings and eating

Postby mld02004 » Tue Nov 27, 2018 12:44 am

Code3 wrote:I started him on Cabergoline, his first injection being given yesterday. First two injections are .5 cc, then 1 cc given every 14 days.

In answer to questions, I've tried oils, flavorings, etc. I tried probiotics and Equine Omega Complete. The only thing at this point I can get him to eat is Triple Crown Balancer mixed with TC senior. Which I will admit is a huge relief. If I add anything in he refuses it so we're sticking to straight Balancer and senior and calling it good. At least he's getting some selenium (we are deficient). He still isn't getting needed supplements but luckily we are out of the head shaking season for him so this gives me the winter to hopefully get him back eating. Fingers crossed his appetite returns on the Cabergoline. If not I'll try the compounded pergolide instead of prascend. It would be worth a shot.


My vet uses pergolide for horses like yours. I’m intrigued by the shot! My horse has no issues with prascend, but it sure is expensive. How about the shot?


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