My very senior mule was started on Prascend for Cushings just over a month ago and she very quickly stopped eating, was acting ‘lethargic’/off, and had severe diarrhea. We tried cutting the dose down to half the dose and had no improvement, so after a week with no change we stopped the Prascend with approval from the vet. Her appetite came back and she is acting normally again, but the diarrhea continues, although less severely (it’s not squirty)… it ranges from just soft poo to very loose and running down her legs. I suspect the addition of the medication just got her gut out of whack and now it needs help getting back to normal. There are so many products out there, from Probios, to BioSponge, to Brewers Yeast, etc. that I don’t know what to go with. Any suggestions? I’ve heard fantastic things about BioSponge but it is SO expensive so I am wondering if there is a comparable product that someone can recommend.
Honestly, I’ve seen great improvements with Brewer’s yeast. And tis’ cheap. Address any environmental issues… bad hay, some sort of bug (temp her), stress… then start with the brewer’s yeast. It may be coincidence that her manure got runny when you started the pergolyde. Which is why you still have an issue now that she’s off. Then you can add or change to Biosponge.
What does your vet say is the best course of action?
I use bio sponge when my 29 year old (white, of course) starts turning his tail into a poop-cycle. I’ve found alfalfa hay is the cause (idiopathic - other horses eat it fine). Anyway, I add a tablespoon of bio sponge twice a day to stop, then once a day to control. It comes in large tubs. It clears him up after a week --so don’t be discouraged if you don’t see immediate results.
Biosponge. Pretty much a life saver. The large (20 lb) tub is most cost effective.
Maybe some pre/probiotics? I just started my guy on SmartDigest. It’s pretty cheap- about $16 /month. Like a crazy person, I read a bunch of scientific journal articles (I’m a chemist) on prebiotics, probiotics and yeast supplementation in horses and SmartDigest seemed to be the most effective.
Biosponge is great for clearing up sporadic bouts. It’s basically clay.
