Cabergoline vs Prascend for Cushings

[BabyDentist2021]

Edited - I’m specifically asking about injectable Cabergoline. I don’t need tips for sneaking pills in treats or in a syringe - we’ve tried it and it hasn’t worked. I board at a very large stable and the workers do not have time to mess with sneaking pills into her.

Hi all,
I saw some old threads about this but wanted some updated experiences?
My 16 yr old mare has early/mild cushings - no signs or symptoms other than she had a bout of mastitis last summer so we tested her ACTH levels & discovered it.
We started her on 1/2 Prascend pill daily and she did fine with that until she was injured and required 6 months of stall rest. While she was out of work she stopped eating grain and now rehabbing she still isn’t eating well. No issues with weight loss she’s a super easy keeper (insulin tests were normal) and loves her hay/alfalfa. I’m not sure how consistently she’s getting her Prascend since she’s not consistently eating or if it’s contributing to her inappetence. As long as weight loss doesn’t become an issue I’d assume remove grain from her diet completely.
Has anyone had experience using injectable Cabergoline instead? From my understanding it is a 1 ml injection every 14 days? It would be far easier to get in her regularly and to ensure she’s consistently getting the correct dosage. Going to talk to my vet tomorrow.

[Simkie]

Is she not a candidate for forced oral dosing? Prascend dissolves in water very easily. It’s super straight forward to put the pill in a 3 cc syringe, draw up 1 cc of water, and dose orally. It’s such a small volume, they can’t spit it out.

[JB]

I’d try using treats to hide it in, Fig Newtons are often a hit. But it dissolves very well, and quite fast, so a syringe with a little water is all it takes. She may start resenting the dosing because it apparently tastes pretty icky, but lots of horses are ok with it, mine included. I started syringing him for this exact reason, when he wasn’t reliably eating his food

[luvmyhackney]

Use a syringe with sugar free cinnamon apple sauce or sugar free pancake syrup.

I’ve accidently tasted the meds. Its repulsive if you just mix in water.

[NaturallyHappy]

I core pieces of carrots and top it off w a drop of molasses from a ketchup squirt bottle to make it stick.

[Demerara_Stables]

I’ve had success with the German Horse Muffins in the gold and black bag. They’re easy to poke a hole in and I shove the prascend in the middle. Two horses eat them great, but with Dora I have to switch it up regularly otherwise she’ll stop taking the treat. 🤦🏻

[Festivity]

Treats worked for my gelding for a while, now he’s skeptical of any treat you try to give him. So having a few options and switching it up helps.

[BabyDentist2021]

No, I board at a large stable. They don’t have time to do that and she’s not great for oral meds - especially on a daily basis.

[BabyDentist2021]

I’m specifically asking about injectable Cabergoline.

I board at a very large stable. Daily treats with a pill are not an option - we’ve tried that and she hasn’t been consistently getting the pill because she’s no longer taking treats after being given too many with pills and the workers are tired of spending so much time trying to get a pill in her.

[BabyDentist2021]

She doesn’t like them. She won’t take treats from anyone other than me after being given too many with hidden pills. This is why I’m specifically asking about injectable Cabergoline.

[luvmyhackney]

@BabyDentist2021

This is why I’m specifically asking about injectable Cabergoline.

It works for some horses, it did very little to bring my ponies numbers into a normal range and gave him diarrhea bad enough the vet had to give fluids.

He does better on the pill.

[BabyDentist2021]

Thanks for your insight! I’m going to talk to my vet tomorrow but may see about trying it for a month or so and check the numbers. Will definitely watch for diarrhea though. Was that after multiple doses?

[BayMoose]

Some do better and some do worse on cabergoline vs pergolide IME, and figuring out the correct dosage with both can be a little bit tricky in a subset of horses. There is often a ‘veil’ as with pergolide as well but as it’s a longer lasting drug, the veil can also last longer. But I have seen it work very well in pergolide non-responders. Typically an injection every 7 days.

[eightpondfarm]

yes. I treated my Morgan mare with Cabergoline for about 5 years.
I bought two little bottles at a time because it seemed to take longer than expected at times to get a refil. I would order another two as soon as i opened the second one.

and absolute MUST is to keep them protected from light. I even wrapped the syringe between filling it and taking it down to the barn!
refrigeration isn’t necessary.

edit: we began with me dosing my mare every 14 days. Then after about 4 years we had to step it up and i dosed her every 11 days.