Here’s some background. I have an 18 year old horse with Cushings. She’s been on Prevacid for about a year. Last spring she went a little mare crazy and the vet and I thought it was too much B12. Cut her back to half a doze. Took her to the trainer in August and the trainer recommended Prevacox - I trust the trainer. She also recommended I take her off the B12 as she didn’t need it. She was moving with nice rhythm/tempo at all gaits. Fast forward to this January and she was going crazy, bucking, rearing, etc. Vet gave her two implants and she calmed down within 2 weeks. My problem now is that she’s lethargic and barely moves, including lunging without tack, lunging with tack and riding. I feel like I’m beating a dead horse and don’t want to do that. Talked to the vet and he suggested B12 and he thought her energy level would pick back up in 1 week. Another vet in the same practice checked her today, said weight was good, etc. Previously, we used the Prevacid in her morning feed and sometimes she didn’t finish it until that night, so now we’ll put the meds in her evening feed so she gets it at the same time of day consistency.
I don’t understand as the last couple years, she’s been moving fine. Any recommendations as to what I can do? Thanks in advance@
I assume you mean Prascend?
What implants did she get?
Cushing’s is a progressive disease, and it’s probably time to test her again. Assuming you really did mean Prascend, she may need her dosage adjusted.
What makes you feel that just because her pill is now in her night feed, that she’s going to eat it right then? Does she have all night to eat?
I think you need to retest her acth levels. I have had 2 cushings horses(well, one is a pony) and they both had some interesting personality swings. Not sure what implants are? As a side note, I have found that I can’t give my pony his full dose of Prascend, it puts him off his feed. I’d rather he eat well and live on 1/2 dose. Possibly something like that could be happening with your mare?
This is interesting, that your pony goes off feed with the full dose. I know another horse who has had a greatly decreased appetite and is on Prascend started fairly recently.
Is this a common side effect? Is it known how the Prascend affects appetite? And is there a “work around” to get back to normal feed amounts?
Appetite suppression is a common side effect of starting on pergolide (the active compound in Prascend). The key is to lower the dose until the appetite returns, then slowly increase it to the “proper” dose for that horse (which varies, hence the quotes)
Thanks, JB.
The manufacturer even recommends an every other day dosing as a starting point for getting the horse on the drug and eating if the half pill is affecting the horse’s appetite.
Thanks JB, I did mean Prascend. She’s also on Previcox, so just go the 2 confused. The implants are hormone based and similar to Depo. She’s in her stall all night so she finishes her feed then. In the morning, she eats her grain in her stall and her hay in the pen, so very often she leaves some grain so she can get outside. The vet remembered that she had Cushings and didn’t suggest retesting. They come out once a month, so if she doesn’t become more active soon, then I’ll have her retested.
Initially, she took the pill for about a week, then went off her feed. I then put it in an apple, which she ate and then stopped. I also tried carrots and oatmeal creme cookies, which worked temporarily and then she stopped. Then all of a sudden, she started eating them??? I didn’t know there was more than one dosage, so thanks to everyone who let me know that. Do you have to do the ACTH test in the fall to avoid false readings or can they be done any time throughout the year?
Thanks again!
I just had mine done this winter, then I retest in Aug/ Sept. My horse is the same way - we are on 1 Pracend and his levels are 37. He just doesn’t want to work anymore. He is 26, and has had cushing’s disease since he was 20. I am tired of "trying " to make him do something, and feel that it’s just not right. It may be time to ride 1x a week just to get off the property.
Interesting enough, I’ve never had my horse tested. I discussed with the vet several times and he always wanted to do it in the fall so he didn’t get a false positive. We ended up putting her on Prascend in the spring and she immediately started NOT soaking her stall.
What is considered an acceptable level? Can you test anytime throughout the year? I just rode her again today and she was slightly faster than what she has been (after 1 1/2 weeks of being on B12). I still had to push her each stride and she wasn’t very responsive to the leg or whip. I agree with you that it just isn’t right, MrPerfection.
