Yes his insulin tests in the normal range on the standard metabolic tests. The part that worried me was that his ACTH is also normal on the standard tests, done spring (twice), fall and dead of winter. It’s only when we did the special TRH stimulation test that we got a ACTH response in the positive for PPID range. So based on that I was worried I might also need to do the special stimulation tests for insulin. I spoke to my vet just a bit ago and she thinks that’s not necessary at this time. He doesn’t present as IR whereas he had some issues that we felt could have been bc of PPID and that’s why we did the more advanced PPID testing.
Well I’m definitely encouraged to hear your experience. Man oh man that would be such a blessing for my guy!
When it first happened, everyone told me to just put his shoes back on. Everyone except my vet tech, who recommended testing him. We caught him early so he’s never foundered.
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Thank you. He might have been 35 or older. He was bought at auction by a rescue, so I had no background on him at all. I’m guessing he was between 30 and 35 when he died, going by what his teeth looked like over the years. The rescue thought he was in his mid teens when I got him from them. But I’m guessing he was a bit older than they thought.
Rebecca
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Other COTH members have a lot more experience than I do and I see a lot of good advice here.
I’ll chime in with my anecdotal experience with one horse since your guy is a Thoroughbred. Wizard is a 27yo Thoroughbred and like yours, didn’t show any classic symptoms. We caught the PPID when he was 25 because we do annual bloodwork as part of his wellness exam. He had a glossy, fine coat that shed out perfectly and he’s a lean, muscular type horse. His first symptoms were being more sensitive to temperature (occasionally shivering in weather that never bothered him in previous years) and being more reactive to bug bites. We began Prascend during the seasonal rise and ended up “chasing the rise.” We couldn’t get his levels controlled quickly enough due to the time of year and he experienced a laminitic episode in early December of 2021. No rotation and it resolved quickly, but I fastidiously rehabbed him with the guidance of some very good veterinarians. While he adjusted to his medication levels, I was very strict about his diet. I tested hay and we did bloodwork every few months.
We orally syringe his Prascend because he’s a fussy horse and I didn’t want to play around with food/treat/spitting out pill games. He tolerates the syringe very well and it prevents him from being suspicious of treats. We took him off pasture and he’s in a dry lot.
It won’t help your guy if he doesn’t like soaked feed, but here’s his current diet just so you get a general idea of what’s working for him (we live in NJ). He’s 16.1 and weighed 1280 lbs on a scale in 2014 so I am guessing he’s more like 1150-1200 lbs nowadays.
Tested orchard grass hay fed ad lib (he browses on a flake or two each day but it’s always there to chew on)
4-5 pounds western alfalfa hay (tested) (luckily he tolerates alfalfa well and we took it slowly)
10 pounds Triple Crown Timothy Balance Cubes fed soaked, split into 2 feedings
4-5 pounds Nuzu Stabul 1 (split into 3 feedings, adjusted to caloric need)
1/2 to 1 pound Triple Crown Flax (split into 2 feedings, adjusted to caloric need)
2 tablespoons salt (split into 2 feedings)
KER Nano E, syringed orally
I exercise him frequently for short sessions- in addition to gentle riding, we do long lining and hand walking on trails so it’s a good variety of activities. I think the exercise helps him regulate the insulin somewhat.
He didn’t experience the “veil” when we began the Prascend, but then he completely went off his feed (Poulin Carb Safe, which he had happily eaten for over a year) this January. I tried APF with no luck. We did a “reboot” and re-started the Prascend. He still refused the Carb Safe so we switched it for Stabul 1. Now he’s eating everything well and his weight is perfect. For some horses, it seems like they simply need a pill and they are AOK for many years. Others need a lot more trial and error to get it right.
As far as your questions, I think it’s very useful to get as much bloodwork done as you can afford so you know your insulin situation. Mine went from zero symptoms in late spring to laminitis in December, so I am a big believer in checking everything regularly while you get everything sorted out. You probably won’t need to test as frequently once you know what medication levels he needs to control the PPID. And check with your vet, but if I remember correctly, bute should not be administered at the same time as pergolide/Prascend.
There are a lot of great resources out there and it’s a steep learning curve that can feel overwhelming at times. There are thousands of PPID horses out there living comfortably with great quality of life. Best of luck!
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My horse has the over reaction to bug bites and sensitivity to cold temps too!
We are slowly introducing the pergolide powder in his grain and so far he’s still licking his bowl clean.
The bloodwork is tricky bc the normal ACTH test comes back in the normal range, we only caught the PPID on the TRH Stim test (cost $750). It’s just not practical to repeat that test too many times per year. His baseline insulin tests have been normal previously but I will inquire about the cost of the glucose response testing which maybe more comprehensive than the baseline insulin testing.
I’m in a tough place management wise with this horse as he has very strong opinions about what’s acceptable. He objects strongly to: solo turnout, stall time, soaked grain, soaked hay, flax, oil, grazing muzzles, too many supplements and having his mane pulled. The latter is of no consequence but you get the picture of how finicky he is.
Currently I’m giving Bute am and the Pergolide pm. The vet wasn’t concerned about dosing the two together but said I can’t split the pergolide dose into an am and pm serving (boo hiss).
Thanks for sharing your experience with your horse!
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Everyone thinks that the super thick, non shedding coat and the fat horse are the classic symptoms of PPID. We board retirees, at any given time I live with 15+ horses with PPID. We have been a part of the studies to establish baseline numbers for testing. Just giving you a bit of my background with PPID. I’ve found that my number one sign that we need to test for PPID is weight loss, or switching from being a hard keeper to an easy keeper. The other big tell is seasonal abscesses. The last one is needing more aggressive blanketing than formerly needed in the winter. I also find that a lot of PPID horses tend to have really dry coats.
The good news is that we find PPID largely easy to manage. Get the prascend dose correct (we strongly prefer it over compounded pergolide) and we typically have no issues. All of our retirees live on lush grass during the growing season, and our PPID residents have no issues with the grass.
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Thank you for sharing!
Since I’ve only had this horse two years, I can’t say if many of his symptoms are changes or not. He did have a change, imo, re cold hardiness over the winter where he suddenly seemed to get chilled much easier than previously. Fortunately for him, I’m a crazy blanket lady so he has a full wardrobe.
I hope my boy will be like many of your retirees and be able to stay on the grass. I do have a dry lot but I’d have to keep my other horse in it with him.
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