or IR
or PPID…
Any research that you first did that you found particularly helpful.
And out of curiosity – did you notice any changes in your horse’s vision/ spookiness? Thanks.
Nothing like that, no. I’ve only really dealt with Cushings, but-- mild footsoreness, cresty neck, slow to shed out, increased urination, heat intolerance, general lack of energy.
Uncontrollable weight gain, thinning mane, sheath swelling.
My rescue pony: laminitis, body soreness, thin/inability to gain weight, long hair.
He has Cushings, but was given to us only as a pony that “needed a grass-free turnout.” Blood test showed very elevated ACTH.
Some symptoms that aren’t usually associated with Cushings, but IME, have shown up prior to diagnosis:
- EOTRH
- loss of condition
- overall body malaise
- holding onto coat (not blowing out, but not long fur either)
So not always a “chunky/fuzzy pony” type deal… and sometimes is low-grade enough it goes undetected for a while.
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Adding to this… (Sorry for slight spin off)
How OLD was your horse with diagnosed with one of the above metabolic disorders?
The pony I had as a kid in retrospect started to have mild issues with heat and being slow to shed around 12 or 13 but wasn’t diagnosed with Cushings until he was 18 (when he foundered)-- a lot of this was still unknown then, though. A friend’s early teens TB mare was diagnosed when she started to just “run out of gas” unexpectedly quickly.
I asked our vet to check for Cushings at 15 at spring shots because he was getting way too fat on the same nutrition others were just fine.
He is a naturally heavy set, muscular horse, but he was getting blimpy.
His fat was accumulating in suspicious spots, cresty neck primarily and his sheath was swelling.
After results from bloodwork, vet gave him right there a shot, he was so low and put him on Prascend.
A shot of what?
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Maybe thyroid, maybe other also in that shot?
It was four years ago and there was other going on in the clinic.
I didn’t realize that one shot was not one more vaccine until later.
He kind of mentioned that on the fly while explaining about Prascend, etc.
Well my little mare seems to be headed that direction. My last vet said that she was “trying to have Cushings” because of rapid hoof growth, fat pads over her eyes, and lots of drinking water and peeing – but she has ALWAYS been that way, since I got her 10 years ago. She was tested for Cushings every year since 2013, and this August came up with a slightly elevated ACTH. That test will be repeated tomorrow. (She was also tested for IR but had normal results.)
She gets mild laminitic changes (a little white line separation, toe bruising) when she is fed second cut hay – but again, this has been true since I bought her. From then on, until very recently, she’s only had first cut hay. In July, her new farrier pointed out “stress rings” on her hooves that corresponded to a few weeks in May when the barn was feeding second-cut hay. For some reason (probably a few horses being underweight), the barn switched to all second cut about a month ago – and yes, when the shoes came off 2 weeks ago for a trim/reshoeing, she had symptoms again. My barn owner very kindly bought first cut hay for her, and going forward there will be first cut hay included in the monthly big hay orders. (Honestly, though, just getting first cut is easier on everyone than soaking second cut, which was our initial solution. There are a couple of other horses in the barn who would do better on first cut.)
The real “tells” this year are fat pads behind her shoulders/below her withers and on her croup, and her coat just being “different.” She has a very short coat, even her winter coat is short, but as the winter coat is coming in, it’s of a slightly different texture.
Honestly, even if her ACTH is OK, with all these symptoms, I will ask the vet to start her on a low dose of Prascend. I just don’t believe she doesn’t have Cushings. She is a 20 year old Morgan and of course they’re at high risk for metabolic issues, especially as they get older.
Foot soreness after transitioning from shod to barefoot in November that wouldn’t go away. I believe he was 14 or 15 at the time. He is now 19. It remains his only symptom of needing an increase in Prascend. He started at 1/2 tablet. About a year later he was once again footsore after a trim that didin’t improve, so was increased to 1 tablet. I just increased him to 1 1/2 when I pulled his shoes this August to retire him due to unrelated lameness.
My 22 year old mare never shed her winter coat fully heading into summer. And she’s one I can usually set my calendar by. I talked to my vet and planned to put her on one of the "pre-"Cushing’s supplements (Vitex Plus), but then it didn’t show up before we hauled off to a couple of weeks of showing.
She tore her check ligament at the show. Both of the vets I spoke with said that increased risk of tendon/ligament injury is a hallmark of Cushing’s (along with the coat that wouldn’t shed, of course). She’s been rehabbing since, but is looking much better since getting about a month into the Vitex Plus (from a whole body health perspective).
But no spookiness or any major behavioral changes.
Vague potbellied look, with unexplained muscle wasting over the topline - nothing that screamed at you, but when added to the dry, dull coat that didn’t get slick and some unexplained tendon soreness that got worse in winter, we caught Cushings in one of our therapy horses before the vet did.
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19 yo ISH diagnosed at 17 after tearing a check ligament (he’s always been furry and a late shedder)
16 yo Welsh/TB pony diagnosed at 14 after the ISH was diagnosed and we went “hmmm… wonder if she has Cushing’s too?” (again, always furry and a late shedder)
25 yo grade pony diagnosed at 18 after laminitic episode (he’s also IR)
In case you’re counting, yes, I currently own 3 horses that have Cushings and are on Prascend. Total of 4 1/2 tabs per day.
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My maybe 17 or 18 year old mare, Gracie, was just tested this past spring. I figured we should start yearly checks due to her estimated age.
Gracie’s ACTH levels were at 55, what her vet felt was clearly PPID +. Weirdly, her insulin levels were slightly below normal.
She has had no traditional symptoms. Actually, we first assumed it was a false positive and retested her a couple weeks later with the same result of 55 and below normal insulin levels.
But no increased urination, no shaggy coat, pronounced neck crest - nothing that I have ever associated with Cushings. This was the first time we’ve tested Gracie’s metabolic levels and we are wondering if she has actually had some problems with her ACTH levels all along. I have had her for over 10 years now and she has always had issues w/ colic, gas, ulcers, as well as odd feet - sensitive soles and weird growth patterns, but never signs of heat, pulse, or anything that either her farrier or I have associated with laminitis or founder.
Can’t speak to her spookiness though - she was not sound when I purchased her and I never intended to ride or work her. She is the Property Princess - a lovely, vibrant lawn ornament. She rarely spooks but she rarely has cause to. Her vision seems fine.
OP, if it helps, the vet did say that she recently attended a conference about metabolic health and diseases and thoughts about symptoms and age for PPID/Cushings are changing.
My gelding’s late shedding one year. Usually he sheds like clockwork and this one time, he failed to start shedding on schedule. Had the vet draw blood and caught it immediately and started him on prascend. Never had any other problems, no lameness, no increased urination, no cresty neck, and he started shedding his winter coat on schedule again.
Having learned the hard way with my first horse, I have learned to be proactive and don’t wait for symptoms. For peace of mind I do yearly blood tests for IR and cushings.
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Thank you.
I’m having a bit of a time of it with respect to my vet. She saw him last week for a stubborn case of scratches. I mentioned his dimpling fat appearance (no lumps), recent lethargy, the major increase in urination. Then I started thinking about thought perhaps his intermittent hyper-reactivity to odd stimuli (neurologic/ vision issue) and his occasional super itchiness might be all part of it as well. I asked for the test and she cannot return until ‘some time’ after this week.
I’ve seen horses that founder from cushings. My barn isn’t set up optimally to doctor a foundering horse. I want more information NOW, thankyouverymuch.
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Yes, I’d test that horse. With the shortening of daylight they are all experiencing a fall rise. This might be when you’ll see an early Cushings horse show symptoms, and having it identified before it really becomes obvious is better than the alternative.
Some vets are reluctant to test a horse in the fall because it may show a “positive” result when it isn’t, but my understanding is that the reading should be adjusted to take the fall rise into account. Here is the link from Cornell about ACTH testing (not sure if that is where your vet would send yours, but this is where mine go):
https://ahdc.vet.cornell.edu/test/detail.aspx?testcode=ACTHIN
Seasonal elevation of ACTH levels occurs from approximately mid-August to mid-October. Samples taken during this time period may have up to 3 times reference levels of ACTH in normal horses. Horses with PPID tend to have even higher ACTH concentrations in this time period, i.e., greater than 3 times reference. Horses exhibiting clinical signs of PPID, but with an ACTH that is within reference range, should be retested in 1 – 6 months or an alternate test should be considered.
