Cushings Disease!

Wicked

Just found out that the 30 yr old pony i was telling ye about has cushing's disease, the farrier told my bf today when he was pairing her.

can this spread or what do i do with it? what is it :eek:

Kens

EQUINE CUSHING'S DISEASE
Equine Cushing's Disease is also known as Old Horse Disease, ECD, Hyperadrenocorticism and Pituitary Adenoma.

Equine Cushing's disease a degenerative disease of the brain stem. It is caused by malfunction in the pituitary gland. This gland becomes overactive and is unable to control the production and regulation of hormone levels. These hormone levels are then produced in excess, thus creating an imbalance in the horse, leading to the symptoms known as Cushing's disease.

All breeds and types of horses, male and female, can be affected. Cushing's disease is very common in ponies. The highest rate of incidence of Cushing's disease is in the 20 – 25 yr age range. Donkeys are also susceptible to Cushing's disease.

Equine Cushing's disease cannot be cured and often develops slowly over a period of several years.

SYMPTOMS OF EQUINE CUSHING'S DISEASE
Symptoms of Equine Cushing's disease can be similar to those of old age. Symptoms can be variable but here are some of the main ones. Horses with Cushing's disease will not show all of these symptoms but the presence of a number of them is a good indicator.

• Long curly coat that does not shed normally
• Sudden Laminitis
• Foot abscesses
• Excessive urination
• Lethargy
• Pot belly
• Drinking too much water
• High levels of insulin & insulin resistance
• Increased appetite
• Weight loss
• Sweating
• Fat deposits along the crest of the neck, above the tail and above and behind the eyes.
• Wounds may be slow to heal
• Mouth ulcers can become a major problem.
• Coat colour may change and become paler
• Reduced immunity causing persistent infections often involving the skin, feet or respiratory system
• Infected nasal discharge in one or both nostrils
• Mares may lactate, even if they have not had a foal.
• Eyes may have a "pop-eyed" appearance.

CAUSES OF EQUINE CUSHING'S DISEASE

The most common cause of Equine Cushing's disease is held to be a benign tumour which develops in the pituitary gland and leads to an imbalance in the hormonal system. This produces extra chemical messengers which confuse the rest of the body, particularly the adrenal glands. At present, the cause of the tumour is unknown. .


TREATMENT OF EQUINE CUSHING'S DISEASE
If you think your horse might have Cushing's disease, you should consult with your vet. There are many tests which can be done and your vet will probably recommend that your horse fasts overnight for these tests.
Presently, EquineCushing's disease is incurable but treatment is aimed at relieving the symptoms. There are some useful medical treatments , management procedures and herbal treatments that will help significantly.

Medical treatments are usually Phenoxybenzamine, Pergolide or Cyproheptadine. This medication is expensive and once started must be maintained. Treatment with these drugs is sometimes effective and can prolong and improve the quality of life for affected horses.
Good Management procedures will greatly improve the symptoms of Equine Cushing's disease. The most important aspect in the treatment of Equine Cushing's is excellent general health care, combined with a variety of management practices to reduce the impact of the symptoms.

Diet - Most feed companies will be able to provide useful nutritional guidance for the older horse and a well nourished horse may live for many years with the disease.

Dental care - this is very important. It will help prevent infections and ensure the absorption of nutrients from the feed.

Foot Care – particular attention should be paid to the health of the feet to minimise the incidence and risk of Laminitis and foot abscesses.

Infection – due to the reduced ability of the immune system, anti-biotics should be sought as soon as any infection is detected.

Vaccinations – it is very important that these are kept up to date.

Worming - regular worming and treatment for lice are more important than usual and should be kept up to date.

Coat - regular clipping, particularly in the summer will help control body temperature and help reduce general infection.

Herbal treatment of Equine Cushing's disease has seen several advances in recent years. Homoeopathic & herbal treatments in particular have provided success as that obtained by drugs when it comes to relief from the symptoms. Agnus Castus - also known as Monks Pepper or Chaste Tree Berry - is very effective in helping to balance hormones in cases of equine Cushing's disease.

A combination of the above treatments will extend and improve the quality of your horse's life and can help your horse to live for many years with Equine Cushing's disease.

http://irish-horses.com/equine-diseases-cushings.html

doctor evil

Good post Kens, I'm shocked they mentioned homeopathy as it does not work. People should never forget that herbs can be as dangerous as any pharmaceaticul drug. Little bit of bias in the article I found in relation to treatment when it mentions the drugs are expensive, sure the insurance should cover it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMGIbOGu8q0

This explains it much better than I can (in a much more humorous way too).

Wicked

it says in incurable though. they only recommend treatment for younger horses if they get it.

doctor evil

Wicked wrote: »

it says in incurable though. they only recommend treatment for younger horses if they get it.

I'm aware that Cushing's is a condition and not a disease, it is managed not cured. I was talking about homeopathy as whole being a pile of baloney.

Theponylady

Cushings disease is where the pituitary gland quits functioning normally, which causes all kinds of problems. It's usually seen in horses over the age of about 12. Here is a link to an article that will answer most of your questions http://irish-horses.com/equine-diseases-cushings.html

At your horse's age, it would be quite possible he does have cushings, it's unfortunately pretty common. However, you can NOT tell he has cushings just by looking at his feet. There are other diseases such as hypo and hyperthyroidism(although they often go hand in hand with cushings), EPSM, and various other things that can mimic cushings symptoms. It takes a blood test to know for sure. Because it's important the horse get the right treatment, you should NOT try to treat it without confirming for sure that's the problem.

Theponylady

Okay, skip the link, someone posted the article above.

I have had a number of cushings horses over the years. The disease can't be treated, the horse will always have it. However, good management can give the horse many good healthy comfortable years.

I had one pony who started showing serious symptoms of cushings at 14 years old, which is relatively young to be showing serious symptoms. His symptoms included mysterious lameness(not laminitis, which is more normal), weird skin conditions, serious seziures, intolerance for heat, and a number of other things. It took a while to diagnose what was wrong, because many of his symptoms were atypical(not commonly associated with cushings). The only thing typical was he had a heavy coat year round, and we had to keep him body clipped in the summer as well as winter.

Eventually he was diagnosed as being both cushings and hypothyroid. He went on Pergolide and thyroid medication. His symptoms disapeared, and he went back to showing and doing very well. He was showing until he was 22. He lived until he was 28, when he had to be put down due to colic.

I've had others who didn't have quite as bad symptoms as he did, they were all older, and they all responded well to treatment. I know several people who tried the herbal remedies, and a couple of the horses nearly died. I wouldn't recommend it. I've heard of a few people who claim the herbal remedies helped their cushings horses, but I don't give them a lot of notice as their horses were NOT officially diagnosed with cushings, so it can't be proved they had the disease and responded to the herbs. I think it's possible the herbal remedies might work on some horses, but as herbs do not have the quality control drugs do, there is no way to know a horse is getting the exact dose they should be getting. Their strength is unknown, it can vary greatly from one dose to the next depending on where the herb came from, how it was grown, etc, not a good thing.

Wicked

well here's what sally is like.

*shes 30
*her hair is very heavy and curly and its not shedding
*she's very sore on her feet (like laminitis) she finds it hard to walk on hard ground, as a result she is lying down alot

on the plus though, she's eating up all around her and drinking lots.

doctor evil

Get a blood sample by the vet to confirm it.

smileypony

Wicked wrote: »

and drinking lots.

You might be interested to know that horses with Cushings frequently also present with polyuria/polydipsia, (ie. increased urination/increased thirst, excessive drinking.)

She fits the clinical picture but nobody can or should diagnose your pony online! Cushings is easily confirmed with bloodwork by your vet. Call your vet out.