Anybody ever had a horse with cushions disease?

[Paintedhorsegirl]

One of my ponies, Trini , was diagnosed with cushions disease this past winter. I got Trini last spring for my daughters 4H pony. The girl i bough her from said she was 18 and completley healthy, I got her vet records. All seemed good, by last summer she was struggling to keep weight on, I had the vet out and we switched her grain and uped the amount. BY December she looked worse than ever, she fell a couple times and couldnt get up, so I called the vet back out and we did lots of tests..I got a different vet this time to look at her, he said she was 28 not 18, they lied to me. come to find out she has cushions disease. I had noticed when I first got her, she had just been clipped, like the vet said probably to hide the cushions. It makes me sad that someone would lie when it comes to the health of a horse. Anyways I switched her grain again to purina senior , added a third feeding everyday, also I add rice bran oil to all feedings. I never take off her turn out blanket to keep her nice and warm. I thought she was doing better, the vet came out again last week said she has improved a lot. He said you can finally see her personality and she is no longer ribby..She has finally started keeping weight on but she is still so weak. My daughter got another 4H pony the other day, I let them out in the pasture together. They were determining their order and I think trini won out but she used a lot of energy running around, kicking and what not. then she went to roll around and she could nt get back up, it took her 6 tries to get up. It brought tears to my eyes instantly, I feel so bad. This morning it happened again, I turned the two ponies out together, and trini rolled around then fell twice trying to get up. I feel so sad and I dont know what else I can do to hep her, her spirits are back, her weight is getting better but she is still soooo weak.. Im wondering if anyone has any suggestion son how i can help her erbuild her strength, build her muscles. is there a supplement or something I can give her to help her muscles...I just dont know what to do, I dont want to put her down. Her spirits are up the most now then they have been sense Ive had her, she seems really happy. I spend a lot of time with her, I just dont know what to do for her strength.....

 

[theoldchick]

Cushings is a manageable disease of aging horses. At 28 your senior equine deserves to have a comfortable retirement. And after all that rough-housing with the other horses I'm not surprised she had difficulty getting up. Imagine your grandmother after running a 28 k marathon. She'd be a little stiff, too!

However, senior equines can have an active life if their limitations are respected. There are medications that can help keep your pony comfortable, and I'll let you discuss which is appropriate with your veterinarian. Cushings horses may have other problems and suggesting a product may cause her to decline. Also, horses affected with this disease may be suffering from other problems such as thyroid, liver and kidney issues so suggesting what might help her is a challenge.

Don't give up on your horse. She deserves to be pampered after havine such a long career with humans. Might want to put her with a less rowdy crowd or put her in pasture with only a buddy horse to keep her company. Keep her teeth in good shape and soften her senior food with warm water. There are all kinds of herbal remedies but again discuss this with your vet. If she is put on medications have her blood values evaluated to make sure her body can handle what is given to her. Keep her hooves trimmed on a regular basis and discuss with your farrier what type of care her hooves need.

Preventive care can go a long way with our senior equines. And never forget what she has done in her lifetime. Since she lived to be 28 somebody somewhere took good care of this horse. Sounds like you love her, too. And when horses get old love is what they enjoy the most. A good grooming can really make these old timers feel good. And that is the best advice I can give you: Love your horse and respect her senior status.


Here is a photo of my two horses. The grumpy one on the right has Cushings. He's cresty, has funky fat deposits on his hips, and will founder if allowed to graze on a pasture. At this stage his disease is managed by diet but his blood values are monitored on a routine basis. He is 16.

The horse on the left is a Quarter horse who thinks he's the most perfect horse in the world. He's 18.

 

[Paintedhorsegirl]

She is being pampered, I love her...I groom her almost every day, and my 5 yr old daughter hugs and kisses her daily. Ive made a point to always give her affection before my others so she knows how loved she is. I actually had a pinto mare that was 5 yrs old and was pushing trini around so i sold her for trini's sake. Trini is in her forever home and deserves the best as far as Im concerned, my daughters new pony is very calm and gentle. Thats why I let Trini out in the pasture with her only, but Trini wanted to show Lovey( new pony ) who was in charge, lovey has never kicked or even made a noise towards Trini...Its just Trini showing her whos boss, Im hoping now that its been established it wont be an issue. But I think for a few days. Im going to put her in the pasture alone just to be on the safe side. The vet comes back out again in about 6 weeks for another check up with Trini, I just wish I could help her in the meantime to have more strength..maybe once spring actually shows up that will help her...Ive decided to swith her grain over from purina senior to triple crown senior. Ive read that it has shown better results with horses with cuchions, maybes its true , maybe its not but I figure it cant hurt to try.

 

[Paintedhorsegirl]

Beautiful horses by the way!

 

[welsummerchicks]

It's actually Cushings' Syndrome or Cushings Disease, or Hyperandrenocortism.

There are two medications which have been used successfully in horses. Ask your vet about treatments for Cushings Disease.

 

[theoldchick]

Thank you!

My horse did well on Nutrena Safe Choice, but since your mare is having trouble keeping her weight on, Triple Crown Senior might be just right for her.