15
Aug
Ponies are more likely to be affected than horses but mares and geldings are equally likely to be affected. Cushings disease primarily affects older horses.
Defiantly a pattern going on.
Can a horse with cushings be ridden. However generally speaking horses with Cushings can be ridden like any other horse particularly if the Cushings syndrome is well controlled with medication. Still it is wise to consider just a few precautions. A horse with Cushings disease will be prone to laminitis.
This means you need to ensure that the horses forage and food does not contain a large amount of sugars and starches. The best diet for this type of horse will be a low sugar and high fibre. You should test grass and hay to ensure you know what your horse is consuming.
Cushings disease primarily affects older horses. Its caused by the malfunctioning of the pituitary gland located at the base of the brain. The pituitary gland is responsible for regulating hormones which controls a number of important bodily functions such as growth metabolism and the immune system.
I have a feeling that Crofter may have early signs of Cushings. He has fatty pads on his neck but his ribs are showing and he has recently dropped a. 12 ways to manage the diet of a horse with Cushings disease.
Try to keep your horses waistline in check. Aim to keep a body condition score of around 5 out of 9. Avoid feeds that are.
Currently there is no cure for Cushings in horses. It is believed that horses with Cushings suffer from low levels of the hormone dopamine. The drug Pergolide is used to help control the production of dopamine.
Because too much Pergolide can have very ill side effects it is important to give the smallest dose necessary to get the job done. This condition in very basic terms can be considered Horse Diabetes with a bit of Cushings. These horses are usually obese or good doers however some horses can be lean but still have EMS.
EMS is characterised by obesity or regional adiposity insulin resistance IR and subclinical or clinical laminitis. How many years a horse can go with cushings depends on each horse and also the care it receives. Some live well into their late 20searly 30s while others might only make it a few years.
Early discovery and treatment also play a role. Some people live in denial for a long time before getting help and thus shorten the horses life. Defiantly a pattern going on.
Bar the aggression the only symptoms of cushings he ever showed was not shedding his winter coat properly normal winter coat and he became lethargic being ridden. Many horses with Equine Cushings Disease will have a long thick coat that will make it harder for them to keep themselves cool. This doesnt mean that you shouldnt ride your horse just that you should keep in mind that he wont be able to keep cool so easily.
Clipping your horse will help with this though. Proper treatment will not only restore fertility in the prized broodmares of the horse but will also make it ridable. Its very rare for a horse to reach full remission from Cushings.
A horse whose symptoms are well managed can be regularly ridden. But that is a choice that varies by the owner. An estimated 10 percent of horses over 15 have Cushings and with all the improvements in horse health care horses are living longer and longer.
That means theres a good chance youll experience this disease sometime in your horse life. Just 20 years ago your Cushings horse wouldve been retired in the pasture but no longer. It can be quite prevalent in aged equine populations.
One retirement centre were found to have 14 of residents with PPID. Ponies are more likely to be affected than horses but mares and geldings are equally likely to be affected. Distinctive increased coat length feature of PPID Cushings disease Photo courtesy of Dr Nicola Menzies Gow.
If you suspect your horse or pony may have Cushings it is important to get a confirmed veterinary diagnosis. Signs of Cushings syndrome include. Failure or later shedding of the winter coat that may become really long matted and curly especially around the legs.
Increased drinking and urination. Lethargy and poor performance. This generally means that you should look inside the horses foot on a regular basis with radiographs X-rays.
By following the status of the horses bone youll be able to get a pretty good indication of how things are going inside the hoof. Some shoeing and trimming of the horse may be necessary. The possibilities are almost endless.