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Lesley Bludworth 
Phoenix, AZ
Sophie Case History 7/2022
https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/SophieB%20Case%20History

Hi Lesley,

Look at the label that is sewn onto the bottom seam of the bag. The Timothy Balanced Cubes have a lavender/light purple colored label while other types cubes have different colored labels.

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Lavinia, George Too, Calvin (PPID) and Dinky (PPID/IR)
Nappi, George and Dante Over the Bridge
Jan 05, RI
Moderator ECIR

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Lesley Bludworth 
Phoenix, AZ
Sophie Case History 7/2022
https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/SophieB%20Case%20History

So does Chicy have EMS?  With Chicy's bloodworks  since she foundered her insulin was within a safe range every time or so I thought, right?  Isn't EMS indicative of IR?  Or, does that include PPID?  And I assumed her recent bloodwork being at the high end of the range means she is PPID but is currently regulated but could experience a elevation in ACTH.

Interesting question from Martha as to if she could have some protection while lactating. Would be wonderful if I could keep the baby with her for 4 months then start Pergolide to dry her up and help her not to experience elevated ACTH  

Right now Chicy has sore feet but I feel it is from the trim she had when I brought her home and she had white line.  She is great with boots on but if I take them off she is gimpy. There is so much going on it is just hard to know what is causing what. With boots on she trots around and acts normal. 

with her recent bloodwork should she stay on the emergency diet with no pasture at all. I thought as long as Insulin is ok she could have a little pasture time. Is this incorrect. The only time I let her out of the stall/dry lot is when I clean her stall snd drag her dry lot. Maybe just 30 minutes. It gives the foal time to run, stretch his legs and learn more about his body. 
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Janet and Chicy
Chester SC
09/17/2021
https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Janet%20and%20Chicy
https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=268334

ACTH was 2.0-10.0
Insulin 5.0-36.0
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Tamra Williamson
lexington KY
2022

Do you have the reference ranges for both ACTH and insulin?
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Thanks,
Sherry and Scutch (and Scarlet over the bridge)
EC Primary Response

PA 2014

https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Sherry%20and%20Scutch_Scarlet/Scutch%20Case%20History.pdf

https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=78891

Not fasting 7.4
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Tamra Williamson
lexington KY
2022

What was his last insulin level (actual number) and was the test done fasting or with hay in front of him?
--

Thanks,
Sherry and Scutch (and Scarlet over the bridge)
EC Primary Response

PA 2014

https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Sherry%20and%20Scutch_Scarlet/Scutch%20Case%20History.pdf

https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=78891

I added 1mg prascend to his dose. Thank you for your help
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Suzy in Fl 2020
Scout Case History: https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Suzy%20and%20Scout 
Scout Photos:  https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=260915

Also is the farriers formula ok
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Tamra Williamson
lexington KY
2022

ACTH WAS 2.9 the labs were done in may. So if there is no safe commercial feed do you feed loose minerals to have well balanced diet ?
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Tamra Williamson
lexington KY
2022

-- thanks so much. His insulin was tested and it was good. So I feel like he has more abcessing. Would the emergency diet be necessary in this case  if his pain is abcesses ?
Tamra Williamson
lexington KY
2022

So sorry Lynn. I've been in that situation too. And when your options for good farriers are limited, it becomes very emotional I hope Mica's hooves will grow back quickly. Do you use jiagoulan? I had to stop using it because Scotty's feet already grow fast, and J was growing his hoof faster than we could keep up.
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Deb and Scotty I/R, PPID
Pecatonica Illinois, May 13, 2019
Case History:
 https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Deb%20and%20Scotty
Photos:
https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=90619

He has had ad lib hay but I've just been told by dentist he is not able to chew properly anymore and it is therefore a choke and colic hazard . 

I thought maybe to soak to soften it, or someone suggested cutting it up .. anyone had experience with this. I can cut and or soak but need to work out a viable method ..

Hi Mandy. My 40'ish horse with PPID and I/R lost his ability to chew hay over 5 years ago. I tried all of the suggestions above...took hay to a man who had a chopper for his alpacas, he chopped up a couple bales for me. Bought an office style paper cutter, and actually sat in the barn chopping hay. Used hedge trimmers. You name it, I probably tried it. When they have lost enough of the grinding surface/molars are smooth they just can't do it anymore, and believe me, I tried very very hard to make something work.

My only option was to go to Ontario Dehy Timothy Balanced Cubes (ODTBC). I don't know if they are available in Australia, but others can probably tell you yes or no or a suitable alternative. These hay cubes are weighed like you would hay to determine how much is needed a day and then each feeding is soaked, so your horse/pony actually eats hay mush. I also mix in Rinsed/Soaked/Rinsed non-molasses beet pulp. Except for certain other specific to need supplements (and of course pergolide...up to 6.5 mg compounded) this works, but I warn you in advance, it is expensive and time consuming. But without the cubes, my horse would not be alive. Because the ODTBC are *balanced* you don't need to worry about adding different minerals or other supplements to balance your hay.

I would think hoof boots are most definitely a necessity. Different hooves seem to like different brands/types of boots. I have been most happy with Easy Boot Clouds. I used their standard insert at first, but am now using different brands of inserts that my horse seems to prefer.

I wish you the best!!

 

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Deb and Scotty I/R, PPID
Pecatonica Illinois, May 13, 2019
Case History:
 https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Deb%20and%20Scotty
Photos:
https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=90619

I decided to get someone to help me with trimming in the summer when Mica’s hooves are so hard. This farrier is super nice but almost only does horses who are being shod.  Last summer he lowered the wall down to sole level and Mica was tender footed for awhile.  Next trimming I asked him to leave hoof wall slightly longer which he did and Mica was great afterwards. During the winter when her feet are easier to trim, I do the upkeep.  This spring she shed a lot of loose sole and showed a lot of wall growth. When I asked my trimmer to come again, he came but was suffering from a knee injury and seemed in pain and in a hurry. He immediately dug into the soles aggressively, then lowered the walls to that new sole level. I was cringing with each swipe of the hoof knife on the sole but found myself unable to say anything to him, mainly because I knew he was working while in pain. Mica has been extremely  sore for two weeks. I’ve had her boots with very soft pads. Has hardly helped. Hoping to have a conversation with the trimmer when he feels better. Guess I’m just venting. I’ve now seen how digging into the sole can be so painful. 
Lynn McKechnie

N. California, May, 2011

Mica:  https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Lynn%20and%20Mica  
Bodie:  https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Lynn%20and%20Bodie
Bodie photos:  https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=253481

Hi. I am new to the group. I have 6 donkeys. One is a BLM burro/standard and the others are minis. I have established a program where I am using the minis as empowerment donkeys (therapy) for young people. 

I just bought 2 new minis last Saturday. One is 9. The other is reportedly around 20. She was purchased presumably as a 6 year old. Both had been in with a jack since last summer. The 9 YO is definitely pregnant. 

The 20 YO may be pregnant, but is not as rotund. 

I strongly suspect she has Cushings. She has a slightly fallen crest but is not overweight. She has retained some winter coat. 

I have an appointment with the veterinarian in a week and a half. He actually already saw her this week and did an ultrasound that was suspicious but not clear. He suggested she could be insulin resistant and he could run a blood test. But also said I should just presume she was insulin resistant. But he did not mention Cushings. I have done some research and think this is quite probable. 

So I will soon have test results. But also have a vet who was not attentive to this. There are other vets in the practice. He is new. So I need to see if I can make a judicious switch. 

I am wondering what questions I should have and what I should ask for. 

Also, I am especially concerned that she is likely pregnant and, if so, would have been bred at about the same time. She is either pregnant or has a saggy belly. She has had other babies. 

Do donkeys with Cushings ever spontaneously abort? Might this be big belly and not baby? 

What treatment should I provide if she is pregnant?

I was told to feed both alfalfa pellets (calcium) and vitamins.  I have started to do this — small amounts. Is this okay?

She is a really sweetie in working with kids. 

Thanks in advance. 

Nancy 

Would nursing be protective for her in any way, hormonally?
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I forgot to mention that he is on about 1.5 cups of Stabul 1 per day. I can increase it. It’s such a balancing act to make sure he gets all his BP & supplements in. If I give him free choice hay he will not eat his BP as he definitely prefers the hay & TC Timothy cubes. Also, if you remember, my hay is too high in nitrates, which is why I’m doing 1/2 hay & 1/2 cubes each feeding & why I’m feeding 4 pounds BP.

Is there anything else I can do to help bring his triglycerides down? What effect does the high level have on his body?

 
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Beth & Flame dx 2013 & Diana dx 2020

NV Oct 2013

Flame Case History

Flame Pictures

Diana Case History: https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Beth%20and%20Diana  

That's brilliant!! I thought I needed a full fledged drying rack for that, which is why I was hesitant to try, but the owner of the barn is on board with that plan and is lending me a similar wagon that she has to see if it works first (I'll go pick up that one from Canadian Tire if it does, thank you for the link!). So far the hay is actually draining and smelling nicer than when it was soaked and drained in a bucket right before feeding, and he seems to still be eating it quite well. 

A little bit of a good and bad update from the vet's visit. On the bright side, she doesn't think it is a full blown acute episode. On the downside, she thinks that Zahr is at the point where he is stuck in a cycle of chronic flare ups, especially since they seem to have been happening more frequently as of late (albeit most of them milder than this one). Given the other underlying conditions that he has to contend with, she gently suggested I start keeping track of how many good and bad days he is having so that, should he continue on this route, I can make a decision on where his quality of life is at before winter. I am going to continue to fix up every gap in his DD&T in the meantime, because I cannot make that decision unless I know every base has been covered, which they have not yet been. The vet did seem open to continuing to try what we can, so I am hopeful in that regard as well.

Drugs: Zahr officially started on his increased pergolide dose this morning (we'll gradually titrate up by 0.25mg prascend at a time again until we reach 4mg). The one thing the vet recommended was to wait on increasing his dose until we get his blood results back, which I don't think Zahr has time for so I'm going ahead and increasing it anyways as the group has advised, but she said she'd do some reading on it when I explained why I wanted to do so.

Are there any good papers or articles on medicating to prevent the rise in PPID horses and its benefits? I will keep researching, just if anyone has something off the top of their head I'll send that to her so at least I can give her a good, scientific reason for doing this. As I said, I think she's open to it.

Diet: We started soaking his hay (1hr in cold water) and drying on a wagon for all meals as of yesterday, so all S&S should now be at a safe level of below 10%.
Something, however, I had missed earlier but realized may be a problem is that he has fescue in his hay (along with timothy and orchard grass) and from actually looking through it the fescue makes up a large amount of the mix.

I was looking at Dr. Kellon's replies to other members about fescue, along with the 2 papers that have been done on its effect on foot pain in horses. He has been on this hay since mid-April, and again hard to say with all of the other confounding factors for why he may be having more of these chronic flare ups, but I wonder if that may be an underlying reason he's recently been having so much trouble... It could very well be a coincidence, but fingers crossed the new hay (back to the brome mix he was on before, same field) will all be in this week so hopefully can get him switched on to that asap and will continue to soak all of it until tested. 

Trim: Zahr's farrier is on board for getting mark ups, so I will get some new pictures since those last ones posted were from July 22 and will upload them tonight.

Is there anything else that I overlooked in my plan? I want to make sure I haven't missed anything, since Zahr's is such a tricky case.

Thank you!

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Mikaela Tapuska in Calgary AB, 2021

Case History: https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/files/Mikaela%20and%20Zahr

Photo Album : https://ecir.groups.io/g/CaseHistory/album?id=274255

Impossible to predict that Suzy, but you could try adding 0.5 mg which would take you through the seasonal rise.
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Eleanor in PA

www.drkellon.com 
EC Owner 2001