Tallulah 23 yo Welsh X PPID diagnosed 07-15-14
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agtedgerly@...
Hello All! We are very new to this. My daughter's 23 yo Welsh X pony has recently been diagnosed with Cushings Disease (PPID) and we are trying to get a handle on this. She is on costal bermuda pasture when not working, and has been changed onto Nutrena Safechoice Special Care post diagnosis; prior, she was on Nutrena Safechoice Maintenance so we have decreased her NSC 10%. We have done a CBC, Chemistry, ACTH, and TRH Stimulation test 07-15-14. She had a parasite count of 750 and was dewormed with Ivermectin on 06-20-14. She does have polyuria, but her weight loss has subsided and she is at a Body Score of about 7. She has had a profound positive change in mentation and activity level subsequent to her deworming, then again post feed change. I would like to leave her on pasture, should I just cut out her pellets? She has no history of laminitis, or sore feet, she is barefoot and our barefoot trimmer comes every 4 weeks to trim. Our veterinarian recommends beginning Pracend at a dosage of 1mg. Other than polyuria, all of the other indicators have subsided since the fecal and the feed change, I would like to hold off Pracend if we don't need it yet, or put her on during spring and fall. I posted her Case History in her file and would appreciate any and all recommendations. Thank you so much for your time, Alison |
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Mandy Woods
Hi Alison,
I tried to open your file on Tallulah in ECH8 but my computer wont
open a zip file. Could you change it to
PDF? I’ll warn you now that we give lots of
instructions! It all meant to help you faster so please bare with
us. When you get your file to open, please cut and paste the
link to it and sign off with it next to your name, date you joined and where you
live. You could have a neighbor near by to help you source items
you’ll be needing.
The list philosophy is DDT/E. This means DIAGNOSIS,
DIET, TRIM and EXERCISE.
You have a partial Diagnosis. Your pony may be PPID aka
Cushings. WE recommend bloodwork be sent to Cornell in NY.
Please post the lab values you have for PPID. We need the lab
name, the value and the unit of measure. PPID is treated with
Pergolide. Sadly, it appears your vet is confusing PPID with
IR> IR is managed by DIET. What you need to do
now is have bloodwork for Insulin Resistance. Tallulah is a pony and
most ponies are IR because they’re ponies! She’s showing symptoms of
IR, PD/PU, overweight (body score of 7). Do NOT let her
back on pasture. Grass is full of sugar. What you should do
now until your bloodwork comes back and we can see the values and their ratios
to each other, feed her the Temporary Emergency DIET. This
means No pasture, No grains, No apples, carrots, commercial
feeds, red salt blocks, commercial supplements. You need to be
proactive on this. Get her bloodwork first so you know what you are
dealing with.
The Temporary Emergency DIET is in the START HERE! file and at www.ecirhorse.org
The minerals to this DIET are magnesium oxide, flax seed freshly
ground, iodized table salt, and Vitamin E. You can
purchase these at Walmart. You can also purchase fish hanging scales
in the sports department. You will need to weigh your hay.Soak it for one
hour in cold water and pour the water off where she cant get to it.
Soaking her untested hay can reduce the sugar up to 30%. This could be
critical. We recommend hay testing at www.equi-analytical.com getting
the Trainer # 603 for $54. This will tell you if the sugar/starch is
low enough and if the minerals are deficient or have excesses. Then you
will have your hay balanced. Feed her 4 small meals a
day. IF she weighs 500 pounds, she should get about 10 pounds
of soaked/drained hay a day. This will mean 2.5 pounds of hay per hay
net. You can add the minerals via rinsed/soaked/rinsed beet pulp.
This is a safe feed if you r/s/r .. I would stop for now any Nutrena
products. We aim for 10% or less sugar/starch a day in hay and carrier
combined. We have a file called Analysis of Various
Feeds. Read the analysis of Nutrena Safe Choice: 16% sugar/Starch
(sugar 6.4% and Starch 16%.) Not safe!
TRIM is a balanced foot with toes backed and heels lowered. If she
becomes foot sore, boots and pads will help.
EXERCISE is the best IR buster out there. Hand walking if she willing
and able. We recommend NO circles, lunging, tight turns to prevent
the wall of the hoof from separating from the laminae.
Alison, if you need to let her out with her buddies, get an
anti grazing muzzle. JeffersEquine has them for under $25. Tape the
hole shut.
You mentioned your vet said to start Tallulah on Prascend at one
mg. Did your vet tell you to taper on this drug? Many of
the horses here have had a reaction called the pergolide veil. You
can taper on and or give APF with it.
We know this is a lot to absorb. Start a journal on your pony
and ask questions.
Links that will help you:
http://www.freil.com/~mlf/IR/ir.html Enter your
lab numbers in this calculator.
http://www.softrideboots.com/1/
Great rehab boot.
www.equi-analytical.com
Send your hay here. Order the Trainer # 603
http://www.all-natural-horse-care.com/good-hoof-photos.html
www.ecirhorse.org Mandy in VA
EC Primary Response
OCT 2003
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agtedgerly@...
Hi Mandy,
I think the file is saved as a PDF file now. I also posted her bloodworm in her file. I am sorry, I must've inadvertently pressed 7 when I meant a body score of 5. She is a very fit pony that has well balanced, beautiful barefoot feet that are not, and have never been sore. She is ridden 5 days a week, her glucose on her blood panel was on the low end of normal without fasting, and she is in work 5 days a week. She has polyuria, that combined with a late shed-out and a high parasite count in a pasture with the other horses having negative fecals and her age led us to test. Other than PU, she doesn't seem to fit the other IR symptoms. She is a very fit, happy pony I will put her on Prascend at 0.5mg to begin with, and have our costal bermuda hay tested, but I guess I don't understand why I should take her off the pasture. Thank you for explaining all of this to me! Alison Laurel Hill, NC |
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Mandy Woods
Hi Alison,
Here’s the link to Tallulah’s Case History
Please use it with your signature when you write
in so the volunteers can help you faster.
Since we are not on the ground with you to make
an opinion of what you are looking at we have to take the safest route
possible. Your vet did not test her Insulin/Leptin so we cannot Diagnosis
her IR status. I would feel horrible if she had a high
Insulin/Leptin and you put her back on pasture. Its better to
feed her as if she’s IR for a week than gamble laminitis or worse founder.
She may not be IR.
Mandy in VA
EC Primary Response
OCT 2003
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