Karen & List - I apologize for forwarding your whole article. I was unaware
(not thinking!) of the copyright issue. I have been so glad to have your
information available since my horse was first diagnosed with Cushings this
past April. I refer to it frequently to understand a little about what is
going on with him. He unfortunately was not completely helped by pergolide
(.75gm/day) and relapsed (low energy, body sensitivity) and is now shedding
his summer coat (which was not nearly as nice a coat as in the past) and is
growing a thicker coat. I just ran the BET lab tests and his cortisol
rhythm is low, but he was also low on T4 (thyroid), so we're going to be
adding a thyroid supplement. My new vet says .75gm/day is low, per her
experience, but wants to first get the thyroid supplement going and re-test
in a month to see if the pergolide still needs to be adjusted. In the 3
years I've owned him he has had these spells where he just seems to have no
energy, but I never dreamed of thyroid problems - just thought he was being
an older warmblood. The latest blood work was done during one of these
really tired spells. Thyroid tests done a year ago because another vet
wanted to rule out Cushings showed no problems with thyroid. That vet
either wasn't aware of the BET tests or didn't believe in their work, but
she didn't want to use the dex suppression test either, so she only did a
chem panel and the thyroid. At the time she told me that low thyroid was a
sign of Cushings along with clinical signs and, since he had shed out
beautifully last spring, his only clinical sign was his long winter coat. I
sure wish I'd known about the BET tests last year and maybe he could have
started on the pergolide sooner with better results. Unfortunately it took
him going through an episode of pupd (attacking salt block, drinking and
peeing like crazy!) this spring to get our attention. I'm not sure why the
BET tests aren't more widely known and accepted.

Robin - I think it's time to get our questionnaire going! I've got some
time now, so will forward some ideas soon. What do you think?

Take care, Makyla & 4-legged friends