Is this mare obesely FAT due to hormonal imbalance?

[Mona]

I am posting this pic of this mare, with hopes that someone that has dealt with hormonal imbalances in minis, can help to recognize the problem.

I bought this mare as a 3 year old. She was obese then too...maybe not quite as bad, but FAT! She was bred at 3, foaled at 4. She was bred back as a 4 year old, never took, as a 5 year old, never took, as a 6 year old, she took, but lost the foal to a late term abortion due to a severely twisted cord, thus cutting off oxygen and causing death of foal. FINALLY, last year as a 7 year old, she is once again in foal, and due early April.

I know a low thyroid will cause weight gain, and also problems conceiving carrying. You can see the HUGE fat areas on her shoulders. She is fat over her bones, huge fat areas on her neck, shoulders and butt. Could she have Cushings"? I have always just thought she was fat, until last year when I used the Pregnamare pregnancy test. It is supposed to give one dot, or two dots, depending on whether pregnant or not, with two being pregnant.

I kind of screwed up the order when I tested, so I got another one and retested, because the first one showed one normal dot, and a very faint dot. When I retested, the same thing happened. When I asked about this, Christine told me her experience has been that hers that came that way, were pregnant. Yet, the company said if the results were like that, it meant negative. So I thought she was probably on the verge of miscarrying(or maybe recently had) when I did the test. I figured the hormones would be wacky, and that would give the strange reading.

Well, this mare is definitely in foal. I felt her foal moving. It prompted me to write to Christine again, to tell her she was right. She went on to tell me that the mare that she tested with the same results, was a mares that needed to be on Thyro-L! So maybe I was right in suspecting wacky hormones!

I have the vet coming out early next month for some export papers/health checks, so was thinking maybe I should get her to check this mare for low thyroid, and just wondering if I should go for a Cushings test too, or does she not fit the criteria for Cushings??

Any comments/suggestions are surely appreciated! Sorry about the HUGE photo, but I wanted to keep it full size to make it easier to see just how fat she is.

 

[Hosscrazy]

<Could she have Cushings?>

Cushings disease generally occurs in older horses and is characterized by abnormal hair coat (longer than normal, often curly) that does not shed out normally in the spring, easy weight gain, abnormal fat desposits such as a cresty neck or lumpy, cellulite-like fat at the tail base, puffiness (fat) in the hollows above the eyes history of acute laminitis – commonly induced by grass, increased thirst and urination, loss of body condition, especially muscle, weakness and low energy levels.

Based on your description and photo, it does not sound like your horse is Cushings, but your vet can easily test her using an ACTH test.

Cushings coat:

Liz R.

 

[Watcheye]

Wow -shes still a pretty girl. Thyroid comes to mind first with me. I would test her if you can. I know a mare with thyroid trouble and I have a dog with it.

 

[Mona]

Based on your description and photo, it does not sound like your horse is Cushings, but your vet can easily test her using an ACTH test.

WHEW! Good, she definately does not fit that description! One less thing to worry about! :aktion033:

 

[chandab]

I am posting this pic of this mare, with hopes that someone that has dealt with hormonal imbalances in minis, can help to recognize the problem.

I bought this mare as a 3 year old. She was obese then too...maybe not quite as bad, but FAT! She was bred at 3, foaled at 4. She was bred back as a 4 year old, never took, as a 5 year old, never took, as a 6 year old, she took, but lost the foal to a late term abortion due to a severely twisted cord, thus cutting off oxygen and causing death of foal. FINALLY, last year as a 7 year old, she is once again in foal, and due early April.

I know a low thyroid will cause weight gain, and also problems conceiving carrying. You can see the HUGE fat areas on her shoulders. She is fat over her bones, huge fat areas on her neck, shoulders and butt. Could she have Cushings"? I have always just thought she was fat, until last year when I used the Pregnamare pregnancy test. It is supposed to give one dot, or two dots, depending on whether pregnant or not, with two being pregnant.

I kind of screwed up the order when I tested, so I got another one and retested, because the first one showed one normal dot, and a very faint dot. When I retested, the same thing happened. When I asked about this, Christine told me her experience has been that hers that came that way, were pregnant. Yet, the company said if the results were like that, it meant negative. So I thought she was probably on the verge of miscarrying(or maybe recently had) when I did the test. I figured the hormones would be wacky, and that would give the strange reading.

Well, this mare is definitely in foal. I felt her foal moving. It prompted me to write to Christine again, to tell her she was right. She went on to tell me that the mare that she tested with the same results, was a mares that needed to be on Thyro-L! So maybe I was right in suspecting wacky hormones!

I have the vet coming out early next month for some export papers/health checks, so was thinking maybe I should get her to check this mare for low thyroid, and just wondering if I should go for a Cushings test too, or does she not fit the criteria for Cushings??

Any comments/suggestions are surely appreciated! Sorry about the HUGE photo, but I wanted to keep it full size to make it easier to see just how fat she is.

Cushings can strike younger animals, but she doesn't seem to fit the "mold". You might have her checked for IR (insulin resistance - similar to Type II diabetes in people); if she has it, you could put her on a low carb/low starch diet, which would help her considerably.

While I haven't had her tested, I do believe that my mare may be IR; she's only a coming three year old, but was extremely obese when I got her last April (she had been on a highly alfalfa diet; alfalfa doesn't agree with her). She has lost considerable weight on a grass hay and diet balancer ration. [recently she lost even more while recovering from a laminitic attack]. She is doing very well now and if I can keep her close to the weight she is now, I think we'll be able to keep her healthy and sound.

 

[ThreeCFarm]

As Chanda said, IR is a consideration. I have a gelding that was SERIOUSLY obese, without a "reason." In other words, he wasn't on lush grass, wasn't getting grain, etc. Anyway, the vet I use for floating the minis' teeth said it might be a low thyroid. Well, it wasn't that. My regular vet suggested Cushings. We even tested him for it, but it was at the wrong time of the year, I found out later. He did test positive, although I now believe it was a false positive due to the time of year the test was done. We put him on meds for Cushings, but they didn't do any good. I got some good advice from Hosscrazy and the Cushings group, as well as doing my own research online. I began to believe my gelding was IR and now I treat him like he is. He is now on a diet suitable for an IR horse, and is doing GREAT!!! He's at a normal weight, seems to be shedding normally, and he feels great. He's like a new horse now!

 

[minimule]

I had a mare here for a while that was like yours. This girl was EXTREMELY obese. She was bred to my jack for a mule foal. When she was 8 months pregnant, she weighed in at almost 700#. :new_shocked: No kidding. She only stood 32" tall. She didn't get a lot to eat but was still a blimp. She had the foal 2 months early, probably because of her size. Once we sent her home, they tested her and her thyroid was messed up. I can't remember if it was high or low. They put her on a very strict diet and thyroid meds and she trimmed down nicely. I don't believe they are using her as a broodmare anymore though. She belonged to a friend and I'm not sure what happened to her.

 

[DebiM]

Mona, my first thought was a thyroid problem as well. Probably worth your vet checking next time he's out. I wanted to add that she is beautiful! Love her head/face!