Poor Maggie ~~

[Shari]

At first, I thought it was Maggie's teeth that were bothering her, went through all that. Had to have her teeth done twice, to get them done properly.

She got better for awhile... but something was still,,, just off. Folks would not notice, but because I have had her for so long.

First set of Blood tests showed only high Potassium.

Well, the Vet thinks Maggie has the start of Cushings. She is being tested for Cushing and IR.....
With the Muscle issues, extra hoof growth and so on.....
Her fur isn't like I have seen on ponies I have known with Cushings.. but if she is just starting.... she is a little slow shedding off her whole body.
Now have pills for her... she will never be allowed on grass again. Pretty sure it is pergolide, the Vet gave me to give Maggie this yesterday morning.
Will have to be given to her once a day for the rest of her life.
Hopefully in a few weeks Maggie will be feeling better.

So I pulled the round pen over and around the newest run in shed, to give her a tiny paddock for now.
Plan making the Sheep paddock her's, as soon as I can kill the grass and weeds. Figured using Vinegar and salt would work and be safe.
Not that there is much there... but there can be nothing.


Vet wants Maggie off any kind of green, until she improves.
It is also affecting her hooves.
Since this is Maggie... I won't chance her being on any thing green again.

Also why I will spend the $$$ for her to be on the Triple Crown safe starch Forage.
Hay here is iffy at best and would cost more to get each batch tested, if I could find a local place to get it tested.

Since I am pretty sure her driving and helping me days are over.... letting her super full mane grow out again.... but I have been training it to be a split Mane.
She has always been there for me...

 

[lucky seven]

Hope everything will be okay for your Maggie.

 

[Marsha Cassada]

My older Dapper Dan is starting to have a few issues, too. We have been through so much with each other!

Keep us posted on how she does. I feel I know her through the years on the forum.

 

[amysue]

Im sorry to hear maggie isn't feeling well. Hope she feels better soon. She is lucky to have you looking after her so well. I know it is tough to take them away from grass because they love it so much....they are grazing animals and it is in their nature to want to be out, but once the cushings is under control, they feel and look much better. I made my own herbicide in our backpack sprayer by mixing one gallon white vinegar, with 2 cups of salt and 2 tablespoons of dish soap. It worked faster than roundup and was much cheaper.

 

[chandab]

Once she is properly medicated, she'll probably be able to go back to being your helper. Many properly medicated Cushing's horses and IR horses on proper diets can be ridden, driven and worked with considerations for their condition; and if she's IR, exercise will be the best thing to keep it under control (as long as she isn't actively laminitic).

If you can get them where you are Ontario Dehy Timothy Balance cubes are very safe for Cushing's and IR horses, they are made specifically for that group of horses, just need to add Vit E, flax and salt and they are a complete diet (they are usually available through Triple Crown dealers and some private feed stores), if you contact Ontario Dehy, you might be able to find out who carries them in your area http://www.ontariodehy.com/tab02-07.htm(link should take you to the Timothy balance cube page).

NuZu's Stabul 1 pellets are safe for Cushing's and IR, not sure where they are available: http://www.nuzufeed.com/

These products from Lucerne farms don't use molasses in them, but I don't know if they are low enough in sugar/starch for IR horses: http://lucernefarms.com/molasses-free-blends/

That's all I can think of at this time.

I have a Cushing's gelding, and so far he's doing well on our home grown hay and Progressive Nutrition's Low Carb pellet; to my knowledge he doesn't have IR. He won't eat TC Safe Starch forage (I can't get it readily, but bought a bag to try and he wasn't impressed, I suppose eventually he would eat it).

 

[Shari]

Thank you everyone.

I do have those cubes here... but they are not quite enough fiber to just feed that. Vet said that this point... the NSC is not quite low enough for her.

So I am using the, Triple Crown safe Starch Forage, it can be fed as the only feed. (all my horses snarf it up.) Is easier to get here than the ODTB cubes.

Really hope, that the meds and feed help enough to having her start doing things with me again.

I have lots of health issues... Maggie doesn't need to be like me. She has always been healthy and strong...until now. Sigh ~~

 

[Shari]

After two days on the meds, I checked on Maggie last night... she seems to be doing better. Keeping my fingers crossed she keeps improving!

 

[Debby - LB]

Prayers for your beautiful Maggie! I hope once you get her feeding schedule situated she'll continue to be able to do all the normal things you've always done together. I'm sure she'll improve quickly for you with your loving care. Anything for your heart horse!!

 

[Kendra]

Pergalide is super effective in most cases, and many horses are able to continuing doing their jobs once they're on the medication. Good luck to you and Maggie! She's lucky to have a person who notices that something is up before she gets very ill.

 

[Shari]

Well crap....

Maggie's test results came back.... she has Cushings, she is also IR.

sigh ~~~

Vet is ordering more Perglide for her now.

Thank you Debby and Kendra.

 

[chandab]

Once the Cushing's meds kick in and she's been on a low carb diet for awhile, her IR symptoms may lesson. Uncontrolled Cushing's is known to drive IR.

 

[Shari]

That is good to know Chanda, Thank you!

 

[chandab]

They don't always have both, but when they do, either uncontrolled makes the other worse.

She'll come around and be mostly back to your Maggie after getting her issues under control.

 

[targetsmom]

Our all around show mini Princess has been IR for years and on a dry lot, with NO grass and has done well. We have been very lucky lately to have found a local hay supplier whose hay is VERY low in starch and high in protein so she gets the same hay now as everyone else. She gets an inexpensive high Magnesium & chromium daily supplement called Remission to lower her risk of founder and knock on wood, it seems to work. Because she works, she gets Nutrena Safe Choice Special Care grain, which is not the lowest in starch but has worked for her. She needed the extra energy when she was showing in a lot of classes, but not everyone would need it. We also use beet pulp with no molasses and avoid giving her any alfalfa. She does not have Cushings but she does have anhydrosis (doesn't sweat), which she also gets medication for. Since she is mostly all black, that can be very dangerous. Gotta love these high maintenance horses!! Good luck with Maggie.

 

[Shari]

Thank you Mary. Sorry to hear one of your Mares has IR. No fun.

Maggie has always been so healthy, so this kind of blind sided me.

I have her on a Magnesium and Chromium supplement now... Quiessence.

Because the hay here is iffy at best, and I would have to have each batch tested... I am just going to feed her Triple Crown low starch Forage. After doing a lot of research... seems like it
has the lowest NSC, of all the feds.

Maggie's Cushings Meds came in, late yesterday.

Having to hand feed it to her, since she is a food tosser.

Normally I don't hand feed, but this is important enough I want to make sure she gets all her meds.
Here's hoping it starts working quick!

Was warned she might stop eating for a couple of days...
So I am giving her a good dose of paste Probiotics.
Hope that helps.
While we needed the rain, I need it to stop soon, so I can start killing off grass in her little pasture, so she will have more room to move around.

 

[Shari]

This is Maggie, just before I made the tiny paddock, in the sheep run in shed.
First year she hasn't shed out right. Will be clipping her, as soon as this batch of rain stops.

 

[chandab]

Shari, is she going onto pergolide? If so the problem is called pergolide veil, to avoid it, you'll need to move her on to it slowly. Which form did you get and what dose?

 

[Shari]

Yes, her Pergolide came in last night. They are in pill form (was told it is easier on horses), and gave her a 1/4 of a pill as prescribed by the Vet. At least as close to a 1/4, as I could.

 

[chandab]

Is that what the vet prescribed for her regular dose is 1/4 pill? If so, that should be a small enough dose that it won't likely cause the veil.

My gelding is now on 3/4 mg compounded pergolide. He started on 1/2mg, and to start I halved that once a day for a few days, then 1/2 that 2x daily, then full amount once daily, and he didn't experience the veil.

Make sure you refrigerate the half pill until ready to use it.

 

[Shari]

Did not know they needed to be put in the Frig. Thank you for that.

Yes, the Vet said 1/4 dose.