Cushing's Syndrome

["Carolyn Burgess" <carolyn_burgess@hotmail.com>]

I'm hoping to get some information from all of you concerning Cushing's 
Syndrome and your personal experience with it.  My favorite mare (don't tell 
my other horses) was just diagnosed with Cushings.  She tested at 276.8 
pg/ml for the equine endogenous acth.  When I asked my vet what was the 
highest reading she'd seen and my horse was it.  However, she doesn't have 
alot of the symptoms that accompany Cushings, the main reason I asked for 
the test was that her appetite and body shape changed this winter.  She has 
always been shaggy in the winter, but completely sheds out to a sleek, shiny 
coat.  Winter is always a difficult time with her; she is a difficult eater 
and always loses alot of weight over the winter and she is not a great water 
drinker.  So winter always required a great deal of vigilance with her.  Not 
this winter.  Her hay consumption doubled, from about 15 pounds of grass hay 
per day to about 25 pounds per day. She was getting so fat I reduced her 
grain from 6 pounds/day of Omolene 100 to 2 pounds/day.  Her normal weight 
was between 815 - 830, and she is about 15H.  She is now at 875.  She 
doesn't have the increased water consumption and urination.  She will be 
taking medication, I can't remember what of the treatments she will be 
getting.

Let me get to my questions. I don't really know how old she is, but she is 
anywhere between 19 and 23 years old.  I'd like to hear from anyone who has 
or had a Cushings horse and how the treatments went or are going.  Did you 
get good results from the drugs and how bad were the side effects 
(halucinating is one of them).  My vet also told me about an herbal 
treatment for Cushings, but she doesn't know the name of it or how it works, 
but she is not averse to this, so if anyone knows of this, I'd like to hear 
about it.  I've found alot of information on the web, which I am still 
digesting, and my mare is fine at this point.  My husband and I are planning 
on buying a ranch and moving, but this is still a couple of years away.  So 
I just want to buy enough time to be able to love and spoil her, and be able 
to bury her on our land.  Thanks in advance,

Carolyn Burgess
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