This is just to say that this morning, Tristan got his first dose of pergolide. I'd been reading a lot about the "pergolide veil," and the nasty side effects horses can have when starting the drug, so I designed a very careful tapering system for him based on the advice from the ECIR group. Today, he starts with 0.25 mg, and he'll be up to the standard 1mg per day in about 10 days.
I'll longe him tonight. Last night, I dropped the pergolide off and gave him a thorough grooming and couldn't stop looking at his topline and neck and getting teary. He does not look good right now, and I can't believe it happened so quickly. Here's hoping that he'll pick right up soon.
As someone who had a horse with Cushings I understand the grieving process that you are going through. I was stunned at the diagnosis (it was given to us along with the announcement she was losing her sight as well). I spent a lot of nights crying over it.
ReplyDeleteWe ended up losing her due to the glaucoma and failure to adjust well to complete blindness well but she was a happy and relatively healthy Cushings horse right up to the end.
My suggestion from experience is to become well educated on their diet and keep close tabs on it. Little things like a change in hay cuttings really seemed to throw Buttercup more than it used to (I'm sure it was variations in the sugar content).
Thank you for your thoughts and advice. I am comforted that Tristan is pretty darn healthy in every other respect, and the diagnosis is early. I'm so sorry to hear about your mare - that's heartbreaking.
DeleteI'm taking steps to bring his diet into line, and I have a series of backup plans for how to address different pieces of it if he seems to need more help. Lots to worry and think about!
There was tons to learn, worry and think about! Even now I come across things and sort of kick myself and think I wish I had looked into that more, or studied that topic a little more but in the end I remind myself that I did the best I could with the amount of information I had at the time. The good thing is there's so much more information now than there was just a year ago. Way more feeding options too. When I was a little kid I don't ever remember the "safe choice" or "low starch" feeds - maybe it's because I didn't need them or maybe it's because they just weren't around.
DeleteHope that the medicine helps him. You're in my thoughts.
ReplyDeleteThank you, I appreciate that.
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