In my research on Cushing's disease, I noticed that there seems to be a few different options for treatment. There are two medications, one of which is Prascend, and there are some people who believe that there are natural methods of dealing with the disease without medication. This is simply my personal experience with Prascend and its effects; I can't stress enough the importance of having an open dialogue with your vet about your horse's health.
My horse, Moose, was diagnosed with Cushing's disease around the middle of May this year using a blood test to check ACTH levels. I started him on Prascend almost immediately after his diagnosis. He gets 1mg per day in his feed, and so far he hasn't really shown any negative side effects. I've read that sometimes horses will go off their feed or become lethargic, but so far so good!
As a quick example, here is a side-by-side comparison of two pictures taken of him by my wonderful barn manager:
On the right, you can see that he had not yet shed out his hair coat (this would've been around the beginning of May), and he is extremely ribby and hippy. On the left, there is a clear improvement in his coat, and although there isn't a significant difference of weight in these pictures, here are some that will show you:
This is Moose on April 28, 2019. He is very thin and still has a thick hair coat. The transition back to being healthy started almost immediately after he started taking Prascend:
He has completely shed out his hair coat at this point and has begun to fill out. The more recent photos show more drastic changes:
Here his ribs are almost completely filled out. He is still very hippy and his topline hasn't filled out yet, but his hair coat is incredibly shiny and his energy is up. Next are the most recent pictures:
You can clearly see in this picture how far he's come. His ribs are filled out, his hips and topline are starting to fill out, and his hair coat is healthy and shiny. We'll be back to work by this winter!
This picture is just to show you how much of an adorable, gorgeous knucklehead my beloved Moose is. Before the Prascend, he was very dull and lacked his usual energy and charming nature. Clearly, he's getting right back to normal.
All of this because of 1mg of Prascend a day, good feed, and excellent care from the amazing people at my barn. The medication is worth every penny; my horse would've wasted away without it. This is just to show you how it's worked for us, but if you want to read more about Moose's journey with Cushing's disease click here.
Although I do recommend Prascend for Cushing's disease based on personal experience, it is extremely important to talk to your veterinarian and follow a good course of treatment!
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