Hi, everyone - I have a 22 year old appalossa mare who has Cushing's Syndrome, or Equine Metabolic Syndrome. My farrier, vet, and I have got it undercontrol with Pergolide, Thyro-L, and lots of good care. As you know, horses with EMS are prone to laminitis. We've got that under control, too - she's doing so well - dropped A LOT of fat, too - she's gorgeous, a brand new horse. But where I board her is old marshland - was tiled for farmland, but nature comes through in all cases, so when it rains, as it does heavily in the springtime, water sticks around for a while. So she developed White Line Disease a few years ago (she's barefoot). I'm battling for her feet from the inside and the outside. It can be tiresome and frustrating, and scary - especially when the old adage "no foot, no horse" pops into my head. However, she's my best buddy (has been for 13 years) and I'll do what I have to. I use White Lightning and Farrier's Formula, to cover the inside and the outside. These 2 work the best for us, so I stick with them.

I'm posting this to ask if anyone else is dealing with these issues. It would be very nice to hear from others who are in a similar situation. Thank you!

I'm sorry to hear of your mare illness. I wish I could help, but it sounds like you are doing everything you can for her. Bless you for not throwing her away:)

 Thank you - that means a lot to me. She's been with me through thick & thin.

It's terribly frustrating that we can't go out and ride and have fun together right now - her self-esteem is noticeably suffering - she loves to go out and mess around in the fields as much as I do. Being able to ride has been intermittent, as you can imagine, but now that we've got the EMS under control, I was getting excited to get her back in shape. Well, I guess once we get past this wet season and dry out a little, we'll get back on track with her feet. I just found a new product to try - Xenodine - a solution similar to Betadine, but apparently stronger (found it at Jeffers). I also bought magnetic bell boots. I'm determined to get those feet healed! : )

Thanks so much for the reply. 

 

Hi, Are you a member of the Equine Cushings group?  EquineCushings@yahoogroups.com

They are the cutting edge for Cushings and IR. My 27 yr old Morgan is IR but not Cushings at least yet! The group is very helpful. Sounds like you have a great vet and a great farrier. Sounds like you are doing a great job.

 I would suggest joining the group. There is a lot of info at first. Just don't get overwhelmed. It is really a simple, sensible plan that works! I would bet you already know most of it. There are 5,000 plus members so there are plenty of others in the same situation.

Hope this helps.

 

Indy Carol:

I'm posting this to ask if anyone else is dealing with these issues. It would be very nice to hear from others who are in a similar situation.

Hello fellow Cushing's horse owner!  You are not alone.  With the superior care we are giving our equine friends, they are living longer than ever.  Long enough to got old age diseases like Cushing's.

My 25 year old mare Briahna was diagnosed over a year ago in May.  She gets Pergolide daily.  Here's my vet, Dr. P's article on Cushing's:

http://www.horsechannel.com/horse-health/equine-cushings-disease-24321.aspx

The Yahoo Cushing's Group is a great resource also.  Go here:

http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/EquineCushings/ 

Bri also has an abcess in her right rear hoof that the vet and I have been treating for years now (2 1/2 years), it just won't go away completly.  I thought once we figured out she had Cushing's and got her on the meds, the abcess would go away.  It's much better than it was but it is still there.  Dr. P just keeps it open at the bottom of her hoof, so it won't build up and make any tracts in her hoof wall.  Early on she cut away the front of her hoof, way more than I ever thought you could, just to get to the abcess.  I just wish it would go away for good.  Any thoughts posters???

I'm curious, what is Thyro-L?  Is it something for the laminitus?  I've been lucky, I think we caught the EMS early and Bri actually lost weight at first, so I'm not too worrried about laminitus.  Just have to watch carefully what she eats.

In addition to her grass hay and 1/2 flake of alafalfa, I also give Bri Grand Complete and Leaps and Bounds in her feed, Integrity Lite, which is a blend of beet pulp, soybean hulls, oat hay pellets, soybean meal and other stuff low in starch and high in fiber.   

She is sound despite the abcess and back to being the Arabian I love now that she's on her Pergolide.  We trail ride at least three times a week (would ride more, but she's a ways from my house and you know gas is getting real expensive), with no problems.

I can't help but be grateful she has something that is managable for now.  I can enjoy her for a while longer!

Bev and Briahna

 Thank you for the link - I'll check it out. I appreciate it!

 Hi, Bev - thanks for the info and the post. Thyro-L is actually for Hypothyroidism, a symptom of EMS. She was on Pergolide only at first, but we put her back on Thyro-L (a small and carefully monitored amount), which eliminated her lethargy and helped her drop all the fat (which she ahd been carrying for years). The two medicines combined are such a tremendous help.

We are getting torrential rains here, so the fungus problem is still an issue. Stalling her at night and using the Xenodyne (intermittently using Xenodyne one daym, then White Lightning the other days) helps, but it's a battle for sure.  

My good fortune is that she is in good shape otherwise, and we have had NO bouts of laminitis this year - she's been able to stay on the grass (woohoo!!!!).

 

Thank you for posting! 

Sorry to hear about your mare.  Have you looked into natual trimming?  I have a big gelding who foundered years ago and had severe hoof cracks, flairing and sensitivity for years. 3 months ago when I switched to a natural trimmer and what a difference 3 months makes! I had the best farriers in the country telling me all kinds excuses as to why we couldn't get him back on the right track. I can not beleive his comfort level and decrease in sensitivity even after 3 months! It is amazing! It is simply a different approach from a field trim that most farriers give if your horse is barefoot.  My trimmer specializes in rehabing foundered & Navicular horses through natural trimming and the use of Easy Boots. I am not sure where you are located, but my trimmer has a wealth of information on her website http://4sweetfeet.com/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=39

 Good Luck!   

 Jet is barefoot, as I believe in keeping my horse as a horse - barefoot, out 24/7 (except in extreme weather, then she's just indoors over night), I ride bareback, and use the Bitless Bridle. I'll look into the "Natural Trim" to understand it better. My farrier is a specialist, as well, in regard to treating navicular, laminitis, and other problems. He's basically saved Jet's life! 

Thanks very much for the info! 

The horse in my avatar has was diagnosed with EMS (equine metabolic syndrome) one year ago.

Two sets of blood tests by two vets in two counties came up in normal range.

He has suffered a huge loss of muscle mass and lost nearly 100 pounds in six weeks last spring.  The EMS has also exploded his arthritis, so he is on a product called EJC-6000 for that.

Duke is not on drugs yet.  He is doing excellent on an all herbal/rice bran pellets/vitamin-mineral supplement diet.  Duke is out on pasture 12 hours every day with no grazing muzzle and gets one small flake of quality grass hay when he comes in at night.

If the day comes that I have to put him on Pergolide, I will.

I have trimmed off and on for 49 years, so I have now taken everyone's hooves back and put them all barefoot.  I took a refresher course over the winter with a Pete Ramey student and am successfully utilizing his methods of barefoot trimming.   I hate to use the term "natural" because a horse IS in the natural state when it's not wearing shoes.

Duke's soles are still thin but not as bad as they were one year ago.  Thankfully he has never foundered.

He is ridable for road riding or easy hacks on the trails just as soon as I can afford to buy him boots.  Duke was 16 in the avatar and will be 21 this Fall.  He has been with me since he turned three, so we're in this together for the duration.

All the rain you are having sure doesn't help, but I can attest to the fact that, if the horse is trimmed properly (and frequently), shoes aren't necessary.

I own four horses and trim everyone on two-week intervals.  This way I only have to rasp.  I have some old-age arthritis in my hands so using the knippers can get difficult during the dry months when their hooves are hard

I have been battling WLD on my 10 yr old 1/2 Arabian (Elan) since last August.  He's always been barefoot with good strong hooves, with routine trims every 4 weeks.  The issue started with a small 1/8" vertical crack on one front hoof, my old farrier said to increase the Horseshoer's Secret to 6oz, and the area would grow out.  He'd trim the hooves, then by the 4th week, the crack would return.  After several months with no resolution and cracks starting in 3 hooves, I had my vet check the hooves - the hoof testers showed some sensitivity in the right front, so, he probed further and found the white line, which had progressed approx. 1" into the hooves.  After stalling the horse for several days to dry out the hooves (due to wet weather), the vet and his son who is a farrier, disected a "V" shaped area from the center of the three hooves, removing all of the diseased hoof.  Once the area was cleaned, the hooves were packed with medicated hoof dressing and the hooves casted with Equicast casting material, followed by shoes.  I was instructed to keep the hooves dry, therefore, Elan had to stay out of mud and water (I live in Southeast Texas where it rains alot!).  We change the casting/packing/shoes every four weeks with trims.  The progression of the disease stopped after the second change and the casting material was removed on the 4th trim.  Elan has progressed to a light shoe and the dissected area is only open approx. 1/8"- 1/4".   During all of this, the horse was never lame or unsound, as I was instructed to "RIDE HIM" by my vet (I trailride only).  My only issue with the casting material was that Elan traveled differently (due to the weight of the fiberglass plus shoes), more like a quarter horse, less like an Arabian, therefore, his canter was rough.   Once the cast material was removed, he was back to the smooth trot/canter of an Arabian.  He's doing very well, as we go on weekend trailrides every Saturday and Sunday for 3-4 hours and he never missed a beat! 

I highly recommend the Equicast (there's a website) and the procedure that I described above - it's been a lifesaver for me and my buddy!  If you would like to see pictures, send me an email and I will send you the progress that we've made.  Good Luck!   

I have a similar field situation...four months out of the year there is some mud they have to walk through and I have fought White line disease until I discovered a mixture of copper sulfate and betadine. I make a 10% water (warm to help it dissolve) solution of copper sulfate (10 grams/100 mls water which is about a tablespoon in a slight 1/2 cup warm water. I dilute this 50:50 with the betadine (commercial iodine prep). I put it in a squeeze bottle - sort of like shampoo bottle and apply it to the whole underneath portion of hoof. Initial application you could consider using a soaker boot with a few layers of paper towel in the bottom soaked with the above solution and leave it on for several hours. Thererafter, apply to foot every three days. It will absolutely eliminate WLD and thrush. Sole may turn a bit green but that is the copper absorbed into cracks, etc. Another prep that I have heard of but not yet tried is a copper sulfate sole packing material by VETTEC called Equi-Pak CS. It is a urathane material I think that you inject onto the sole. I understand that it hardens very apidly. I have never used it. Remember - WLD is pathogenic but is caused by structural separation at the white line that allows bacteria and fungi to enter. First line of defense is frequent "barefoot/natural" trims with strong mustang role that will take the stress off the edge of the hoof wall at the ground. See www.ironfreehoof.com and Pete Ramey's site at http://www.hoofrehab.com/end_of_white_line_disease.htm. Hope this helps.

Can I suggest that you call Caron at Blueridge? She helped my girlfriend with her Arabian mare and laminitis.  My friend said her mare improved to where she was back to riding and having fun together.  I spoke to Caron and she told me that she has helped a very old mule that had Cushings and a older pony with Metabolic Disease.  She makes herbal supplements (she is a certified nutritional consultant) that make a big difference in horses.  She is also a horsewoman and rider.  I agree that you need to battle these from the inside out.  I believe she can help you.  If you want her number let me know.  Caron is more than happy to talk to you and it certainly worth a try - Good luck!

I forgot to add - I agree with the barefoot trimming - my horses have all benefitted and one that never went without shoes in 20 years is barefoot and his feet have never looked better.

 Thank you - I really appreciate the suggestion! 

I have good news......Jet, my mare, has been "laminitis-free" all spring AND my farrier just gave her a trim - very short, to get rid of the wall that had seperated out from the fungus, the new wall is growing beautifully - and Jet is getting back to normal. I rode her yesterday - we had an adventure like we used to - riding out around the farm land. This had been like old times and I'm happier than I can tell you!!! She's happy, too - I could see it in her eyes and in her body language. We're taking it easy and getting back into it slowly. Thanks everyone, for your replies and help!

 PS - White Lightning has gone up in price and is quite expensive, so to draw out our supply, I have also begun using iodine on a regular basis - it works very well!  You can use Betadine with straight Iodine added for stronger concentration (I use this with my farrier's support).