Hello everyone!  It has been awhile since I've been on and its so nice to know that everyone is there to help if needed.  My 26 year old mare has just been diagnosed with cushings but is not IR.  My vet had started her on 1mg pergolide.  She did not react well.  She became very lethargic and stopped eating.  We cut pill in half...same thing.  we cut pill into 1/3 and are waiting for results.  I have been told that their is a period of appetite loss sometimes but I worry about her.  Anyone else out there giving their horse pergolide?  And if so,,,how much..how often? and how long for it to be adjusted?  Also...I hear that Timothy or Orchard hay  ..grass hay...second cutting,,,is good for cushings horse.because of the nutrients,,,I was shocked because it is so green...but Mable loves it!!  and might be a good way to get her to eat.  Any idea on supplements to help her immune system that I can mix with the pergolide?  I have her on Sentinel Senior and Im mixing 1/3 cup of corn oil in with her feed in the morning and evening to try to get the weight back on that she has lost.  Any suggestions in anything would be helpful.....Thanks!!!!!

 I'm sorry to hear she didn't react well to the Pergolide.  I haven't had experience with it so I'm unable to answer your question. I can offer moral support though!  Hopefully someone else will have a suggestion or two for you.

 I would try to get back to the 1mg to get started and possible increase in the next few months due to the seasonal rise that's coming up. What she is experiencing is call the Pergolide Veil that sees this happening when a dosage is started or needing to increase. This product has been found to be helpful in getting the appetite back. 

 http://www.smartpakequine.com/apf--advanced-protection-formula-2285p.aspx

 I would also join this group and get involved here. They will answer all your questions and get you set up on a properly balanced diet and talk you through it all the way. They will read test results, tell you what to tell the vet, the whole nine yards.. You'll find that you'll be doing things differently than you are right now, but better because its right on target with what she needs. 

 You really couldn't be in a better place than this:

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

Hope this helps.....

I really have to second Dr. Kellon's group at  http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/EquineCushings/

Sounds like the pergolide veil, try the APF.  We're coming into the seasonal rise in the northern hemisphere so you want to get that Cushing's under control.  1mg is definitely a starting point, you'll need to retest to be sure it's enough to control your horse's Cushing's.  You can taper on the Pergolide to control the veil but you really want to get her controlled ASAP.  You can test in a month to see if it's helping, then most people test once in the fall or twice, in spring and fall.  Many people have to use more pergolide in fall and winter than in summer.  There's no way to know if any particular hay is nutritional or not without getting it tested.  If she loves it, it's probably higher sugar but if she's truly not IR that likely won't matter as much.  The only way to know what vitamins and minerals is to test.  I'd probably drop the corn oil because fat can worsen IR or push a horse into it.  I don't knokw anything about the sentinel senior, so I can't say if it's a good feed or not without getting it tested.  I know I'm being pushy "test, test, test" but only you can advocate for your horse and be her voice.  Dr. Kellon's list gave me six more years with my mare and is keeping my mini from going hooves up.  There aren't really any immune supplements for horses, because their systems don't work like ours so a vitamin c pill won't do it and may cause other issues.  Balancing your vitamins and minerals to your hay can clear up a lot of issues from thyroid to loss of topline, and the pergolide can help with controlling the loss of top line from the Cushing's, and goopy eyes or anything else that pops up.  That is absolutely the hardest lesson to learn - less is more.  Go back to the basics and add as little as possible to her feed and hay.  If you have any questions I'll be happy to try to help, but go sign up on Dr. Kellon's site.  It's free and there are moderators to help you with everything.  It will likely save your horse's life and give you a lot more years together if you follow their advice.  Good luck, keep us posted!!

We have a horse that was diagnosed in April, 2009 with Cushings. We use Pergolide syrup and he has never had any problems with the medication. The syrup comes with a syringe for dosing. Both our horses take other medications so we mix the medication with a teaspoon of dry jello [orange or strawberry work great], add water to a 60 cc catheter syringe, shake and administer to the back of the mouth just as you would a paste wormer. We call them jello shooters. They get their meds with no problems. Hope this helps. Good luck!