# ACTH levels



## NellRosk (2 July 2014)

Just got my horses' blood test results back, the vet said they were 15.9 so all good and he doesn't have cushing's. Is this a normal level then? I have no idea about any of this! In my head if he didn't have cushing's surely the level should be 0? Very willing to be educated  vet was rushing to get off phone so couldn't really ask.


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## Gloi (2 July 2014)

Yes that's a normal level. Look at the graph near the bottom of this page  http://www.thelaminitissite.org/ppid.html
Mine is on Prascend and his level is currently 21.


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## MrsNorris (2 July 2014)

ACTH is a hormone which is essential for normal functioning, but is produced in excess in Cushings horses.


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## NellRosk (2 July 2014)

Thank you, that graph is very helpful


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## NellRosk (2 July 2014)

hollybear said:



			ACTH is a hormone which is essential for normal functioning, but is produced in excess in Cushings horses. 

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Ahh makes sense! Thanks!


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## splashgirl45 (2 July 2014)

you are lucky.... mine has just been tested and level is 87!!!!! (should be under 29) she is already on 3 1/2 prascend daily so has to go up to 4!!!!!!


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## LeneHorse (3 July 2014)

splashgirl45 said:



			you are lucky.... mine has just been tested and level is 87!!!!! (should be under 29) she is already on 3 1/2 prascend daily so has to go up to 4!!!!!!
		
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OP that's a great result, you must be very relieved. You really don't want Cushings 
Gloi - thanks for the link to laminitis website - I hadn't seen that one before and it's really informative. I have copied it and emailed it to another friend with a Cushings horse.
Splashgirl -that's a shame about yours, it must be costing you a fortune. 
What I hate about Cushings is that it is progressive. At the moment I am just treasuring the good days as I know for sure there will be bad days to come (my horse was diagnosed 2 years ago and is on 1 1/2 prascend per day just now)


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## NellRosk (4 July 2014)

splashgirl45 said:



			you are lucky.... mine has just been tested and level is 87!!!!! (should be under 29) she is already on 3 1/2 prascend daily so has to go up to 4!!!!!!
		
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Ouch, that sounds pricy!!!


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## NellRosk (4 July 2014)

LeneHorse said:



			OP that's a great result, you must be very relieved. You really don't want Cushings 
Gloi - thanks for the link to laminitis website - I hadn't seen that one before and it's really informative. I have copied it and emailed it to another friend with a Cushings horse.
Splashgirl -that's a shame about yours, it must be costing you a fortune. 
What I hate about Cushings is that it is progressive. At the moment I am just treasuring the good days as I know for sure there will be bad days to come (my horse was diagnosed 2 years ago and is on 1 1/2 prascend per day just now)
		
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I really am, especially as in my head I sort of diagnosed him because he took forever to shed his coat this year and he had loads of unexplained footiness last year!

Sorry to hear about your horse LeneHorse, from what I understand though these days it's a lot more manageable and not the death sentance it used to be. xx


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## Tiddlypom (4 July 2014)

NellRosk said:



			I really am, especially as in my head I sort of diagnosed him because he took forever to shed his coat this year and he had loads of unexplained footiness last year!
		
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It's worth getting his ACTH levels checked regularly from now on (annually at least).

My 12 year old mare showed similar signs to yours, along with a wet bed, but her ACTH levels came in at 10. 12 months later, they came in at 31, so she is now on half a prascend tablet a day, and doing well.


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## Peregrine Falcon (5 July 2014)

I had my pony tested recently as part of a veteran MOT and his level came back as 41.7.  As he is not displaying any symptoms as of yet, the vet and lab didn't consider it necessary to start treatment but to monitor level at regular intervals.

I had my son's loan pony tested last year as I suspected she may have cushings, her level was 678!!  PTS after having a nice summer.


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## Micky (5 July 2014)

PPID (Cushings) is very manageable nowadays, together with correct treatment ( prascend), diet and turnout, also when horses/ponies get tested, one must take into consideration if the horse is stresses as this can make the levels rise in ACTH result, ( see the laminitis site for more info) hence giving a false result. 678 was high but might well be due to stress from the pony, could well have been manageable in the long run.My horse has had PPID for over a year now and is bouncing idiot, feeling good and better than he ever has been in the 7 years I have had him. He is currently on 2 tablets a day though will have to upp by half in the autumn due to ACTH rising. Online sites sell Prascend cheaper than vets but you need a script from your vet to buy, works out about 75p a tablet at the moment


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## paddy555 (5 July 2014)

Micky said:



			Online sites sell Prascend cheaper than vets but you need a script from your vet to buy, works out about 75p a tablet at the moment 

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can you give me a link for 75p please? the cheapest I can find is .95 so this would be quite a saving for me.
thanks


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## Peregrine Falcon (6 July 2014)

Micky said:



			PPID (Cushings) is very manageable nowadays, together with correct treatment ( prascend), diet and turnout, also when horses/ponies get tested, one must take into consideration if the horse is stresses as this can make the levels rise in ACTH result, ( see the laminitis site for more info) hence giving a false result. 678 was high but might well be due to stress from the pony, could well have been manageable in the long run.My horse has had PPID for over a year now and is bouncing idiot, feeling good and better than he ever has been in the 7 years I have had him. He is currently on 2 tablets a day though will have to upp by half in the autumn due to ACTH rising. Online sites sell Prascend cheaper than vets but you need a script from your vet to buy, works out about 75p a tablet at the moment 

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Pony also had melanomas, behaviour changes and loss of appetite.  As she was also underweight and not putting on any weight even with a field full of grass then the decision was made by her owner and myself that it was the best thing for the pony.  It wasn't the cushings level alone that made the pony unwell.  I wouldn't put a pony to sleep based on one thing.


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## Micky (6 July 2014)

Sounds like a mis life for poor wee pony, you did the right thing for that pony.

The site is vet medic, the price is dependent on how many prascend you order at a time, I order 120 at the moment.


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## splashgirl45 (6 July 2014)

Micky said:



			Sounds like a mis life for poor wee pony, you did the right thing for that pony.

The site is vet medic, the price is dependent on how many prascend you order at a time, I order 120 at the moment. 

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price is now 95p on vet medic.  I  ordered 160 last week and it cost £152....


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