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Post by angelsdream on Jan 29, 2009 11:48:49 GMT -5
I wanted to share this story with you guys. My friend owns a 15 ? year old paso fino cross. She's always struggled since she got her with foundering. I started doing some research cause I suspected she had cushings. She had a very thick, long, curly winter coat - she had no muscle in her back end or top line and of course the foundering issue - she always seemed depressed. Would sit in the pasture with her head down, never running and playing with the others and would only move when absolutely pushed or threatened. She road her and always had to stay on her to keep her caught up with the other horses. So about 6 months ago we started her on barefoot and a strict diet. The lady who owned her didn't understand foundering or what caused it, now she does. She's learnt a lot with my help and I did also from doing a lot of research. We saw some improvement keeping her on a good balanced diet - but there was still something missing. I talked with a friend of mine who has a horse with cushings and she told me about Evitex. She said she used to give her horse pills that the vet gave her, but didn't like putting all those toxins in him daily. She discovered Evitex www.emeraldvalleyequine.com/disclaimer.htm?ac=FH49K-Uand just raved about it - so we started my friends horse on this about 1 month ago and WOW, what a difference. Within 2 weeks of being on this she started shedding out her thick, long curly coat, her eyes were no longer dim, she has tons of energy, and she has started gaining her muscle back in her back end and top line. She runs and plays and even pushes the other horses around which she has NEVER done. She's road her 3 times and again WOW, she is ready to go and enjoys riding and being out now. I can't wait to see what another month will do for her. I'm getting together before and after pictures, but wanted to give it a little more time to keep working. |
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Post by DianneC on Jan 29, 2009 23:35:57 GMT -5
I believe Evitex is a solution, possibly a tincture whose main ingredient is chaste tree berry, if you google chaste tree berry you will find the equine rescue site with more information on this herb as a treatment for equine cushings. They have used chaste tree berry with excellent results. Smoke is on his second week of getting Vitex, the brand name for chaste tree berry powder in this area. It comes in capsules and is very inexpensive..
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Post by Michelle Clarke on Jan 30, 2009 8:34:12 GMT -5
Yes, the Vitex is chaste berries and we get it from Mountain Rose Herbs, feed it whole. This way it is fed as a "whole" food and it is organic and fresh - still very inexpensive. I know alot of horses that have done well with it - right now it is in our Winter Mix for all of our horses.
The power of natural elements is amazing!!!
We had a great success story this month too...a client recently found out her coming 2 year old colt fractured his neck. Her holistic vet was concerned about is healing into the joint and/or fusing to the other vertabrae and being very limiting on mobility. She ordered an injection from overseas that was supposed to prevent this from happening (to the tune of $1,500.00). It was going to take up to a month to receive it.
When I asked the gal what the vet had her doing between now and then, she said nothing. I was shocked! We did a series of herbs, altering the formula every two week for pain/healing; added in triple doses of flax plus white millet, a calcium mobilizer and a topical.
She still did not hear from the holistic vet at the six week mark, so I suggested taking him to a local vet to get exrays to compare. The vet could not find any evidence of a fracture. NOTHING. They are getting the other exrays to compare, but WOW! How cool is that?!
When she brought him here after the first vet visit, you could visibly see the swelling and he was holding his neck at a funny angle and very painful. She said after only a week on the herbs, he was bouncing around again and wanting to go out and play with the other horses...even though I know how much those herbs work, I am still constantly amazed to the extent.
How is Smoke doing on the Vitex??
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Post by DianneC on Jan 30, 2009 9:44:49 GMT -5
Too soon to tell, this is just his second week. He's in a stable where he gets worked daily and I can see how much muscle he lost being a pasture potato. Right now its mostly free lunging. His stifles were a little sore the other evening...working off of tendons instead of muscle. I've added lysine and B1 to his supplements and plan to add some MSM as well.
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Post by stlkigers on Jan 30, 2009 19:06:54 GMT -5
Very interesting.....Keep us posted Dianne....We'll keep our fingers crossed for Smoke....
Angela
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Post by DianneC on Feb 15, 2009 12:01:28 GMT -5
Well, its funny actually... I added the chaste tree berry to his supplements and he took a nose dive...very sore, depressed, no energy and wobbly in the back end. I couldn't figure out what was going on until I realized I was double dosing him by giving him pergolide and the herb. Duh. I remembered the vet saying that too much pergolide was as bad as not enough. So he's been a week on just the herb and made an almost immediate turn around. Very energetic, interested in everything with a normal trot - even up hill. I wouldn't have thought that we would see such a quick deterioration with a double dose but it was like magic when I corrected it. Guess the herb must be pretty effective.
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