Prascend

Prascend 1 mg tablets for horses

Prascend 1 mg tablets for horses is the only licensed medication for the symptomatic treatment of the clinical signs associated with Equine Cushing’s disease (PPID) in horses in the UK.        

It is available as pink rectangular scored tablets, each containing 1 mg of pergolide mesylate.

Pergolide is a long-acting dopamine receptor agonist. This means that it stimulates the dopamine receptors in the horse’s pituitary gland responsible for regulating hormone production. The result of this is that the levels of hormones produced by the pituitary gland are decreased. This is important as it is these high hormone levels which are associated with the clinical signs of Equine Cushing’s disease.

As this treatment affects hormone production, there is usually a short lag between the start of treatment and your horse returning to normal in terms of clinical signs. It usually takes between 6-12 weeks to see a clinical benefit of treatment, although in some unusual cases it can sometimes take several years before a benefit is seen.

If you would like to learn more about Prascend, register as a Care About Cushing’s member and take a look at our section called ‘Medication to manage Equine Cushing’s disease’.

If you have any concerns or queries about your horse please speak to your veterinary surgeon.

Nutrition

The correct nutritional support can help your horse or pony cope better with the consequences of Equine Cushing’s disease.

For most horses and ponies with Cushing’s disease the nutritional requirements are very similar to older animals in general. However, some horses with the disease have clinical signs such as weight loss, obesity, or a predisposition to laminitis. There are important additional factors to consider when planning the nutrition for horses with each of these signs.

If you would like to learn more about the nutrition of horses with Equine Cushing’s disease please register as a Care About Cushing’s member and take a look at our section on ‘Feeding horses with Equine Cushing’s disease’.

Preventative healthcare

In addition to Equine Cushing’s disease, there are a wide range of common diseases that horses and ponies are at risk of developing as they get older. These include dental, musculoskeletal, respiratory, cardiac and skin disorders. As horses with untreated Equine Cushing’s disease have a reduced immunity, they can be more susceptible to infections such as dental disease, worm infestations, or viral infections.

There are therefore several management and preventative healthcare measures that are important aspects of keeping Equine Cushing’s disease patients in the best possible health, whether or not they are receiving any medication.

These measures involve paying careful attention to hoof care, dental care, vaccination, wormer administration, and nutrition of your horse.

If you would like to read more about these measures, please register as a Care About Cushing’s member and take a look at our section on “Preventative healthcare in horses with Equine Cushing’s disease”.

An educational service from Boehringer Ingelheim Ltd, Animal Health, makers of Prascend 1 mg for horses tablets. Further information available in the SPC or from Boehringer Ingelheim Ltd, Animal Health, RG12 8YS, UK. Prascend is a registered trademark of Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, Ingelheim, Germany. ©2018 Boehringer Ingelheim Ltd. All rights reserved. Date of preparation: July 2018. AHD 11158. Use Medicines Responsibly.