Basic HTML Version
C U S H I NG S D I S E A S E
AUTUMN 2013 ISSUE
EQUINE MATTERS
6
In some cases, vets may make a diagnosis
of PPID based simply on a clinical
examination and an appreciation of the
medical history of the horse or pony.
In many cases however, your vet will
want to take one or more blood samples
from your horse to measure blood levels
of specific hormones. The results of these
tests can then be compared to ‘normal’
ranges, to confirm the presence or
absence of disease.
The most commonly used diagnostic test
is the ACTH test - where a single blood
sample is taken to measure the level of
the hormone which is abnormally high in
untreated PPID cases when compared to
a seasonally adjusted reference range.
Contact your vet for further information.
Diagnosis
PPID (Cushing’s) can usually be diagnosed using a simple blood test
Although there is no ‘cure’ for PPID as the
root cause is the degeneration of nerves in
the brain, it is possible to mimic the hormone
Dopamine which can slow down ACTH
production in the pituitary gland and reduce
the symptoms of the disease.
The first licensed medicine for the treatment
of clinical signs associated with PPID in horses
does just this. It is a prescription only medicine
and can be prescribed by a veterinary
surgeon once they have made a diagnosis of
PPID. Treatment is normally given once daily,
and can be mixed with a small volume of
food to ease administration, or alternatively
can be dissolved in a small volume of water
and administered directly into the mouth. It can
take up to 12 weeks to see the full benefit of
treatment and the animal should be monitored
to make sure that the dosage is correct.
The patient will usully remain on treatment
for the rest of its life as the condition cannot
be reversed.
Treatment of PPID
As mentioned opposite, the symptoms of
PPID can be controlled with medication.
Along with careful management, it is
possible for these affected horses and
ponies to lead a comfortable and active
life. The treatment of laminitis requires a
team effort: working with your veterinary
surgeon and farrier to maintain comfort,
minimise further damage to the feet and
treat any underlying medical causes. It is
also recommended to seek nutritional
advice from your vet or a registered
nutritionist to make sure your horses diet
is appropriate for a laminitic with PPID
as they are often underweight or lacking
muscle but shouldn’t be fed high levels of
concentrates which could trigger a bout of
laminitis. Horses and ponies with PPID are
also more susceptible to chronic infections
so make sure that their worming, dental
care and vaccinations are up to date -
speak to your vet for more details.
Caring for a horse or pony with PPID
It has been recognised that the
Autumn is often but not always the
time of year when a horse or pony
will first start to develop noticeable
signs of PPID. This may be in the form
of a bout of laminitis, a haircoat
change, a change in body shape and
lack of energy or the presence of
recurrent infections. This is because
horses experience a slight surge of the
pituitary hormone ACTH at this time
of year, but in horses with PPID this is
exaggerated. This also makes the
autumn a good time to test for the
disease (with the ACTH test) as the
difference between normal and
affected animals is widened and the
test is more accurate
3
.
Talk to your XLVets Equine veterinary
surgeon about testing as the
laboratory fees for the ACTH test are
FREE through the Talk About Laminitis
scheme until the end of November.
This Autumn
Visit...
www.talkaboutlaminitis.co.uk
to download a voucher to
use at your XLVets Equine
veterinary practice.
References:
1
McGowan TW et al (2013).
Prevalence, risk factors and clinical signs predictive for equine pituitary pars
intermedia dysfunction in aged horses. Equine Vet J. 45(1):74-9.
2
Talk About Laminitis data 2012-2013.
3
McGowan TW et al. (2013a).
Evaluation of basal plasma [alpha]-melanocyte-stimulating hormone and
adrenocorticotrophic hormone concentrations for the diagnosis of pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction from
a population of aged horses. Equine Vet J. 45(1):66-73.