Horse Cushings Disease Management

Equine Cushing's disease (PPID) affects most horses over 20 years; early detection and treatment with pergolide significantly improves welfare.

Key Facts

Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) affects up to 30% of horses and ponies over 15 years.
Classic signs include hypertrichosis (long, curly coat that fails to shed), laminitis, muscle wasting, and polydipsia.
Diagnosis is by ACTH blood test, preferably in autumn when levels are highest and most diagnostic.
Pergolide mesylate (Prascend) is the licensed treatment, given daily to suppress excessive ACTH secretion.
Seasonal autumn rise in ACTH requires dose adjustment in affected animals to prevent laminitis episodes.

Welfare Considerations

Horses with PPID experience a range of welfare-compromising signs that worsen progressively without treatment. The failure to shed the winter coat causes chronic overheating and discomfort in warmer months. Laminitis episodes — the most serious welfare consequence of PPID — cause intense hoof pain. Muscle wasting, pot belly, and immune suppression lead to increased susceptibility to infections. Treatment with pergolide typically produces rapid improvement in coat shedding, energy levels, and laminitis control. Long-term management requires annual ACTH monitoring with dose adjustment, particularly in autumn. Early diagnosis and treatment before clinical signs are severe provides the best welfare outcomes.

What You Can Do

Screen horses over 15 years for PPID using autumn ACTH testing annually.
Begin pergolide treatment promptly following PPID diagnosis to prevent welfare deterioration.
Clip hypertrichotic horses in summer if sweating and heat intolerance is significant.
Adjust pergolide dose upward in late August-November to account for the seasonal ACTH rise.