Horse PPID Senior Welfare | Animal Welfare Hub

Managing pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction to maintain quality of life in older horses.

Key Facts

PPID (equine Cushing's disease) is the most common endocrine disease of horses, affecting up to 21% of horses over 15
Symptoms include failure to shed winter coat, muscle wasting, laminitis, and increased infection susceptibility
Pergolide mesylate (Prascend) effectively controls PPID symptoms in the majority of treated horses
Untreated PPID causes progressive deterioration including severe laminitis that is often fatal
Annual ACTH blood testing from age 10 allows early detection before clinical signs develop
Dietary management with low-sugar, low-starch feed is critical alongside medication for PPID-affected horses

Welfare Considerations

PPID management has been transformed by the availability of effective medication, converting a progressive and often rapidly fatal condition into a manageable chronic disease that allows horses to maintain good quality of life for years. The welfare obligation centers on early diagnosis - horses with PPID detected and treated before laminitis develops have dramatically better welfare outcomes than those where diagnosis is delayed until severe signs appear. The combination of medication, dietary management, and monitoring represents a comprehensive welfare protocol that requires ongoing owner commitment but delivers sustained quality-of-life improvements.

What You Can Do

Test horses over 10 annually for PPID with an ACTH blood test before seasonal changes
Begin pergolide treatment promptly on diagnosis without waiting for further deterioration
Manage diet carefully - PPID horses require low-sugar, low-starch forage and feed
Schedule hoof assessment every 6-8 weeks to detect early laminitis in PPID horses
Monitor coat shedding as a simple welfare indicator of medication effectiveness
Work with your vet to establish the minimum effective pergolide dose while maintaining control