Cushing’s Horses Disease
Cushing’s Disease is known scientifically as PPID (Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction) and affects the pituitary gland in the brain. The pituitary gland manages hormone production, and those hormones control vital bodily functions. Unfortunately, when a horse has Cushing’s Disease, their brain doesn’t create enough dopamine and produces too many hormones. The functions of dopamine are explained by Intech Open as follows, “Dopaminergic neurons regulate important functions such as cognition, motor activity, vision, learning, pain perception, and sexual behaviour, among others.”, available here.
Cushing’s Disease can be devastating, though thankfully there’s ongoing research into Cushing’s Disease and how best to treat it.
Your vet can detect Cushing’s Disease through a blood test, which is offered for free by some veterinary clinics.
** If you are concerned that your horse may have Cushing’s Disease, please contact your vet immediately! **
* Pre-Determining Factors
According to studies worldwide, a few pre-determined factors affect horses who suffer from Cushing’s Disease. Before we begin, it’s important to note that even if a horse falls into the ‘at risk’ group for having Cushing’s Disease, that does not mean they necessarily have it or that they will end up having Cushing’s Disease.
Breed – although still largely under-researched, there has been notable evidence to suggest that Cushing’s Disease tends to afflict native breeds most.
Age – research has determined that a significant factor in Cushing’s Disease's development is a horse’s age. It tends to afflict horses over fifteen years; however, Cushing’s Disease has been found in young horses in rare cases.
* Symptoms
Laminitis – a recognisable symptom of Cushing’s Disease, laminitis affects a horse’s hooves, as explained in another of our blog posts.
Coat Changes – the second most noted symptom of Cushing’s Disease is lack of moulting and excessive coat growth, leading to a horse’s coat becoming exceptionally long and failing to lose that hair despite changing seasons.
Increased Drinking and Urination – due to the hormonal imbalance caused by Cushing’s Disease, a horse’s kidney function can be affected. This results in a horse drinking excessively and urinating considerably more than usual.
Lack of Energy – horses with Cushing’s Disease may become disinterested in exercise, act more quietly than usual, and often seem tired. However, this symptom on its own can be so subtle that it’s difficult for owners to notice, particularly when other factors are affecting a horse’s energy levels.
Sweating – sometimes, horses with Cushing’s Disease experience strange sweating patterns, even when their body temperature is low, or they’ve not endured enough exercise to warrant sweating.
Fat Deposits – Cushing’s Disease can cause fat deposits to develop in odd places, such as above the eyes and around the stomach.
Loss of Topline – the muscle wastage caused by Cushing’s Disease can result in horses losing their topline muscular form.
Weakened Immune System – Cushing’s Disease can make horses more susceptible to infection and disease.
More information is available from Care About Cushing’s on their website.
* Treating Cushing’s Disease
A medication called Prascend® is widely used to treat Cushing’s Disease in horses around the world. As explained by the manufacturers themselves, here’s how Prascend® works, “PRASCEND tablets are rectangular, light-red, half-scored tablets containing 1 mg pergolide, as pergolide mesylate, a dopamine receptor agonist for oral use in horses only. It’s used for the control of clinical signs associated with PPID in horses.”
Further details about Prascend® can be found here.
To explain a little more about how Prascend® works, here’s some interesting information from Care About Cushing's: “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.”
While Prascend® is the primary medication used for Cushing’s Disease, there are a variety of ways you can manage your horse’s condition yourself…
Watch Their Weight – due to the increased risk of laminitis, it’s vital to manage your horse’s diet well to avoid them becoming overweight. The best way to do this is to consult with your vet and work out a suitable feeding routine offering plenty of forage and low levels of sugar/starch, as well as to organise a light exercise schedule to keep them healthy and content.
Feed Little and Often – we all understand the importance of feeding our horses little and often as it’s best for their digestive systems; however, this rule is all the more important if a horse has Cushing’s Disease because it helps them avoid potentially damaging fluctuations in their blood sugar and insulin levels.
Worming – another aspect of equine care we’re all familiar with, it is never more crucial to manage a horse’s worming programme than when they have Cushing’s Disease, since it makes them more susceptible to the damaging effects of worm burden.
Farrier Visits – keeping on top of your horse’s hoof care is essential, especially if they have Cushing’s Disease, as it weakens their hoof wall and makes them more susceptible to issues such as hoof abscesses.
Dental Care – it is always advised to have a horse’s teeth checked regularly. However, it’s of significant importance in horses with Cushing’s Disease due to their increased risk of infection and deterioration of tooth quality.
Clipping – a horse with a long coat that doesn’t moult, the typical image associated with Cushing’s Disease, will likely require clipping through the year to assist them in managing their body temperature.
Vaccinate – imperative to maintain good overall health, vaccinating a horse with Cushing’s Disease is a vital aspect of managing this condition because horses afflicted by it are more vulnerable to infection and disease.
As always, if you have any questions, please consult your vet or contact Discount Equestrian!
