Q:What causes Cushing’s disease, and why does it seem like it’s so prevalent in our horses?

A:This is a disorder that’s better referred to as pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). The word dysfunction is the best place to start, because this is a progressive disorder that begins with the dysfunction of the pituitary gland. This gland at the base of the brain sends out a number of hormones, and as the horse gets older and develops this condition, we see region of the pituitary gland–the pars intermedia–starts to send out more hormones. And it’s really a collection of hormones that get sent out and affects the horse in many different ways. We also call this Cushing’s disease because there’s an element of it that leads to … Read more…

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