What Causes Equine Cushing’s Disease?
Nicholas Frank, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACVIM
June 1, 2021
What causes Cushing’s disease, and why does it seem like it’s so prevalent in our horses?
What causes Cushing’s disease, and why does it seem like it’s so prevalent in our horses?
One of the Table Topic discussions at the 2010 American Association of Equine Practitioners annual meeting, held Dec. 4-8 in Baltimore, Md., addressed equine endocrine disorders. Moderators and attendees discussed diagnostic testing for equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) and pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID). Horses with the EMS phenotype (easy keeper, regional adiposity, obesity,
A horse with equine metabolic syndrome (EMS) is typically middle-aged with either generalized or regional adiposity (fat deposits). The horse with Cushing’s or pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) is typically older than the horse with EMS; most affected animals are older than 15 years of age.
Obese horses should be taken off pasture, except for very short (30-minute) turnout periods two or three times a day for
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