Managing horses with PPID is an ongoing commitment and requires careful veterinary observation. By monitoring both clinical signs and endocrine values, many affected horses can return to athletic function and/or maintain a good quality of life. | Photo: iStock

Cathy McGowan, BVSc, Dipl. VetClinStud, MACVSc, PhD, Dipl. EIM, ECEIM, FHEA, MRCVS, reviewed how to treat and manage aged horses with PPID, in particular those with concurrent laminitis, at the 2018 American Association of Equine Practitioners Convention, held Dec. 1-5 in San Francisco, California.

Management of the condition needs to begin at the time of diagnosis, starting with the practitioner fully explaining treatment options to the owner, said McGowan, head of the equine clinical science department and director of veterinary postgraduate education at the University of Liverpool Philip Leverhulme Equine Hospital.

Evidence suggests that more than three-quarters of horses that receive the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved PPID treatment—pergolide (marketed as Prascend)—experience significant clinical improvements, even long-term. So, she said veterinarians should encourage owners to use the FDA-approved product rather than , she said, as the compounded drugs’ efficacy and stability are questionable