b'Does Your Horse Have PPID? P ituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID, formerly known as equine Cushings disease) is the most common endocrine disorder of older equids. It affects 20-30% of horses over age 15, though veterinarians have diagnosed it in horses younger than 10. The disease develops when the neurons in the hypothalamus at the base of the brain deteriorate and fail to regulate the pituitary glands pars intermedia. As a result, the pars intermedia produces excess levels of various hormones that cause the classic clinical signs of PPID shown here.DELAYED OR LACK OF SEASONAL SHEDDING LOSS OF MUSCLE LONG, WAVY/MASS/TOPLINE AND A CURLY HAIRPOT-BELLIED APPEARANCEBRENDA WAHLER ISTOCK.COMREGIONAL ADIPOSITY(FAT DEPOSITS)CHRONIC INFECTIONS, INCLUDING SKIN ISSUES AND HOOF ABSCESSESKEVIN THOMPSON/THE HORSE FRANK SORGE/WWW.ARND.NLABNORMAL SWEATINGRECURRENT LAMINITISLETHARGYINCREASED OR REDUCEDWATER INTAKE ATHLETICAND URINATIONPERFORMANCEISTOCK.COM ISTOCK.COM22May 2020The Horse|TheHorse.com'