Are Horses With Cushing’s Disease at Increased Risk of Laminitis? PPID and laminitis in horses

What's the connection between cushings and laminitis?

Cushing’s Disease/ Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID) is considered a disease of ageing, where the control of several hormones, including Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), produced by the pituitary gland, is lost.  It can affect 1 in 5 horses over 15 years old. This leads to excessive hormone secretion from a certain part of the gland (the pars intermedia).

Testing the levels of ACTH is one way of diagnosing PPID. Many horses with PPID also have insulin dysregulation (ID), leaving them very vulnerable to developing laminitis. Although, the exact link between PPID and ID is not yet fully understood, but we do know that having both conditions will significantly increase the risk of laminitis. Read more about managing a horses with Endocrine disease HERE.

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