04/21/2026
🧥 Attention, equine owners: are your animals not properly shedding their winter coats? This is a classical symptom of Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction, also known as PPID or Cushing’s!
“PPID impacts how insulin is controlled,” Dr. Quinn says. “Horses that have Cushing’s can also have predispositions for insulin resistance and insulin dysregulation. That insulin dysregulation is what puts them at risk for laminitis and secondary founder.”
Equines with this condition are essentially living in a constant state of mild immune compromise, which means wounds and eye issues are slow to resolve. They can experience muscle atrophy, abnormal sweating, changes in energy and behavior, recurrent infections, skin conditions, and infertility. Testing for PPID is a blood test that your CLS vet can perform upon request. There’s a static test which is a baseline 🩸 blood draw, but if that does not provide a firm answer one way or another about if your horse has Cushing’s, a second dynamic test can be performed. Because PPID has associations with other conditions like insulin resistance and Equine Metabolic Syndrome, depending on your equine’s symptoms, which test(s) are administered will be on a case-by-case basis that takes your animal’s whole health picture into account.
Dr. Quinn wants horse owners to be aware that PPID is progressive. Their horse may have tested negative once a year or two ago, but the condition may develop clinical signs and a positive test result later. She says though that it’s not necessary to test every equine annually — some breeds and ages are at a higher risk for Cushing’s — it’s important to know that symptoms can become more present over time. Though the condition itself is not an emergency situation, testing suspected animals for it can help prevent more urgent equine health situations like cases of founder and slow-to-heal eye injuries.
If your horse is found to have PPID, or be at a high risk for it, your CLS vet will work with you to establish an appropriate maintenance and nutrition plan. Unlike Metabolic horses, those with PPID may have different body types and nutritional needs, so care is custom designed by Dr. Quinn and Dr. Anders. Their calendars are open if you think your equines need to get tested! Just give us a call to schedule. ‼️ Please note for equine owners outside of our primary service area (see the CLS website for details), Cushing’s testing and other equine wellness appointments will need to be scheduled ahead of time and may require a haul-in instead of an ambulatory farm call.
Custom Livestock Solutions is Georgia’s proven source for premiere herd health and management services. Our vets serve large animal herds, show barns and stables in the 🍑 Peach State and nearby neighbors in South Carolina. Visit us in Comer Monday through Friday from 9 to 5, or call 706-783-8128 to learn more.
