New Laminitis and PPID data
New data has highlighted a high percentage of ponies and horses aged 10-15 that suffer from both laminitis and Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID), also known as Cushing's disease.
A disease awareness campaign last autumn, ran by Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, called Talk About Laminitis, tested over 3,100 laminitic horses for PPID. Data collected from those tests has shown one third of middle-aged horses tested positive for the disease.
Laminitis is a painful condition affecting the feet and hooves of horses and ponies, which is very common and thought to be related to accessibility to lush grass. PPID is a loss of hormone balance causing numerous symptoms such as excessive hair. It is more common in older horses and ponies, though affects many middle-aged horses too - as this data shows.
Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica are to relaunch Talk About Laminitis again this autumn, giving free blood tests during the months of September, October and November to detect PPID. Veterinary surgeons are being urged to test laminitic or foot-sore horses as the disease is easier to detect during these months.
'Although the common perception is that PPID is a disease of only older horses and ponies, the ageing process is progressive,' said equine sales and marketing manager at Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Liz Barrett. 'This data from over 330 participating veterinary practices indicates that horses and ponies in the 10 to 15 age bracket are also frequently affected.'
Veterinary surgeons click here for a blood test voucher.
With Strangles Awareness Week just around the corner (5-11 May), vets are being encouraged to share a survey about the disease with their horse-owning clients.
