Study highlights prevalence of Cushing’s in older horses

A Equus caballus amongst Cushing’s disease. © Equine Science Update

A study of a grouping of Australian horses has highlighted the prevalence of equine Cushing’s syndrome inwards older animals as well as only how few animals are diagnosed.

The enquiry past times Australian as well as British researchers besides revealed that excessive hairiness remained the i consistent finding inwards the diagnosis of Cushing’s inwards horses.

The study was the get-go epidemiological study of Cushing’s disease, besides known every bit pars pituitary intermedia dysfunction (PPID), inwards aged horses inwards a population unbiased past times presentation to, or records obtained from, veterinarian practices.

The researchers’ aim was to flora the prevalence, direct a opportunity factors as well as predictive clinical signs for PPID inwards a grouping of aged horses using seasonally adjusted basal plasma adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) concentrations for confirmation of diagnosis.

The study, the results of which induce got been published inwards the Equine Veterinary Journal, was based on a population of horses owned past times members of Equestrian Queensland who lived inside a defined expanse inwards the southeast of the Australian state.

Owner-reported information was based on an initial postal questionnaire, as well as all aged horses were later examined. They had samples taken for haematology, blood biochemistry, ACTH as well as alpha melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH).

In all, 536 owners returned a total of 974 consummate questionnaires on aged horses which qualified for the study past times beingness fifteen years of historic menstruum or older.

The researchers said although the sample was non illustration of the entire population of Equus caballus owners, it would stand upward for the spectrum of PPID amidst aged horses to a greater extent than closely, rather than those amongst clear clinical prove of advanced disease, every bit has been the focus of veterinarian infirmary or enquiry herd-based studies.

The prevalence of PPID, based on private veterinarian checks on each animal, was found to endure 21.2 per cent inwards the aged horses, despite owners infrequently reporting it every bit a known or diagnosed illness or disorder. In this grouping of aged horses, owners had reported PPID inwards alone 1.6 per cent of the horses – xvi of 974 animals.

The findings highlighted the prevalence of Cushing’s inwards aged horses as well as its under-recognition past times owners, the researchers from the University of Queensland as well as the University of Liverpool, said.

Previous studies induce got looked at owner-reported hirsutism (excessive hairiness) every bit a agency of diagnosis. In this study, owner-reported hirsutism was 16.7 per cent.

“Despite analysis of numerous clinical as well as historical signs, as well as biochemical as well as haematological variables, the alone finding found to endure consistent amongst a diagnosis of PPID was owner-reported hirsutism,” the researchers found.

“There was besides found to endure an increasing incidence of PPID amongst every twelvemonth of historic menstruum over fifteen years.”

They said the high prevalence of this status inwards aged horses as well as increasing direct a opportunity amongst advancing historic menstruum were consistent amongst a degenerative condition.

They concluded that aged horses amongst consistent clinical as well as historical signs, peculiarly those amongst owner-reported excessive hairiness, should endure candidates for farther investigation of possible PPID.

The researchers said it had been suggested that many Equus caballus owners may defer seeking veterinary advice for their horses unless the status is “serious”.

“Many of the signs of PPID are non-specific, such every bit weight loss as well as depression. Others, including musculus wasting, pot belly as well as hirsutism, induce got erroneously been considered normal signs of ageing inwards horses.

“Therefore, owners recognising these signs may non regard them every bit of import plenty to seek veterinary advice.”

 

Prevalence, direct a opportunity factors as well as clinical signs predictive for equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction inwards aged horses
T. W. MCGOWAN, G. P. PINCHBECK, C. M. MCGOWAN
Article get-go published online: xviii MAY 2012
DOI: 10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00578.x
The total text tin shipping away endure read at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.2042-3306.2012.00578.x/pdf

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