Cushings Disease In Horses

Cushing's disease occurs in different animals (dogs, for example, horses, people), although the symptoms are different in horses than other symptoms in animals (eg dogs causes hair loss while the horses it results in higher growth of hair). When the disease occurs in horses, it is known as Equine Cushings disease (or ECD).

ECD is a disease caused by excessive production of hormones. The pituitary gland produces too much hormone, which over-stimulates the adrenal glands, which in turn produce steroids too. It is the excessive amount of steroids that causes the symptoms associated with ECD. Overproduction of the pituitary may be due to various changes, such as growth of benign tumors of the pituitary enlargement due to age-related changes, or a decrease of dopamine due to regulatory changes related to age in the brain. All these factors tend to be associated with age, so that the disease is more common in older horses (over 15), although it has been found in horses as young as seven years.

The nature and cause of the disease itself was first described by Harvey Cushing, an American brain surgeon, in 1921. Therefore, the disease is named after him.

Symptoms and Diagnosis

The symptoms of Cushing's disease vary somewhat from horse to horse, with the most common symptoms, including:

- Changing the dress. It may become longer and curly. It can be paid in the spring. In some cases, the color becomes lighter.
- Increased sweating. This is often due to the layer become longer and thicker, and the maintenance of the winter coat in summer.
- The weight loss despite increased appetite and food intake. Changes in body shape, with a loss of muscle in the back and neck and the pending development of the abdomen.
- The general depression, loss of luster of the coat, the horse looks ill. The development of diabetes and an increase resulting from the consumption of water. This can be difficult to detect with horses grazing, but with horses in the stable, one can notice an abnormal amount of urine (or soiled bedding) in the box.
- The development of laminitis. The most common cause of laminitis is normal due to carbohydrate overload eat grass in spring, while ECD-caused laminitis is more frequent in autumn and winter, as the ECD is worse when the days are shorter (because the pineal gland is sensitive to light and daylight decreases, it stimulates the pituitary gland).
- Weakened immune system, leaving the horse more susceptible to infections and more time to heal external injuries.
- The depressions above the eyes are filled in. These depressions are most evident when a horse is chewing, but gradually fill with fat horses ECD.

Any of these symptoms may be caused by a variety of diseases other than ECD. Therefore, blood and urine are normally used to confirm that the cause is ECD (for example by measuring levels of hormones and hormone response levels) and to exclude other possible diseases. Studies have shown that many horses with ECD are either not diagnosed or misdiagnosed (symptoms are mistakenly attributed to another illness) so they do not receive appropriate treatment.

Treatment

ECD can not be cured. However, hormone levels can be reduced to more normal levels with medication, to slow the progression of the disease. Because some drugs can have serious side effects (eg liver disease), we must monitor potential side effects, such as drugs and changes accordingly.

As Cushing's disease can lead to the development of secondary diseases (eg, laminitis, diabetes), the horse should be monitored closely for any symptoms of the latter, appropriate and timely treatment.

Symptom management can make the horse more comfortable and increase i.