If you have a horse or pony with PPID, or if you suspect they might have, then this information from ‘The Laminitis Site’ taken from a recent post on their Facebook page is definitely worth a read. Also interesting to read the information from them in the resulting comments about the arguments for and against testing for and treating PPID.
The Laminitis Site – Original Facebook Post
“ACTH increases in all horses, and more in horses with PPID, during the “seasonal rise”, which starts around 21 June and ends around 21 December, mostly affects August to October, and peaks at the end of September/start of October, in the northern hemisphere. However, geographical location affects this.
Horses with PPID should have ACTH checked around early August, to check for control going into the seasonal rise.
Many horses with PPID will benefit from an increased dose of pergolide (available in the UK as Prascend, or molasses-flavoured pergolide paste from BOVA which can be given in 0.2 mg increments and may be ideal for gradually increasing and decreasing the dose) during the seasonal rise, reducing after the seasonal rise.
The best time to test horses that are suspected of having early PPID is the end of September/start of October, when PPID hormones are at their highest and the difference greatest between horses with PPID and normal horses.
Diagnosis of PPID should be based on clinical signs and history as well as blood test results.
For more information see: http://www.thelaminitissite.org/…/pituitary-pars…
For help and support for horses with laminitis, EMS or PPID, join Friends of The Laminitis Site: http://www.thelaminitissite.org/join-friends-of-tls.html “