Top Medicine Studies of 2012 (AAEP 2012)

Dr. Stephen Reed recaps studies on endocrinology, neurologic and muscle disorders, foal health, and more.
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Each year equine veterinarians attending the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) Convention flock by the thousands to one of the meeting’s headline events: the Kester News Hour. Stephen Reed, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, of Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital in Lexington, Ky., presented a summary of many recent practical and applicable equine medicine studies to a packed audience at the 2012 convention, held Dec. 1-5 in Anaheim, Calif.

Endocrinology, Metabolic Syndrome, and Laminitis

First, Reed addressed a commonly diagnosed disease in older horses: pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID), which is often referred to as equine Cushing’s disease. He reported on a retrospective study in which researchers examined the medical records of 217 horses diagnosed with PPID from three veterinary teaching hospitals from 1993 to 2004. Notably, there was a proportional increase in PPID diagnoses from 2.5 per 1,000 horses in 1993 to 3.72 horses per 1,000 in 2002.

The most common findings veterinarians noted in these horses were hirsutism (excessive hairiness) in 84% and laminitis in 50%. In most cases the time from the onset of clinical signs to diagnosis was 180 days. Reed noted that about half of the horses diagnosed with PPID survived 4 ½ years following a confirmed diagnosis. Treatment success varied with the medication: a combination of cyproheptadine and compounded pergolide yielded 60% success; pergolide alone resulted in 40% success; and cyproheptadine alone in 29% success. These medications were all that were available prior to the FDA approval of pergolide (Prascend, released in December 2011)

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Written by:

Nancy S. Loving, DVM, owns Loving Equine Clinic in Boulder, Colorado, and has a special interest in managing the care of sport horses. Her book, All Horse Systems Go, is a comprehensive veterinary care and conditioning resource in full color that covers all facets of horse care. She has also authored the books Go the Distance as a resource for endurance horse owners, Conformation and Performance, and First Aid for Horse and Rider in addition to many veterinary articles for both horse owner and professional audiences.

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