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Cushing's Syndrome in the Miniature Horse
According to Veterinary researchers, the cause of Cushings Disease (Hyperadrenocorticism) remains a mystery. We know that Cushings is a result of an over-active pituitary gland that generates excessive levels of Cortizol, a natural steroid.
Cushings is found in all breeds of equines, and is especially prevalent middle-aged and obese horses.
Cushing's Symptoms in Miniature horses
According to this Petcare Tips article, a miniature horse with Cushing's may exhibit the following Cushings symptoms:
- Increased thirst.
- Increased appetite.
- Increased urination.
- Pot bellied appearance.
- Loss of topline muscle.
- A thick wavy hair coat in the summer – failure to shed its winter coat.
- Chronic laminitis.
- Lethargy.
Diagnosing Cushings Disease in Miniature Horses
This article describes a medical test that will accurately determine if your horse has Cushings Syndrome:
"Even though the clinical symptoms are often very obvious, a number of tests have been developed over the years to positively diagnose Cushings Disease in horses. These include the dexamethasone suppression test (DST) and ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) stimulation."
Cushing's and Genetics
According to this article by Dr. Harold Schott, there is a strong genetic factor, especially among ponies and miniature horses:
"Currently, we do recognize that some breeds (Morgans especially) and types of equids (ponies in particular) are at greater risk of developing Cushing's disease. These observations, accompanied by the fact that Cushing's disease has been recognized for a number of decades in horses, suggest that genetics likely plays a more important role than environment in development of Cushing's disease."
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