Do you have a link to this page?
@JB It sounds like B-I is going to be sending the links to vets who will then pass it on to the number of clients theyāve been allotted.
1 Like
Purina Well-gel works wonders on my teenage horses - like in a couple weeks! I use a cup to top dress grain at dinner and water it well and let it sit a few minutes
1 Like
My vet strongly suspects PPID. So much so that she offered to hold the blood for the general panel until we got the ACTH results. I opted to go ahead with it as there might be additional stuff going on, and if nothing else weāll have a baseline.
I sent a comparison picture of April vs August topline to my vet before the appointment. It was rather shocking even to me. He is putting weight back on over his ribs but nowhere else.
Blood draw was last Wednesday and I havenāt heard anything yetā¦ 
I did fill out my B-I survey and got approved for the free test.
3 Likes
Following this thread with interest. Is it possible to have PPID/Cushingās with no changes in hair coat? My 17.1 hh QH has lost a lot of weight/muscle this year. I thought the long hair coat was a primary symptom
2 Likes
Yes, itās possible, and many early PPID horses only lose weight, or only have increased thirst, no changes in hair coat.
Itās a great time for the ACTH test. Or, you can wait for December and do the TSH test, which picks up earlier PPID than the ACTH does, for horses are are just starting to head there.
3 Likes
He does have increased thirst, which I initially attributed to such a hot summer.
My mare had sudden muscle loss and turned up maxed out positive for EPM. Neuro signs were super subtle, just a change in the way she cantered. Treated, she gained weight, and weāre back to work!
1 Like
@yaya I think thatās the next test if PPID isnāt positive.
@Catherine616 My older horse who does have PPID was tested because he was unable to build back topline muscle after a hard winter, despite good feed and correct dressage work. The vet offered PPID as a possibility but wasnāt convinced enough to recommend testing until B-I offered to pay for a number of tests for the clinic clients (they offered me one and I accepted).
That muscle issue was literally the only symptom he had that could be attributed to PPID. Around six years ago they were beginning to think haircoat issues were actually signs that tend to occur later in the progression of the disease.
Blood test (IFAT)
The test is pretty fast - Iād call your vet for the results. They must be back by now, whether free or not.
@yaya. Thank you. My mare has rapid muscle loss as well. Everything but EPM has been ruled out. However, neurologist said neither a muscle biopsy nor a spinal tap were warranted since my mare did not present neurologic symptoms. The neurologist did not mention the blood test. I found that by later googling.
This is what my horse did this spring - lost tons of weight, esp. across the topline (heās normally an air fern), and had a few neuro signs - he stopped cantering, didnāt like trotting, and found it difficult to turn using the hind end. He came back EPM-positive. We treated, and heās fine now. Still keeping an eye on him, as in this area it could return, but for now, heās fat and sassy again.
OP, Iād definitely want an EPM test, if only to rule it out.
Yep. My mare is normally an air fern, too, so the weight loss was shocking, continuing even after tripling her feed. She was also in professional training at the time, so it was hard to explain her loss of muscle as well as she lost her flying changes and seemed unsure of which legs to use for her canter departs. That was about it for neuro signs. No ataxia, tripping, or stumbling, just a little scramble in the canter depart.
After two months on Protazil, she is back to air fern status and has been back under saddle for about 3 weeks. No issues cantering except for having to build her stamina back up, and we are getting close to trying those flying changes again!
2 Likes
This happened to my heavily muscled fit dressage horse. After doing my best to get weight and muscle on him, he had a sudden change to neurological overnight. It was EPM.
1 Like
Itās not PPID. Vitamin E and Selenium are normal. All other bloodwork is normal.
Next up blood draw for EPM when the vet comes to do EHV vaccination.
2 Likes
Mine lost topline right before we diagnosed him with EDM. The topline started dropping when the neuro signs increased. The behavioral stuff came first. His progression was actually pretty fast (at least once the ataxia started). Unfortunately, there is not a good test. His vitamin E was normal, so thatās not a guarantee that it isnāt EDMā¦
Have you been continuing to track by photo, and also tracking work and diet?
I know you said you had increase workload; has that gone down again and muscle loss still happening, or is it leveling outā¦?
Obviously EPM test is useful if only to rule it out. When will you have that done?
A month and a negative EPM test later and heās got good weight back, but still needs topline muscle. His bum looks less pointy though the SI and spine are still very prominent. I am reducing his hard feed to find the maintenance level while keeping up the protein.
I managed to make him back sore with a brief memory foam half pad trial so his work has been reduced. And if that wasnāt enough he needed an emergency vet visit yesterday, on Sunday!
Itās a good thing heās cuteā¦ 
3 Likes
