Cush
hing’s Syn
ndrome n Horses
Cushin
ng's syndrom
me is a devasttating diseas e for horses. In horses the syndrome is
primarily characterrized by pituitary malfuncction that pro
ogresses to secondary
hypera
n resistance. All Cushing'ss cases
adrenocorticism and can be complicatted by insulin
eventu
ually lead to laminitis and
d a suppresseed immune syystem.
Cushin
ng's syndrom
me is primarilyy a disease o
of older horsees but has be
een diagnose
ed in
horsess as young ass 8 years old.. Classic symp
ptoms includ
de a failure to
o shed in spring with
the ha
air coat becom
ming long, sh
haggy and m
matted. Affectted horses m
may become tthin; or
with concurrent inssulin resistan
nce remain ob
bese. Above average water consumpttion and
subseq
quent urinatiion is commo
on as is excesssive sweatin
ng.
Nutritional management of horses with Cusshing's syndrrome should concentrate on
contro
olling body co
ondition, glu
ucose utilizatiion, and maxximizing meta
abolic efficiency.
Horses with insulin
n resistance are
a particularrly susceptible to being ovver condition
ned,
especiially on green
n grass. Durin
ng the spring
g and fall when pasture frructan levels are
elevated affected horses
h
should
d have limiteed exposure tto pasture ass this makes tthem
especiially susceptible to laminitis. All horsess with Cushin
ng's syndrom
me should recceive the
smalle
est amount of grain required to maint ain a moderaate body con
ndition level. Horses
with in
nsulin resistance that tend
d to stay oveer-conditioneed even on lim
mited or no g
grain
intake may get by with no grain
n intake wha tsoever. Affeected horses receiving gra
ain in
order to properly manage
m
bodyy condition sshould receivve a grain mixx that is low in starch
and su
ugar; Triple Crown
C
Low Sttarch is an exxcellent choicce in this situation. Horsess
receiving less than 6 pounds pe
er day of a co
ommercially fortified feed
d will be mine
eral and
vitamin deficient without
w
prope
er supplemen
ntation. In these situation
ns one pound
d of Triple
Crown
n 12 Supplem
ment or 3 pou
unds of Triplee Crown Lite should be fe
ed daily. Thesse
products can eithe
er be fed in co
ombination w
with other feeds such as T
Triple Crown Low
Starch
h or by themsselves depending upon th
he body cond
dition of the individual ho
orse
Cushing’s Synd
drome in Horsses 1 | P a g e ww w.triplecrownfeed.com