Canadian horse owners can take advantage of a program that offers free testing for Pituitary Pars Intermedia Disfunction (PPID), also known as equine Cushing’s Disease.

Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health Equine will offer the free test in conjunction with the Guelph Animal Health Laboratory. Horse owners may visit Boehringer Ingelheim’s website to answer a brief PPID knowledge quiz and complete the application form in September and October.

“Every fall Boehringer Ingelheim sponsors a PPID testing campaign in partnership with Animal Health Laboratory,” says Doug Myers, DVM, Boehringer Ingelheim Animal Health. “Over the past 5 years, more than 1,700 horses have been tested and 62% were positive for PPID.”

Although changes in hair coat and body conformation are well-known signs of PPID, laminitis is a key warning sign that should not be overlooked. It’s estimated that as much as one-third of all laminitis cases suffer from PPID, while another cites 90% of laminitis cases can be attributed to an underlying endocrinopathy, according to the University of Guelph.