Send Audrey a Text to get your question answered on the show Learn how to assess the bigger picture when caring for a horse with Cushing’s disease: coat and shedding, muscle, appetite, feet, feeding, and response to care alongside ACTH testing with your veterinarian. In this episode, functional equine nutrition practitioner Audrey McLaughlin explains PPID and shares her approach to forage-first equine nutrition, mineral balance, and practical management. She walks through the difference between body condition and muscle condition, why protein intake deserves attention, and how to review a feeding program before adding more supplements. The discussion also covers pergolide, appetite changes, herbs and nutritives, homeopathy, complementary therapies, and seasonal care, including a published case series on homeopathic ACTH and Quercus robur. Audrey shares her practice observation that nutrition and mineral-balance changes, followed by veterinary reassessment and retesting, sometimes lead to medication being reduced or discontinued. T In this episode: What changes in the brain and pituitary with PPID Subtle signs that deserve attention before the classic shaggy coat ACTH interpretation, seasonal context, and the separate question of insulin regulation Foundation-first feeding: forage, salt, protein, minerals, and extras Muscle preservation, ingredient review, and why Audrey is careful with supplemental iron Pergolide, follow-up, and the message that medication is not failure Audrey’s recommendations for individualized herbal, homeopathic, and complementary support Seasonal priorities Five common mistakes that can leave important needs unaddressed Join Audrey: Metabolic Horse Class, October 14, 2026, at noon Eastern. Next episode, October 9: Equine Gastric Ulcers: Why Symptoms Return After Treatment. Sources and editorial context 1. Equine Endocrinology Group. Recommendations for the Diagnosis and Management of Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID), revised October 2025. Used to check seasonal/assay interpretation, insulin assessment, individualized feeding, pergolide, and follow-up. The group’s recommendations include dietary and wellness care alongside medical management; they do not establish supplements as effective PPID treatment. EEG guidelines and download page. 2. McFarlane D, Dybdal N, Donaldson MT, Miller L, Cribb AE. Nitration and increased alpha-synuclein expression associated with dopaminergic neurodegeneration in equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction. Journal of Neuroendocrinology. 2005;17:73–80. Tissue research relevant to the neurodegeneration and oxidative-stress discussion. It does not demonstrate that a dietary intervention prevents or reverses PPID. Study. 3. Dysregulation of Cortisol Metabolism in Equine Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction. Endocrinology. 2018;159:3791–3800. Supports the distinction between circulating cortisol and altered cortisol metabolism in PPID. Study. 4. Michigan State University Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID). Owner education supporting the age context: primarily older horses, with younger cases possible and cases under ten uncommon. Owner guide. 5. Elliott M. Cushing’s Disease: a new approach to therapy in equine and canine patients. British Homeopathic Journal. 2001;90:33–36. Uncontrolled case series including 23 equine patients; clinical outcomes were assessed rather than treatment superiority in a concurrent comparison group. PubMed record | Full paper reproduced by BAHVS. Minerals and Metals Mane Test: https://equine-energy-medicine.myshopify.com/products/minerals-and-metals-mane-test?variant=66748496150832 Find all the resources listed here: linktr.ee/equineenergymed Audrey is not an MD or DVM and has never implied or claimed to be either. Audrey holds a Doctoral Degree in Traditional Naturopathy and a Master's Degree in Science. She created an evidence-based anti-inflammatory nutrition program for equines and has successfully helped over 10k horses with a balanced anti-inflammatory forage diet. This information is non-medical in nature and is not meant to diagnose, prescribe for, treat, or cure, and is not a replacement for your veterinarian. These are my personal interpretations based on my education, skills, and experience. Equine Energy Medicine refers to non-invasive, supportive modalities focused on energetic balance, nutrition, and overall well-being, and does not replace veterinary care.
