PPID (Cushings) query

Suby2

Suby2

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If a pony with PPID is having more sugar in their diet than is recommended, can this alone cause an increase in the ACTH levels.

Pony is on a low sugar/starch diet and the hay has been analysed and shown to be within the limit but I am wondering if some of the hay is higher in sugar than the test sample.
 
PPID isn't the same as Insulin Resistance, although the two often go together, so no, it shouldn't affect ACTH results. But bear in mind that ACTH levels pulse so if you were unlucky enough to take the blood at the lower end of the pulse you might well get a false negative. And it is also seasonal, so results now are likely to be lower than during the seasonal rise in late summer/early autumn.
Have you had widely differing results?
 
Sorry, should have made it clear. She had the TRH test as we have had false negatives from the other one. She does have EMS as well but is showing no symptoms.

Although levels were absolutely fine two years ago, this time they came out at 445! Should be below apx 80.
 
My vet says the count should be below 50!

My mare is on Prascend but recently started sweating overnight again. We put it down to the end of a haybale which smelled sweet (the sheep fell on it). As soon as we started the next bale, she was back to normal and we are keeping a very close eye - and nose! - on the hay now.
 
She has been on one Prascend for the past two years, currently gradually being increased to one and a half. She has a complicated vet history as she never seems to conform to the norm and is now retired as despite intensive investigations to try to resolve some problems, we never really got to the cause. She has been on a high fibre, low sugar diet with restricted grazing since first being diagnosed and was perfectly relaxed when the bloods were taken.
She recently had the TRH blood test. The vet who carried out the blood testing is very experienced and thought weight wise she looked fine i.e. slim in view of the PPID and EMS.
I only thought about the hay after I had spoken to him and I was just trying to think of a reason for the high reading although obviously it could just be the condition progressing.
She has to have another blood test in a couple of months so will discuss with the vet at that point.
 
There are a couple of groups on Facebook dealing with Cushings, and of course the ECIR group on the net, probably worth you looking in to them for specialist knowledge. ECIR in particular is a wealth of expertise, as advised by Dr Kellon, but you need to complete a full history before they will deal with a query
 
I don't think the hay will be the cause of that high reading.I hope the increase in Prascend gets it under control again for you.
 
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