Here are at-a-glance definitions for terms that are frequently used when discussing pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) or equine Cushing’s disease:

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  Abnormal hair coat:

  Growth of unusually long or shaggy hair uncommon to healthy horses, which is a side effect of many disorders, but often a sign of PPID.

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  ACTH:

  Adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is a hormone secreted by the anterior pituitary gland. The overproduction of this hormone in the pituitary gland of a horse can be a cause of clinical signs associated with PPID.

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  Anorexia:

  Loss of appetite, especially as a result of disease.

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  Antibiotic:

  Any of a large group of chemical substances, such as penicillin, that can control or kill bacteria that cause infections and disease.

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  Botanicals:

  Drugs made from parts of plants, such as roots, leaves, or berries.

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  Chasteberry:

  Fruit from the chasteberry tree (Vitex agnus castus), which is found on river banks in southern Europe and the Mediterranean and grown as an ornamental plant in the US. Chasteberry is used to make a nutraceutical product thought to provide some health benefits to horses with PPID.

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  Colic:

  Severe and sudden attack of pain in the abdomen or bowels. In horses, colic may be caused by intestinal disease. The condition can be serious and corrective surgery may be required.

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  Compounded pergolide:

  A drug specially mixed by a compounding pharmacy to treat horses with PPID from pergolide, a human drug used in the past to treat Parkinson’s disease.

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  Compounding:

  The customized mixing of an approved drug or drugs by a veterinarian or pharmacist to meet the needs of a particular patient (based on the prescription of a veterinarian). The FDA allows this practice to meet a patient’s medical need when there’s no specifically approved drug available.

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  Cushing’s eye:

  The deposit of fatty lumps around the eye area of a horse, commonly referred to as "Cushing’s eye" as it is a side effect of PPID.

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  Deworming:

  Giving medication to rid an animal of worms.

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  Dopamine:

  A neurotransmitter in the central nervous system that acts within the brain to help regulate movement and emotion. Its depletion may cause Parkinson's disease.

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  Endocrine:

  Related to any of the endocrine glands, such as the thyroid, pituitary, and adrenal glands, that secretes hormones or other substances directly into the bloodstream to have a specific effect on another organ.

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  Equine metabolic syndrome (EMS):

  A condition in horses that causes insulin resistance (such as type II diabetes in humans). It plays a major role in Cushing’s-like symptoms, specifically laminitis.

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  Endocrine-impaired:

  Problems related to the endocrine system in animals or humans.

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  Euthanasia:

  The act of ending the life of an animal or person who is suffering from a painful and incurable disease or injury, usually by lethal injection.

• Food and Drug Administration (FDA):

  A federal agency responsible for monitoring trading and safety standards in the food and drug industries.

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  Hirsutism:

  Hirsutism develops in older horses, more often in mares, and usually is associated with a pituitary adenoma derived from cells of the PPID.

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  Hormone:

  A compound made by the endocrine glands and secreted into the body and to act specifically on certain organs or tissues to perform a certain function.

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  Hypersensitive:

  Unusually sensitive to an allergen, drug, or other substance.

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  Hypertrichosis:

  The technical term for excessive hair growth, often used by veterinarians to describe the long hair coat associated with signs of PPID.

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  Insulin:

  A protein hormone secreted by the pancreas that controls the amount of glucose in the blood. Insulin deficiency results in diabetes.

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  Insulin-resistant (IR):

  A state in which insulin becomes less effective at lowering levels of blood sugar. This condition sometimes results from infection or obesity.

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  Lactating:

  Secreting milk from the nipples (for use in feeding newborn offspring).

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  Laminitis:

  Inflammation of the sensitive laminae of the hoof, especially in horses.

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  Lethargy:

  The state of being drowsy, dull, sluggish, or unenergetic.

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  Nutraceuticals:

  Fortified foods or dietary supplements that are said to provide health or medical benefits in addition to their basic nutritional value. Not FDA tested or regulated.

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  Parkinson’s disease:

  A progressive disease of the central nervous system causing gradual loss of muscle control and shaking.

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  Pars intermedia:

  One of the three lobes within the pituitary gland. Also known as the intermediate lobe. This is the area of the pituitary gland that is affected by PPID.

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  Pars intermedia pituitary dysfunction (PPID):

  The correct clinical term for what is often referred to as equine Cushing’s disease, also referred to as PPID.

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  Pergolide mesylate:

  A drug approved for use in Europe and now the United States that is given orally to treat Parkinson’s disease in humans and PPID in horses. Pergolide mesylate is the active ingredient in the PRASCEND-branded tablets that are FDA-approved to treat PPID (equine Cushing’s disease) in horses.^1,2

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  Pituitary gland:

  An organ attached at the base of the brain that produces various hormones to regulate many body functions, including growth and development, metabolism, and activities of other endocrine glands.

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  Vaccinations:

  Preparations introduced into the body most commonly through injection to produce immunity to specific diseases.