Owners of horses with Cushing’s are in a panic and rightly so. Supplies of their main defense against this disease are fast disappearing and not being replenished.

The most potent drug in the battle against Cushing’s, which is an abnormality of the pituitary gland that causes overproduction of cortisol, is Pergolide. Pergolide had been widely used in the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease in humans. But research showed that approximately 22 percent of people using the drug develop fibrosis in their heart valves. Since there are other drugs available for the treatment of Parkinson’s, medical doctors are dropping Pergolide for their patients and putting them on other drugs. As a result, manufacturers have stopped production of Pergolide and supplies are now dwindling.

The is serious business for owners of horses with Cushing’s because Pergolide is also the most effective drug for the treatment of Cushing’s. Horses are given a much lower dose of Pergolide than are humans and the risk to horses from using Pergolide is very minimal. Horses with Cushing’s suffer from a number of ailments – thirst, heavy coats, lethargy, increased urination and appetite and, most serious of all, chronic laminitis. Horses that are currently on Pergolide, if they come off of it, risk developing laminitis within two weeks, said Dr. Eleanor Kellon, one of the world’s leading veterinary experts on Cushing’s.