Repository logo

Browsing by Author "Ferraz, Carolina Janeiro"

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
  • Contribution to the evaluation of the benefits of pergolide in the treatment of equine pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) : reduction of helminth faecal egg counts (hFEC) and increased owner awareness
    Publication . Ferraz, Carolina Janeiro; Tilley, Paula Alexandra Botelho Garcia de Andrade Pimenta
    ABSTRACT - CONTRIBUTION TO THE EVALUATION OF THE BENEFITS OF PERGOLIDE IN THE TREATMENT OF EQUINE PITUITARY PARS INTERMEDIA DYSFUNCTION (PPID): REDUCTION OF HELMINTH FAECAL EGG COUNTS (HFEC) AND INCREASED OWNER AWARENESS - Equine life expectancy is increasing and PPID is the most common endocrine disorder of older equids. The standard treatment is pergolide but PPID is often underdiagnosed as owners attribute its clinical manifestations to old age alone. Due to immunosuppression, these horses may have infections and higher helminth faecal egg counts (hFEC) and can require a more aggressive parasite control program. In the present study, fifteen horses were enrolled based on clinical examination and ACTH concentration. Ten of these were treated with pergolide (treatment group) and five received no medication (control group), in order to evaluate the effect of oral pergolide in the reduction of hFEC and time to egg reappearance over 6 months. Initially, all horses were de wormed and hFEC were carried out monthly over the study period. A questionnaire was also conducted, which was applied on days 1 and 180 of the study, with the aim of assessing awareness of the disease, and the owners' adherence to the treatment was recorded as well. Although not statistically significant, there were higher percentages of 0 EPG and fewer cases of clinically relevant values of EPG over the 5 evaluation periods in the treatment group when compared to the control group. The body condition score showed statistically significant differences between groups, being higher in the treatment group. Horses under pergolide treatment were better weight keepers, although without statistical significance. The influence of pergolide benefits in the quality of life of horses with PPID was reinforced, contributing to increase owner awareness of the disease. Owner adherence was 100%
    2023-11-06Master thesis Open access Show more