Equine metabolic testing now available in Western Canada
Prairie Diagnostic Services (PDS), the provincial veterinary diagnostic laboratory for Saskatchewan, now offers equine metabolic testing that’s available for all western Canadian veterinarians.
The tests measure the levels of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and insulin in blood samples taken from equine patients. Both markers are critical for diagnosing pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (PPID) and equine metabolic syndrome (EMS).
The PDS tests' reference ranges are based on the results of a WCVM study to determine a regional baseline for ACTH and insulin in western Canadian horses. Hormonal biomarkers can fluctuate based on geographical region, weather conditions and the time of day.
Western Canadian veterinarians are welcome to contact the WCVM Veterinary Medical Centre's large animal internal medicine team for consultation on equine endocrine-related cases. Please email vmc_equine_endocrine_consulting@usask.ca for more information.
Additional resources:
• Equine metabolic syndrome (resources for horse owners)
• Pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (resources for horse owners)