# Is Cushing's contagious??



## wyominggrandma (Nov 4, 2009)

no, cushings is not contagious. It is caused by a tumor in the pituatary gland.


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## lilkitty90 (Nov 11, 2009)

yeah i knew it was a disease. but not sure how they get it or what. so i thought better safe then sorry! thanks a bunch = )


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## Citrus (Feb 26, 2010)

No it is not viral or bacterial... it is cancerous. Hope this helps.


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

Agree 100% with the others. 

Cushings horses do need to be managed very carefully though so think very carefully about taking on that responsibility. You need to be ultra careful about pasture grasses to prevent foundering. They can be alternately very difficult to keep weight off of and then very hard to keep weight on (usually late stage). A lot of them need to be body clipped in the summer to stay comfortable too. Talk to your vet about the drug options and if she needs them. 

Also, insulin resisttance can look a lot like Cushings (right down to the long curly coat), so if the pony is obese it's possible that the problems will go away with regular exercise and weight loss. But it's a gamble especially if the pony is younger and already showing classic Cushings symptoms.


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## tealamutt (Aug 21, 2009)

Citrus said:


> No it is not viral or bacterial... it is cancerous. Hope this helps.



It is actually almost never cancerous, simply a benign tumor. Technically Cushings is a human disease, the disease in horses is called Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction or PPID. Though the two are extremely similar there are some differences (just putting that out there for those who may have Cushings themselves and have some background on the disease). It is also slowly becoming recognized as a group of symptoms known as Equine Metabolic Syndrome. Here is an excellent article on it. http://www.thehorse.com/pdf/factsheets/equine-metabolic-syndrome/equine-metabolic-syndrome.pdf*
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