Are there other equine diseases associated with insulin resistance?
Other diseases with insulin resistance include Cushing’s disease and hyperlipemia. Horses with Cushing’s disease often have insulin resistance and laminitis; however, they have a long hair coat in the warm season and their body condition is poor. Hyperlipemia, a disease of miniature horses, ponies and donkeys, is acute, with complications in other body systems (diarrhea, colic, renal failure). How is EMS diagnosed? The clinical signs, as described above, are highly suggestive of EMS. In addition to baseline glucose and insulin concentrations, there are specific diagnostic tests for EMS. These include the glucose tolerance test and the combined glucose/insulin tolerance test. In both tests, glucose with or without insulin are administered intravenously and blood samples to measure glucose and insulin are collected. The time required for glucose to return to baseline values indicates whether the animal has insulin resistance. How is EMS treated? The treatment of EMS should include diet r
