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PPID quality of life tool to be developed
Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction can cause laminitis.
RVC to undertake three-year project.

Researchers from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) have announced a project to develop a new tool to assess the quality of life of horses and ponies with Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID).

A hormone disorder that affects the pituitary gland of horses, PPID often causes the animals to develop laminitis, leading to extreme pain, instability of the pedal bone within the hoof capsule and in some cases, euthanasia. 

As well as these, PPID can also cause weight loss, behavioural changes and lethargy. 

Owing to the potential negative impact of PPID symptoms on an equine's quality of life, researchers are will develop an assessment tool to assist veterinary professionals and equine owners in making informed decisions about care.

Professor Nicola Menzies-Gow, of the RVC, said: “This is an exciting project that will hopefully allow development of a tool that can be used to objectively assess the quality of life of horses and ponies with PPID and determine which aspects of the disease and its treatment have the greatest impact on this.”

Set to be developed over the course of three years, the tool will be created first by interviewing equine veterinary surgeons and owners of equines with PPID to ascertain which aspects of the disorder appear to impact quality of life the most.

The data and information gathered from this will be used to develop a questionnaire for a larger number of horse owners, and following this, the question-based tool will be created.

For the remaining two years of the study, the tool will be used to assess 140 horses and ponies newly diagnosed with PPID. These equines will be followed over the two-year period to see how quality of life is impacted, and whether the drug pergolide improves this. 

Ultimately, the study aims to determine the effect of pergolide on the quality of life of equines diagnosed with PPID, and to assist veterinary professionals and owners in decision-making regarding treatments or euthanasia. 

The research will be led by Nicola Menzies-Gow, Professor of Equine Medicine at the RVC, Christine Nicol, Professor of Animal Welfare at the RVC, Dr Edd Knowles and Dr Imogen Schofield from CVS.

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BSAVA partners with BVA Live 2026

News Story 1
 BSAVA is to partner with BVA Live (11-12 June 2026) to champion clinical research.

The organisation will be supporting BVA Live's Clinical Abstracts programme, showcasing selected abstracts of veterinary research throughout the event.

The clinical abstracts can be on any small animal veterinary subject, and must be based on research undertaken in industry, practice or academia. Abstracts can be presented in poster or oral formats.

Submissions will open on 15th December 2025, and close on 6th March 2026. You can register interest here. 

Click here for more...
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Nominations open for RCVS and VN Council elections

The nomination period for the 2026 RCVS Council and VN Council elections is now open, with three veterinary surgeon seats and two veterinary nurse seats available.

Prospective candidates can download an information pack and nomination form from the RCVS website. Individuals can nominate themselves for the elections, with the results to be announced in the spring.

Clare Paget, the recently appointed RCVS Registrar and elections returning officer, said: "If you want to play your part in influencing and moulding how the professions are regulated, and making key decisions on matters of great importance to your peers, the public and animal health and welfare, please consider standing for RCVS Council or VN Council next year."

Nominations close at 5pm on Saturday, 31 January 2026.