Retrospective Analysis of the Use of Tiludronate in Equine Practice: Safety on 1804 Horses, Efficacy on 343 Horses.

This research paper investigates the safety and efficacy of using a drug called tiludronate in horses to alleviate lameness, examining data from hundreds of horses over a long period of time. It finds that the drug is well-tolerated and leads to improvements in lameness scores.

Study Design and Methodology

• This retrospective study analysed data of horses that received at least one treatment of tiludronate, a type of drug used to manage pain associated with skeletal disorders, between 2006 and 2019 at two equine practices in the US.
• Any associated medical treatments, potential side effects, and preliminary nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug injection were noted for each administration of the drug.
• Horses that had follow-up data available for over a year had their clinical progression assessed, using changes in lameness grade and performance data when available.

Safety Findings

• Out of the 2,497 tiludronate injections given to 1,804 horses, only 0.9%, or around 22, demonstrated potential side effects. The most frequent issue observed was mild colic, a common digestive disorder in horses.
• The low rate of side effects suggests that horses generally tolerate tiludronate well.

Efficacy Findings

• Long term clinical data was available for 343 horses. Of these, over 80% had an initial lameness score greater than 1.5 out of 5.
• Approximately half of the population was sound within 30 days of treatment and managed to maintain this status after a year.
• The mean lameness score saw an improvement by more than one grade during the follow-up period, as compared to the grades at initial examination.
• Performance data was available for 129 horses. A year after treatment, 89 (69%) of these horses were still competing, with 73 (82%) performing at a similar or better level.
• These results suggest tiludronate is effective in managing equine lameness over a year after treatment.

Study Significance

• Despite certain limitations due to its retrospective and field study nature, this research represents the first large-scale, long-term examination of the use of bisphosphonates (the drug class including tiludronate) for treating lameness in horses.
• The results provide valuable evidence for the safety and efficacy of tiludronate, supporting its use for managing long term lameness in horses.