Retrospective evaluation of acute kidney injury in horses treated with nonnitrogenous bisphosphonates (2013-2020): 8 cases.

The research article focuses on the study of acute kidney injury (AKI) in horses as a result of bisphosphonate treatment, analyzing the various symptoms, treatments, and outcomes.

Study Overview

The conducted research is a retrospective study that was carried out from August 2013 to July 2020. In the study, the researchers evaluated eight horses that had experienced AKI following the administration of nonnitrogenous bisphosphonates.

• There were two categories of bisphosphonates that were administered to the horses: intramuscular clodronate that was given to five horses and intravenous tiludronate that was given to three horses.
• Six out of the eight horses were also concurrently administered with nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

Key Findings

• Common initial symptoms of AKI included poor appetite and abnormal urination.
• At the time of initial evaluation, the mean serum or plasma creatinine and BUN were on a higher side indicating a potential kidney problem.
• Five out of the six examined horses had an increased number of red blood cells or hemoprotein in their urine.
• All the horses were given IV isotonic, balanced crystalloids as a treatment, either as a bolus, continuous rate infusion, or a combination of the two.
• Seven out of the eight horses survived the initial episode of AKI while one was euthanized.
• Of the surviving seven horses, two went on to develop chronic renal dysfunction.
• Warmblood breeds were more susceptible to AKI compared to other horses that were administered bisphosphonates during the study period and did not develop AKI.

Conclusions

The research concluded that the administration of bisphosphonates can lead to AKI in horses, irrespective of whether or not the horses are concurrently administered nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs as well.

This implies that it is essential to monitor the serum creatinine of horses both before and after the treatment with bisphosphonates, in order to minimize the risk of AKI. Further, if the horses show clinical signs of poor appetite, lethargy, or unusual urination after bisphosphonate treatment, it is advised to thoroughly evaluate their renal function.