[Use of bisphosphonates in horses – a review].
Abstract: Systemic administration of tiludronate or clodronate decreases lameness in some horses suffering from navicular syndrome within 2-6 months of treatment. In horses that fail to respond to the first treatment, a follow-up treatment may still improve the lameness. Horses with a lameness duration of less than 6 months have better odds of experiencing improvement in lameness. Bisphosphonate (BP) treatment can result in renal damage, and it is recommended to assess renal function prior to and after treatment. Horses with pre-existing renal compromise should not be treated with BP, as this may promote deterioration of their renal status. Furthermore, BP should not be administered concurrently with non-steroidal antiinflammatory medications or other nephrotoxic drugs. One of the most common side effects of BP treatment in the horse is development of colic signs, which usually resolves with hand walking. In cases where medical treatment is warranted, N-butylscopolamine, xylazine, detomidine or butorphanol should be administered alone or in combination. The treatment with non-steroidal antiinflammatory medications is not recommended. In horses with muscle fasciculations, plasma electrolyte concentrations should be determined. The route of administration for BP should follow manufacturer recommendations, as local applications such as intraarticular injections or administration via regional limb perfusion may not be safe and are thus currently not recommended.
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.
Publication Date: 2018-10-19 PubMed ID: 30340242DOI: 10.15653/TPG-170804Google Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
Summary
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The research studied the use of bisphosphonates (BP) in treating lameness in horses suffering from navicular syndrome and found that it reduced the lameness over a period of 2-6 months but raises concerns about the potential renal damage it may cause.
Introduction
- Navicular syndrome in horses can lead to lameness, and one method of treating this condition is through systemic administration of tiludronate or clodronate, two types of bisphosphonates.
- The study sought to examine the effects of this treatment and noted an improvement in some horses within a 2-6 month period after treatment. Horses that did not respond to the first treatment could still show improvement after further treatments.
- The research also proposed that horses that had been lame for less than 6 months benefited more significantly from the treatment.
Risks and Side Effects
- Despite the potential advantages, use of bisphosphonates might lead to kidney damage. As a result, the researchers advise veterinary professionals to assess the kidney function of a horse both before and following the treatment and to avoid treating horses already experiencing kidney issues with bisphosphonates.
- The research also warned against the concurrent use of bisphosphonates and non-steroidal antiinflammatory medications or other drugs that can damage the kidneys.
- One commonly noted side effect was the development of colic symptoms in horses. However, these usually resolved with some light walking exercises for the horse.
- In cases where these symptoms required medical intervention, it was suggested to use N-butylscopolamine, xylazine, detomidine or butorphanol. The same was cautioned against using non-steroidal antiinflammatory medications.
- For horses experiencing muscle fasciculations, the researchers suggested measuring plasma electrolyte concentrations.
Administration of Bisphosphonates
- The conduct of this research argues that the administration of bisphosphonates should follow the manufacturer’s recommendation. Local applications such as intraarticular injections or regional limb perfusions may not be safe. Therefore, these are not currently recommended.
Cite This Article
APA
Düsterdieck-Zellmer KF.
(2018).
[Use of bisphosphonates in horses – a review].
Tierarztl Prax Ausg G Grosstiere Nutztiere, 46(5), 323-333.
https://doi.org/10.15653/TPG-170804 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Clodronic Acid / therapeutic use
- Diphosphonates / therapeutic use
- Horse Diseases / drug therapy
- Horse Diseases / physiopathology
- Horses
- Osteoarthritis / drug therapy
- Osteoarthritis / physiopathology
- Osteoarthritis / veterinary
- Tarsal Bones / physiopathology
Conflict of Interest Statement
Die Autorin bestätigt, dass kein Interessenkonflikt besteht.
Citations
This article has been cited 2 times.- Tippen SP, Metzger CE, Sacks SA, Allen MR, Mitchell CF, McNulty MA. Clinically relevant doses of tiludronate do not affect bone remodelling in pasture-exercised horses. Equine Vet J 2025 Mar;57(2):513-521.
- Wilcox CV, Knych HK, Katzman SA, Arthur RM, Rodriguez V, Finno CJ. Effect of clodronate on gene expression in the peripheral blood of horses. J Vet Pharmacol Ther 2024 May;47(3):187-192.
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