Sound future for the UK's new bone spavin treatment
| Sound future for the UK's new bone spavin treatment Tildren®, the bone spavin treatment introduced to the UK by CEVA Animal Health early last year, has already helped thousands of horses suffering from this condition return to soundness. The drug, which is the UK's first bisphosphonate for bone disorders, works by regulating bone remodelling and is becoming a popular choice for equine vets as a very viable addition to conventional treatments for bone spavin. | |
Administered as a single infusion over a period of 30-40 minutes, the drug has the advantage of being straightforward to use and can be given in practice or at the horse's yard, depending on the patient and the owner's requirements.
When 15-year-old Mia, an FEI event pony who had been previously short-listed for the British team, was diagnosed with bilateral degenerative joint disease (DJD) in both hocks her owner, Helen Walsh from High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, thought the talented pony's career at this testing level was probably over. However, Mia was treated with Tildren® in combination with corticosteroids and six months later the mare, who is by Welton Apollo, was back on the FEI event circuit with Helen's fifteen-year-old daughter Elsa.
Mia's groom Ellen Murphy said: "Mia has already done two events this season and is going superbly. She's not even stiff the day after an event which is amazing considering her age. This will be her last year competing at FEI level as Elsa will be moving on to horses but at this rate Mia still has plenty of energy and enthusiasm for a slightly easier life as a Pony Club pony next year."
In horses suffering from bone spavin there are important bone remodelling changes, with excessive bone resorption in the tarsal bones. Tildren® works by regulating this bone remodelling through a decrease in the resorptive process. By orientating bone metabolism towards a normalisation of bone remodelling, Tildren® is designed to slow down the degradation of the bone structure in the hock when the condition is progressing and to alleviate pain associated with abnormal bone lysis. The product has proven efficacy in UK trials and safety with multiple doses.
Added on: 29/04/09.
Email this article to a friend or shareVoices for Horses offers news, articles and videos from third party providers unless otherwise stated. We do not endorse the views expressed or content and make it available to you only as a service. All news items, articles and videos are copyright of the authors, film makers and original publications.
