Osphos/Tildren for Back Issues

[raisethebar]

Did some researching on Osphos/Tildren for back issues. Had anyone ever used it for this reason? I’ve read quite some things saying that they are starting to use for backs now.

Success/failure? What were your horse’s symptoms? How long did it last?

I have had a horse with back issues that gets getting put off as growing pains/strength/saddle fit issues. I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel and he certainly has made a 180 degree improvement. But something still tells me that I should keep doing my research and if I don’t see a 100% improvement after a couple more months, I will be trying a new vet. I want to do my research on everything that a new vet might throw at us.

[mpsbarnmanager]

“Back issues” is a pretty vague statement. What kinds of back issues? Kissing spines? Could be helpful, if the horse is 5 or older. I would talk to your vet next time they are out. Do you have x rays? I would start there. Also using a correctly fitted Pessoa lunging system can help.

[RAyers]

Do you know what Osphos or Tildren even are? From what you are asking, I would never suggest those for back issues unless there was a clear mineralization differential in the vertebral bodies.

[SnicklefritzG]

Why so abrasive in your response?
The first line could be left out and still convey your opinion. That kind of attitude contributes to COTH Getting a bad name with newcomers or lurkers…

@RAyers

Do you know what Osphos or Tildren even are? From what you are asking, I would never suggest those for back issues unless there was a clear mineralization differential in the vertebral bodies.

[halt]

@RAyers

Do you know what Osphos or Tildren even are? From what you are asking, I would never suggest those for back issues unless there was a clear mineralization differential in the vertebral bodies.

Check out other recent threads… OSPHOS is being suggested, both on COTH forum and apparently, by vets, for horses with KS/systemic back pain.

It’s a legitimate question. Doesn’t make the poster stupid for asking about it. What would be stupid is doing it without getting proper education on the benefits and/or side-effects and reasons for it.

[IPEsq]

@RAyers

Do you know what Osphos or Tildren even are? From what you are asking, I would never suggest those for back issues unless there was a clear mineralization differential in the vertebral bodies.

This is also being discussed in Horse Care. The horse supposedly has SI area pain, was imaged for kissing spines and nothing found. I don’t think the OP understands how the drug works.

OP, the Osphos and Tildren are in the same class of drugs and are related to the human osteoporosis drug Boniva. Does that help you understand what types of issues it may treat?

[raisethebar]

I definitely understand what the drug does, I have done my research on it but there are so many reasons that people have used it for - yes the drug was devleoped for navicular but in back issues, for KP, but I have read other reasons for it as well!

My original question on the Horse Care thread was in regards to SI area because I did read that people have had success with it as well. I have read about couple of people (I think one was a vet) state how they used it for the SI joint specifically. This question on this thread was just a general question to see if people have had any luck in backs in general - and I asked to know their horse’s symptoms as well because I was interested to see how people were using it.

Thank you @halt & @SnicklefritzG - I thought education is what these forums are for?! There is always one in the room… I completely agree with Halt - what would be stupid is if I didn’t do my research, a vet (that would be new to me but very very good) suggested to poke and prod my horse with stuff that I haven’t done anything on. Osphos might not work for my horse’s specific SI issue, but maybe a friend’s horse it could help, or another horse down the line. So what, it might not be something suggested in my horse’s case, but what if it was and I didn’t do my research? Anyways, I’d rather ask the “stupid questions” than to be uneducated.

[mpsbarnmanager]

Osphos is a drug that stops bone from “growing”, so to speak. Bone is constantly being absorbed by the body and replaced by the body, in horses and humans, yes? So the Osphos inhibits the body’s ability to lay down new bone. Tildren is most commonly used for navicular horses. My vet considered it for my horse with not-quite-kissing-spines, but he was only 4 at the time and she felt the risk of is slowing his overall growth not worth the risk. Tildren was also rejected for him. Your vet should be the one to deeply explain these drugs and their uses in your horse’s particular case.
If your horse is having SI pain, why not inject the SI? BTW, you can’t inject the actual joint. Your vet can use an U/S to get close, but it really is being placed around the joint to diffuse it around the area. Do you have a trainer? Are you working the horse correctly over his back, long and low, making him lift his back? Hill work, small jumps, trot poles? As I said, a pessoa system can be helpful as well. Ask your vet.

[IPEsq]

Osphos affects bone metabolism generally. For navicular and pedal osteitis and related issues, it stops the resorption of bone. It actually encourages the laying down of new bone where it was becoming eroded. In cases like KS and navicular you also have an issue with bone edema or sclerosis in other areas. Because of how it affects bone metabolism generally, it can help these areas as well. So, what you are looking for are areas where there are differences in bone mineralization. It also has an effect on the bone pain receptors and can have an immediate effect to help bone pain, so I think this is where it winds up being used for some other types of arthritis, but it wouldn’t really be helping the underlying cause if bone mineralization is not an issue.

[gymangel812]

i tried osphos with with my kissing spines horse, had no effect.

[cybersas]

I have an Eventing horse who’s had a weird topline and been positive to back palpations since I got him at 4 - he’s now 19. He’s had a great competition career but is now short stepping behind, pausing before jumps, and still palpates positive, but he never stops and seems to still love his job.

After having dozens of vets and vet-chiro’s look at him over the years one finally suggested we radiograph his back and he has kissing spine - what appears to be quite an extreme case and confirmational in origin.

The vet injected 5 spots in his spine and gave him some Osphos yesterday - not sure of the outcome yet as he’s still on 3 days stall rest. He’s recommending a series of Shockwave Treatments. For those who have dealt with KS what have you had the best success with?

I tried to retire him the past 6 months but he’s quite sad and doesn’t understand why he never gets ridden anymore. On the lunge hes like a playful 2 year old and when I do ride him he’s as happy and willing as always, so I really want to help him. I’m in the Paso Robles area Central Coast fo California so if you have any recommendations I’m all ears!

[NaturallyHappy]

There is lots of positive information in this thread. And, I feel certain RAyers only had positive intent. There is a lot of information regarding the negative side affects of this drug. My bet is that he was only trying to be sure the OP did due diligence regarding the negative things about the drug, especially in young horses. Many vets in my area give it to NQR horses off label in a shotgun approach. That would worry me. I am osteopenic and was put on medication; it made me very ill, for what it is worth. I know there is information in Riders w Health Care Issues about it. The stuff gives me pause.

[Sing_Mia_Song]

Given the potential for adverse events, I would choose bisphosphanates only for navicular - and then just to keep them pasture sound.

There are very serious side effects of these drugs. IMO, they have narrow therapeutic value.

[Bristol_Bay]

My 16-year-old horse has received hock injections and back injections for KS in the past. The last time he was due for both, my vet recommended Osphos instead, and it relieved both issues. It was also cheaper and didn’t require any down time.

[KnockedOut]

YES! I do this for my 22 year old TB with kissing spine and osteoarthritis in the spine. I will preface it by saying I did try all other options before trying the Tildren/Osphos. We did diagnostic xrays, made sure that all other areas of his body were not in pain to isolate the back as the cause, then did HA injections in the spine and shockwave. The HA injections helped to an extent, but he definitely wasn’t 100%. At that point, as he was 18, I figured lets try the Tildren because at this point I’ve got nothing to lose. It’s either this works or we have to start making some quality of life decisions.

Long story short, it’s been a miracle for him. He gets it about once every two years, but he still gets his normal 6 month hock/coffin injections. I do not look at the tildren/osphos as a catch all for him where i just quit doing his regular vet care.

He also receives regular chiro work to keep his back happy. I think that Tildren/Osphos definitely has a place where it can be beneficial for kissing spine/osteoarthritic back issues, but it needs to be a last option rather than the “magic potion” that can cure all that ails a horse. It does have distinct downsides, as have been discussed in previous threads. If I had a horse that had responded to any other treatments I don’t think I would have done it. But that, in combination with my horse’s age made Tildren/Osphos a decent option.

[SweetMutt]

I tried Osphos for my TB with both KS and navicular changes. Both were confirmed by rads and monitored for some time while we tried other things before turning to Osphos. It helped with the KS symptoms, but not enough to really make him riding sound and it didn’t last very long - like 3-4 months. Since the improvement was mild and short-lived I didn’t continue. It’s not been obvious how much the navicular was bothering him to begin with, so it’s hard to say if it did anything for him there either.

[ComingAttraction]

I’m just wondering why you aren’t trying to muscle the horse correctly and going straight to drugs, well maybe not straight but if You’ve ever worked out you’d know it takes a long time to develop correct muscle. Food for thought…

[BITSA]

We just used Tildren on my horse for a neck issue about a month ago, he seems to be happier. But it takes up to 2 months to have its full effect.

[Satin_Filly]

I have seen remarkable transformations in kissing spine horses that have been deemed “un-fixable” after exhausting every typical veterinary intervention type therapy. This was achieved by proper work in hand and lunging exercises that gets the horse lifting the core, working over their back and lifting the spine and stretching. By changing the musculature in the back it is possible to alleviate kissing spine. This isn’t a quick fix by any means, but quick fixes rarely have much longevity.

Probably the easiest way to get started is check out art2ride and watch their videos to learn work in hand (WIH) and follow the methodical approach to teach the horse how to use itself properly. Horses tend to love the work once they find out it feels good to use their bodies this way.

[DMK]

I have a now retired 13 year old for back/neck pain that had stumped a few vets (he was also used in a wet lab with Dr. Reid, so he’s had some quality evaluations). The upshot is he always went in a correct frame, had a great foundation, no known injury, just …pain. Eventually I went with the last ditch kitchen sink approach, neck injection, back injection, mesotherapy and osphos over a 10 day period. Eyes wide open on osphos, but we were out of options. The only positive was that I realized how unsound my sound horse had become thanks to the effect of osphos… The bad news was I got less than 3 months and he was worse than before, so I called it quits.

But that was a real life lesson about the pain killing effects of osphos, in addition to the other complications. Don’t be suckered into thinking the short term beneficial aspects are long term beneficial aspects. It’s a potent pain reliever with some serious side effects. Never forget that. If you need to follow up with another dose, take a long hard look in the mirror.