A Novel Pharmacological Tool: Clinical Use of Ertugliflozin in Horses with Hyperinsulinemia and Laminitis

This webinar will explore ertugliflozin as a novel therapeutic option for the management of equine hyperinsulinemia, drawing on real-world clinical experience from frontline practice. Through case examples and emerging evidence, the session will discuss patient selection, treatment protocols, monitoring strategies, and practical considerations for safe use. The focus will be on translating research into day-to-day clinical decision-making, highlighting both the successes and the challenges of using SGLT2 inhibitors in horses with metabolic disease and laminitis risk.

1. Understand the rationale for using ertugliflozin as a novel therapeutic option in horses with hyperinsulinemia and equine metabolic syndrome, including its proposed mechanism of action and clinical indications.
2. Review real-world case data to recognize patterns of response, treatment success, and limitations observed with ertugliflozin in frontline equine practice.
3. Identify appropriate case selection, baseline testing, and monitoring protocols required to use ertugliflozin safely and effectively in clinical patients.
4. Recognize potential adverse effects, contraindications, and risk-mitigation strategies when prescribing SGLT2 inhibitors in horses.
5. Apply practical, evidence-based decision-making to integrate ertugliflozin into broader management plans, including diet, body condition management, and laminitis risk reduction.

Dr. Tania Sundra, BSc(Hons), BVMS, MANZCVS (Equine Medicine)
Dr. Tania Sundra is an equine veterinarian who graduated from Murdoch University in 2009. With extensive experience from her years in private practice in Australia and the USA, she founded Avon Ridge Equine Veterinary Services in 2015 – an ambulatory equine veterinary practice based in the Swan Valley, Western Australia. In 2019, Dr. Sundra became a member of the Australian & New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists, Equine Medicine Chapter, marking a significant milestone in her career.
Over the past four years and alongside her busy clinical schedule, Dr. Sundra has been actively involved in research studies that explore treatment options for gastric disease, laminitis and Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction. Her work has been recognised at several international veterinary conferences where she has presented her research. In 2023, her study on a new treatment for laminitis earned her the honour of receiving an award in the United Kingdom from The Princess Royal (Princess Anne).