Update On Extracorporeal Shockwave TherapyJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. When extracorporeal shockwave therapy appeared on the equine scene in 1998, it was found only in specialty clinics. Today, the device's use has become more widespread, and funding has been poured into studies proving ESWT has merit. But in 1998 practitioners had none of this knowledge and results were largely anecdotal. "As with most things new, ESWT originally claimed to fix everything from the hoof to the head," said Dr. Scott McClure, assistant professor of surgery at Iowa State University. "Of course, this isn't true. However, we know now that there are a number of things that it truly works for." On the other side of the coin, many practitioners and owners were suspicious of the product's efficacy. "A number of people thought it didn't stimulate any healing, rather it just numbed the pain, McClure said. "This isn't so. There are a few days of analgesia, but studies are showing true positive effects on healing." McClure started using the device in 1998 on a recommendation by David McCarroll, DVM, of Interstate Equine Services in Oklahoma, one of the first veterinarians to take …
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Education Is KeyJune 9, 2011 The American Assn. of Equine Practitioners has set its own Equine Veterinary Compounding Guidelines. The organization wants to educate veterinarians on compounded drugs so they can make the best choice for patients, says Eleanor Green, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, Dipl. ABVP. “Veterinarians need to be aware that compounded products are not FDA-approved products and that they have not gone through the rigorous testing nor have they gone through the rigorous quality assurance process that FDA-approved drugs do,” she said. “They also need to educate their clients when they are faced with picking a drug for their patient to weigh the benefits versus the risks. And it is a risk because there is a larger percentage (of compounded products) that do not contain what the label says, so it can either be insufficient treatment or it can be toxic.” Prescribing veterinarians should understand that their professional liability policy may not respond to allegations of negligence arising from the use of compounded drugs, according to the AAEP’s guidelines. The organization encourages veterinarians insured with the AVMA-Professional Liability Insurance Trust to review comments at AVMAplit.com. In addition, veterinarians need to be aware that compounding, including formulation in a …
Trends In Mobile Veterinary ClinicsJune 9, 2011Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. A tight economy can encourage practical changes in the way some equine practitioners travel, store medications and supplies, and organize their practices. Mobile clinic and insert manufacturers can help veterinarians make the most of their chassis-mounted or insert clinics, whether new or reconditioned inventory. Steve Sinnard says veterinarians are choosing more versatile trucks for their practice vehicles. He is executive vice president of mobile veterinary clinic manufacturer Bowie International of Lake City, Iowa. Bowie and Porta-Vet joined forces some time ago and the Porta-Vet units have been manufactured in Iowa for more than a year now. “Veterinarians tell us they want more storage space,” Sinnard says. “They are buying trucks with crew cabs and extended cabs, so they not only have their mobile clinic in the back, they have more room in the cab for larger equipment such as ultrasound or digital X-ray equipment. “Shock wave and laser therapy equipment seem to be growing in popularity,” Sinnard said. “A bulk storage compartment in an insert unit will easily accommodate specialized equipment.” Dennis Van Roekel, DVM, owner of Van Roekel & Associates, an equine practice in Alva, Fla., has a …
Opportunities For Vets Seen In ID RolloutJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Being able to identify and track large animals during a potential health threat is the propelling force behind the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Animal Identification System, currently being refined and rolled out on a voluntary basis. Program officials said that veterinarians should prepare themselves for client questions and concerns by becoming educated on the topic. Opportunity On the Rise This new program could open up huge barn doors to the veterinary profession, said Mark Spire, DVM, past president of the American Assn. of Bovine Practitioners and professor of diagnostic medicine/pathobiology at Kansas State University. “Veterinarians can become proactive and work with producers,” he said. Also, they could investigate becoming a “tagger” and then meet new clients, suggesting ways to work with the animals’ health issues, nutrition, vaccination schedules and recording. “That’s a value market base for a veterinary practice,” Dr. Spire said. “This is the biggest opportunity the veterinary profession has had in years,” Spire said. Spire took part in the U.S. Animal Identification Plan, now the NAIS, which laid out framework and defined standards for implementing an identification …
Good To GoJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Busy ambulatory equine practitioners know that carrying the right equipment can save money and lives in the long run. And having state-of-the art equipment on board helps them expand their businesses—patients that would otherwise be referred to an equine clinic or hospital can often be diagnosed and treated on the farm. We asked four mobile equine practitioners who practice in areas with high concentrations of horses about the most important equipment or technological investments they’ve made in recent years. Pacific Crest Equine Hospital Exeter, Calif. Helen Christian, DVM, practices in an area of the Central Valley populated by 3,000 to 4,000 horses. The hospital, which employs five equine practitioners, has expanded its ambulatory service. The newest truck is outfitted with all the technology a thriving and competitive equine practice might need, including digital X-ray and digital ultrasound. Dr. Christian says this equipment is paramount to the business. Not only do these technologies provide on-the-spot diagnostics, they save time. “We can make an immediate diagnosis without making a second trip to the client,” Christian explains. “We also burn images onto CDs for clients …
Helping Horses Breathe EasierJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Veterinarians operating a large racehorse or sport horse practice should consider investing in an open plethysmography system to help diagnose inflammatory airway disease (IAD) and other pulmonary and respiratory problems, says Rose Nolen-Walston, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM. New Products on Market for Treating IAD Animal health companies have developed products and services to help equine practitioners diagnose and treat inflammatory airway disease and other respiratory ailments. Idexx Laboratories of Westbrook, Maine, came up the Equine Respiratory RealPCR Panel so practitioners can submit one sample to test for four respiratory diseases. “Equine respiratory disease is one of the most common and most challenging medical conditions that equine practitioners face day to day,” says Scott Moffitt, senior manager of equine sales and marketing. “Customers who have used this test have been very impressed with the fact that they can submit a single nasal swab as a sample and receive results on four different respiratory diseases within 48 hours.” The panel encompasses four real-time PCR tests: • EHV-1 and EHV-4 RealPCR • Sequi RealPCR (includes culture ID) • Equine Influenza Virus …
Rehab Experts Emphasize TeamworkJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Assuring that horses receive the utmost in quality care is critical as the equine industry’s interest and capability in rehabilitation grow. “We have to give a lot of credit to those who work day in and day out to help an injured horse get better,” says Lois K. Hild, DVM. “Veterinarians working hand in hand with equine therapists and experienced professionals for the full recovery of the horse is the best combination.” Dr. Hild specializes in rehabilitation of Western performance horses at horse shows and at her Hemet, Calif., Rein Dance Farms. She provides post-injury and post-surgical care, including bandaging and wound care, hot- and hand-walking, and administering medications. Preventive treatment is emphasized foremost; Hild uses an underwater treadmill, microcurrent stimulation and cryotherapy with intermittent compression to that end. Hild commends the successful treatment provided at lay-up and rehabilitation barns for thoroughbred and quarter horse race horses. Their trainers and therapists may not necessarily hold certificates in equine rehabilitation, but their methods and techniques have helped numerous animals, she says. “You can’t say they’ve done a bad job on the …
If One Dewormer Works, Try AnotherJune 9, 2011 Deworming drugs designed to combat equine parasitic infection may no longer be working as they should. Research has shown that the overuse of oral dewormers is fueling parasite resistance to tried-and-true drugs, some that have been in use for 40 years. “If horse owners and veterinarians continue to use drugs that are no longer effective against certain parasite populations,” says Wendy E. Vaala, VMD, Dipl. ACVIM, “resistant worms will have an advantage and will slowly become the predominant population on a farm and in the horse.” Dr. Vaala is senior equine technical service veterinarian with Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health. “Drug resistance is the result of random mutations that occur naturally within a parasite population,” Vaala says. “Drugs do not cause resistance but rather select for those parasites that have developed the resistance mutation. “Using more than one drug class during the year is encouraged since there is no one class of drug or single dewormer that can or should be used exclusively for a prolonged period of time.” Researchers are examining the mutations that are occurring to learn more about specific mechanisms of resistance. “Tests are being developed to help identify the actual …
Quality Counts With Joint SupplementsJune 9, 2011 Practitioners and supplement manufacturers alike are concerned about the quality, efficacy and safety of equine joint supplements. “The biggest problem,” says Paul Bryant Jr., DVM, of Okeechobee, Fla., Veterinary Hospital, “is that joint supplements aren’t FDA-regulated.” In treating performance horses—racing, reining, speed events and hunter/jumper—Dr. Bryant says: “It’s trial and error to find a joint supplement that works. I want to see the company’s research to make sure the product is legitimate. “The market is out of control with so many supplements available. It is hard for a veterinarian to read all the available research, and almost impossible for horse owners to read and understand before they make a choice.” Bryant prefers injectable supplements and uses Bayer Animal Health’s Legend (hyaluronate sodium), the only FDA-regulated product to treat joint dysfunction, and Luitpold Animal Health’s Adequan IM (polysulfated glycoaminoglycan). He says those two supplements “have years of research behind them, and I go with the gold standards.” He has seen research on the efficacy of glucosamine and HA, but he says quality research is provided for very few products. “Show me a double-blinded study,” he says. “I want to see valid research.”
Imprint Training Can Enhance PerformanceJune 9, 2011 Follow Veterinary Practice News on Twitter at @vetpetnews. Since equine imprint training was introduced to the veterinary profession and equine industry about 50 years ago, it has come into widespread use throughout the world. We have come to know that imprinting does not interfere with the future performance of an equine athlete but does enhance it. I am a veterinarian and also a trainer and breeder of Standardbreds. I use imprinting with my horses and know from my experience that it makes a difference in horses’ performance and attitude toward humans. The imprinting period should begin immediately postpartum for best results. The training of neonatal foals during their critical learning time in the hours and days after birth is not a new idea. The practice has been performed by various horse cultures throughout history, especially by nomadic tribes that lived in constant contact with their horses. What is relatively new is modern trainers and veterinarians have found that the method enhances a horse’s attitude toward humans and training throughout its life. A half century ago, observing foals that had been handled extensively at birth due to dystocia, one of our colleagues, …
