healingoftendonsandligaments.In
fact,plateletrichplasmaiscurrently
beingusedtotreathumanand
equineathletes.
Dr.Canappisconductinga
clinicaltrialofacombination
therapyofadipose-derived
stemcellsandplateletson
dogswithsofttissue
injuries.Dogswitha
definitivediagnosisreceive
pre-treatmentanalysisof
gaitandlimbmovement.
Adiposetissueandblood
arecollectedfromwhich
stemcellsandplateletsare
isolated.Thecellsare
injectedintothesofttissue
lesionsguidedbyultrasound.
Thedognowreceives
standardizedrehabilitation
therapyprotectedbyorthopedic
devices,ifnecessary.Every30
days,thedogreturnsfor
ultrasound,gaitandlimb
movementanalyses.Thesiteofinjury
isexaminedbyarthroscopyat90days.
Dr.Canapppresentedfourcasestudiesof
dogswithsignificantsofttissueinjuriesthathadnot
respondedtotraditionalcare.Thecaseswerea2-yearold
EnglishMastiff,a5-yearoldBoxer,a5-yearoldBorder
Collie,anda9-yearoldPointer-Dalmatianmix.Eachofthe
dogsreceivedcombinationstemcell/platelettherapyalong
withrehabilitationtherapyandexhibitedsignificant
improvementbythe60-and90-daycheckups.Dr.Canapp
acknowledgesthatthiswasnotaplacebo-controlledtrial,
andtherearemanyquestionsthatmustbeansweredbefore
stemcell/platelettherapybecomesroutinefordogswithsoft
tissueinjury.Youcanfindaveryinteresting40-minute
videoofDr.Canappdiscussingrecentprogressin
regenerativemedicineonthiswebpage:www.akc.org/
news-events/multimedia/video.
TheGeniusoftheDog.
Oneofthemostfascinating
talksattheconferencewasthekeynoteaddressgivenby
BrianHare,PhD,AssociateProfessorofEvolutionary
AnthropologyatDukeUniversity.Dr.HarerunstheDuke
CanineCognitionCenter(www.dukedogs.com).Thewebsite
statesthatitis“dedicatedtothestudyofdogpsychology.
Ourgoalistounderstandtheflexibilityandlimitationsof
dogcognition.Indoingso,wegainawindowintothemind
ofanimalsaswellastheevolutionofourownspecies.We
canalsoapplyourknowledgeofdogcognitiontoimproving
programsinwhichdogsarebredandtrainedtohelp
humans(i.e.servicedogsforthedisabled,etc.).“Dr.Hare’s
presentationwassoinformative—andsomuch
fun—thatitwillbecoveredindepthina
separateSaberTailsarticle.
ApplicationofPhysicalTherapy
TechniquestoCaninePatients.
The
lasttalkoftheconferencefocusedon
veterinaryrehabilitation,whichisthe
treatmentofphysicalinjuryorillnessin
ananimaltodecreasepainandrestore
function.JanetVanDyke,DVM,heads
theCanineRehabilitationInstitutein
FloridaandColorado.Shesaidthat
therearemorethan750physical
therapistsintheUnitedStateswho
workwithveterinarypatients.The
fieldofveterinarysportsmedicineis
growingbecauseofthedemandsof
dogowners.
Dr.VanDykeisaveterinarysurgeon
whoinitiallyfollowedthenormsofher
fieldbyoperatingforsofttissueinjuries
andthenprescribinglimitedmovement
andcrateconfinementtoherpost-surgery
patients.However,physicaltherapistswho
broughtdogsinforsurgerybegantoquestion
thispost-surgerytreatment.Inresponse,Dr.Van
Dykebegantoexperimentwithjointmobilization,
orthoticsandtherapeuticexerciseinherpre-and
post-surgerypatients.Shehasfoundthatthistherapy
dramaticallyimprovesrecoveryfromsurgeryorleadsto
somuchimprovementthatsurgeryisnotnecessary.
Asexamples,Dr.VanDykesurveyedoutcomesforthe
commonsurgical,medicalandphysicaltherapiesforcanine
stifleosteoarthritis,cranialcruciateligamentruptureand
intervertebraldiscdisease.Shefoundthatrunningtosurgery
isnotadvised.Instead,sheadvocatesforthe“new
conservativemanagement”ofnursingcare,musclerelaxants,
thermotherapy,massage,exercises,stretching,electrical
stimulationandultrasonictherapy.Theseshouldbeapplied
asanadjuncttosurgeryorwithoutsurgery.Thisregimenof
physicaltherapyhaslessimmediateexpensewhencompared
tosurgery,butitrequiresalong,ongoinginvestmentin
timeandmoney.TherapeuticequipmentthatDr.VanDyke
usesinherclinicsincludesphysioballs,therabands,rocker
boards,cavalettipolesandtreadmills.Infact,herfacility
looksverysimilartoahumanphysicaltherapyfacility.
Dr.VanDykeendedherpresentationwithadiscussionof
thecurrentpracticeofamputatingadog’slegeventhough
diseaseorinjuryisconfinedtothelowerextremity.With
thedevelopmentofcanineprosthetics,shehasbecomea
strongadvocateofpreservingasmuchofadog’slegaspossi-
ble.Prostheticscanallowthedogtoenjoyafullandactive
lifestyle.Thevideosthatsheshowedofdogsworkingand
playingwhilewearingprostheticdeviceswereamazing.
I
SaberTails
I
December2013
www.pbgv.org
39
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STEVEN/REBECCABELFLOWER
SKYCASTLEWALDHORNOFGEBEBA
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MEGAN/DAVIDESHERICK,BETTYBARTH
CLANCY’STHEWILDN’THEINNOCENTNEW
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MEGAN/DAVIDESHERICK