I

TheHealthyPBGV

byLauraLiscumonbehalfofthePBGVCAHealthCommittee

The2015AKCCanineHealthFoundationConference

PhotobyVeronicaScheer

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nAugust,theAKCCanineHealthFoundation(CHF)
sponsoredthe2015NationalParentClubCanineHealth
ConferenceinSt.Louis.LindaMurrayandIattendedthe

conferenceonbehalfofthePBGVCAandthePBGVHealth
&RescueFoundation,respectively.Weboththoughtthatit
wasafabulousexperiencewithexcellenttalks,abundant
opportunitiestointeractwiththespeakers,andlotsoffree
dogchow!Hereisasynopsisofseveralpresentationsthat
weheardattheconference.

StemCellsTherapyforSupraspinatusTendonopathy.
Dogsinjureligamentsandtendonswhilechasingbunniesin
thefield,runningagilitycoursesandroughhousingat
doggiedaycare.Liketheirowners,manydogsdevelop
osteoarthritisafteryearsofactivity.Thetraditionalsurgical
repair,medicationsandrehabilitationtherapyhavenot
alwaysrestoredtheinjureddogtohis/herpre-injurystate.
Twoyearsago,weheardDr.ShermanCanappdescribehis
remarkableresultswhentraditionaltreatmentapproaches
arecombinedwithstemcellsorplatelet-richplasma
therapy.Hisworkcontinuestolookverypromising.

ThisyearweheardDr.JenniferBarrettfromVirginia-

MarylandRegionalCollegeofVeterinaryMedicine.Barrett
describedhercollaborativestudieswithCanappusingstem
cellsandplatelet-richplasmatoheal57agilitydogswith
shoulderinjuriesthathadbeenlameformorethanayear

despitetreatmentwithnon-steroidalanti-inflammatory
drugs,steroidsandsessionsinrehab.Dogsweretreatedwith
stemcells,whichareundifferentiatedcellsthatareableto
divideanddevelopintospecializedcellsthatrepairand
replenishadulttissues.Theyalsotreatedthedogswith
platelet-richplasmaisolatedfromthecaninepatient’sblood.
Plateletsareanaturalsourceofbioactiveproteinsand
growthfactorsthatstimulatecollagenformationandhealing
oftendonsandligaments.Infact,plateletrichplasmais
currentlybeingusedtotreathumanandequineathletes.

Thedogsreceivedpre-treatmentanalysisofgaitandlimb

movement.Thenstemcellsandplateletswereisolatedand
injectedintothesofttissuelesions,guidedbyultrasound.
Thedogreturnedeachmonthforultrasoundgaitandlimb
movementanalyses.Thesiteofinjurywasexaminedby
arthroscopyat90days.Theoutcomesofthisstudywere
veryencouraging!TheAKCCHFisnowfundingDrs.Barrett
andCanapptoconductthefirstrandomized,placebo-
controlledclinicaltrialofstemcellsandplatelet-richplasma
forsupraspinatustendoninjury.Theyarehavingadifficult
timeenrollingenoughdogsforthetrial,soifyouhavean
injureddog,pleaseinquire.

Formoreinformationontheclinicaltrial,gototheCHF

website:www.akcchf.org/research/funded-research/2107.html

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