What is Equine Regenerative Medicine? · maintenance care. Palm Beach Equine Clinic is consistently...
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What is Equine Regenerative Medicine? Fall 2019 Newsletter Featured Service: Regenerative Medicine Moves into the Future at Palm Beach Equine Clinic A PRP tendon injection being performed at Palm Beach Equine Clinic. Photo courtesy of Palm Beach Equine Clinic As sport horses become faster and stronger, veterinary medicine is often challenged to break barriers to provide the best in diagnostic and maintenance care. Palm Beach Equine Clinic is consistently on the forefront of those advances and employs a team of veterinarians equipped with the latest developments in regenerative medicine. Two resources that have become increasingly popular to treat equine injuries are Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Interleukin-1 Receptor Antagonist Protein (IRAP), which encourage regeneration of injured or degenerative tissue. Managing joint diseases and injuries using these methods is ground-breaking, but logical at its core. They essentially use naturally occurring proteins, cells, and other natural processes originated from within the body of the horse to put the horse’s own biological mechanisms to work stimulating healing without the use of steroids or other drugs. What is PRP? Platelets are among the very !rst cells to accumulate at an injured site, making them very important when simulating the repair process. Platelets contain granules !lled with growth factors (the elements that aid in healing) and stimulate speci!ed tissue to heal at an increased rate. To treat a horse with PRP, the veterinarians at PBEC are able to take a sample of the horse’s blood and concentrate the platelets in a high-speed centrifuge on-site. The harvest and processing procedures take approximately 30 minutes before the concentrated platelet-rich sample is injected back into the horse at the speci!c area of injury using sterile techniques and guided by ultrasound. PBEC’s Board-Certi!ed Sta" Surgeon, Dr. Weston Davis, explained PRP use in more detail: “We harvest a large quantity of blood, anywhere from 60 to180 milliliters, and we process that to concentrate the segment that is very rich in platelets. We get a high concentration of platelets—we are hoping for !ve to eight times the concentration that you would get from normal blood. Then we take that platelet-rich extract and inject it back into an injured area to encourage a more robust healing response. Whenever you have an injury, platelets are one of the !rst cells that get there. They will aggregate, clump, and de- granulate. They release granules that are very rich in growth factors and signal the body to start the healing process.” What is IRAP? IRAP is used to treat equine athletes that are susceptible to musculoskeletal injuries and osteoarthritis or degenerative joint disease. Joint trauma results in the release of in#ammatory mediators such as Interleukin-1 (IL-1). IRAP uses a horse’s own anti- in#ammatory protein found within the blood to counteract the destructive e"ects of IL-1 to slow the process of osteoarthritis. The process works by binding to the IL-1 receptors in the joint and blocking the continuation of damage and in#ammation. “We often see joint damage in sport horses because of the nature of their work, but we try to avoid over- use of steroids in joints because steroids can have long-term e"ects on cartilage,” said Palm Beach Equine Clinic veterinarian Dr. Bryan Dubynsky. “This is a way we can manage joint disease and stop in#ammation without having to consistently use steroids. Some of our clients will maintain their horses on IRAP alone for joint injections.” Palm Beach Equine Clinic's high-speed centrifuge. Photo courtesy of Palm Beach Equine Clinic The goal to better serve sport horses that continue to improve athletically is the driving force behind the search for even more developed and precise techniques used in regenerative medicine. And, at PBEC, the work to break new ground is never !nished. “I believe we are learning more about these technologies with more advanced science behind what they do and how they do it,” said Dubynsky. “These treatments are natural, drug-free, and competition-safe, and necessity drives the need for regenerative therapies in the sport horse world.” Have further questions about the regenerative therapy programs available at Palm Beach Equine Clinic? Call the clinic today at 561-793-1599 to learn more. From The Hospital: Walking Sutures on a Degloving Injury Palm Beach Equine Clinic is known for trusted and knowledgeable teamwork between its veterinarians. That reputation went into motion when a horse with a degloving injury to its left hind cannon area was admitted to the Palm Beach Equine Clinic hospital. Photos courtesy of Palm Beach Equine Clinic Several Palm Beach Equine Clinic veterinarians jumped into action to perform these walking sutures! The goal of this approach was to stretch the skin enough to reappose it with the walking sutures. This technique involves a process where each suture is placed !rst in the deep dermis and then into the deeper tissues, usually fascia, at a point closer to the center of the wound. The e"ect is to move the skin closer to the closing position with each suture, minimize the dead space between the skin and underlying tissue, and relieve tension on the sutures eventually placed to close the wound edges. Prognosis? So far, this patient is recovering well! Meet Palm Beach Equine Clinic’s Abby Berzas Abby Berzas, 26, grew up in L’Anse Meg/Duralde, Louisiana, just 10 minutes from one of the world’s most popular Mardi Gras celebrations. Aside from knowing how to put on a great party, her community was nestled deep within farm country. So, it’s no surprise that Abby grew up around horses, a beginning that led her to study agricultural and equine sciences at McNeese State University in southwest Louisiana before attending veterinary school at St. George’s University in Grenada. She completed her veterinary studies at Louisiana State University and made her way to south Florida for the warm weather, ocean, and of course, the horses! Abby works at Palm Beach Equine Clinic as an intern, and she has big plans for the future. Learn more about Abby: How did you !rst get involved with horses? My siblings and I grew up around horses! We had quite a few pets and farm animals, but horses were de!nitely “my thing.” We grew up trail riding and exploring the farmland behind our house. We would wake up before sunrise, pack a lunch, and spend the entire day riding. I got involved in rodeo (barrels, poles, and goat tying) and did that through high school. What led you to study/become interested in equine veterinary medicine? It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Regardless of the times I thought I might practice mixed/small animal medicine, my heart has always returned to equine medicine. My biggest in#uences to pursue veterinary medicine were my parents. They aren’t veterinarians, but through their examples I’ve learned that work needs to be ful!lling. At the end of each day, I need to be happy with what I chose to do with my life. What do you enjoy most about treating horses? I most enjoy being around them! It’s also a challenge. Every day is a learning curve, and every day is an opportunity to become better, despite the obstacles. I also really enjoy feeling appreciation from owners. It’s so nice when an owner genuinely thanks you for your help. To know that what I do makes a di"erence in the lives of others is a big part of why I chose to practice veterinary medicine. What are your day-to-day responsibilities at PBEC? As interns, we take care of any hospital patients admitted, whether that be surgery or medicine patients. We run anesthesia for surgeries and assist with after-hour emergencies. We are also able to take ambulatory calls when the hospital isn’t so busy. What do you enjoy most about being part of the PBEC team? I enjoy the good energy here! Everyone is cheerful, welcoming, and willing to help. I feel lucky to be able to complete my internship in such a healthy work environment. I am happy doing a variety of things, but I really enjoy internal medicine. Also, I will be certi!ed in mixed-animal acupuncture soon, so I’d love to incorporate that into my practice eventually. What can we !nd you doing when you are not working? Lately, I’ve been spending days o" at the beach with my dog and !ancé. I was recently given my very own kite and kite board, so I’ll be kiteboarding whenever the wind is good! I also love hiking and exploring new beaches or parks. I would love to ride in my spare time, but my ponies are in Louisiana with my family. Healthcare Reminder: Equine Dentistry Dr. Tyler Davis performing a dental exam. Photos courtesy of Palm Beach Equine Clinic According to a study conducted by North Carolina State University, approximately 40% of horses have signi!cant dental problems. What’s the answer to many of those problems? Prevention! Dr. Tyler Davis of Palm Beach Equine Clinic states that routine and thorough dental exams can help prevent many issues from ever becoming problems. On a basic level, dentistry in horses is important because the mouth is the !rst part of the horse that is taking in and processing food. Horses must grind their food into a !nely masticated bolus before swallowing. The combination of a horse’s upper jaw being larger than the lower and the fact that a horse chews by moving the jaw from side to side results in uneven wear of the teeth. This uneven wear may cause sharp edges, which hinder e$cient chewing and may ulcerate or lacerate the cheeks and tongue. The pain caused by the ulcerations or lacerations can result in incomplete mastication, sometimes leading to problems like colic. What is "oating? Floating is the term for rasping or !ling a horse's teeth to ensure an even, properly aligned bite plane. While #oating is the physical process, the scope of an equine dental exam is much broader and examines the horse's overall health as in#uenced by the mouth. "You can get a rasp and without even looking in the horse’s mouth "oat the points o#, and you may be getting the vast majority of the work done,” said Dr. Davis. “But a really good dental exam with a speculum, a very good light source, and a dental mirror allows you to see possible problems and prevent those problems from becoming painful and a#ecting your horse’s overall health.” The most common signs of dental discomfort in horses include: head-tilting and tossing di$culty chewing bit-chewing and tongue lolling tail-wringing and bucking drooling and bad breath (sometimes) weight loss and spillage of grain For sport horses, dental care becomes even more important. Much of the connection between horse and rider comes by way of the horse’s mouth. If there are problems or discomfort within the mouth, it will be evident in the horse’s performance and disposition under tack. According to Dr. Davis, having a horse’s mouth in healthy condition allows one to immediately rule out dental issues when trying to troubleshoot a performance problem. How often should you have a veterinarian perform a routine dental exam on your horse? Dr. Davis recommends every 12 months at the very minimum. Contact your veterinarians at Palm Beach Equine Clinic for more information on equine dentistry or to schedule a dental exam at 561-793-1599. Let's Get Social ABOUT THE CLINIC CLINIC SERVICES MEET THE VETERINARIANS CONTACT PALM BEACH EQUINE CLINIC Tweet Share this Page: Like 0 Share
Transcript of What is Equine Regenerative Medicine? · maintenance care. Palm Beach Equine Clinic is consistently...
What is Equine Regenerative Medicine?
Fall 2019 Newsletter
Featured Service:
Regenerative Medicine Moves into the Future at
Palm Beach Equine Clinic
A PRP tendon injection being performed at Palm Beach Equine Clinic. Photo courtesy of PalmBeach Equine Clinic
As sport horses become faster and stronger, veterinary medicine is oftenchallenged to break barriers to provide the best in diagnostic andmaintenance care. Palm Beach Equine Clinic is consistently on the forefrontof those advances and employs a team of veterinarians equipped with thelatest developments in regenerative medicine.
Two resources that have become increasingly popular to treat equineinjuries are Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) and Interleukin-1 ReceptorAntagonist Protein (IRAP), which encourage regeneration of injured ordegenerative tissue. Managing joint diseases and injuries using thesemethods is ground-breaking, but logical at its core. They essentially usenaturally occurring proteins, cells, and other natural processes originatedfrom within the body of the horse to put the horse’s own biologicalmechanisms to work stimulating healing without the use of steroids or otherdrugs.
What is PRP?
Platelets are among the very !rstcells to accumulate at an injuredsite, making them very importantwhen simulating the repair process.Platelets contain granules !lled withgrowth factors (the elements thataid in healing) and stimulatespeci!ed tissue to heal at anincreased rate. To treat a horse withPRP, the veterinarians at PBEC areable to take a sample of the horse’sblood and concentrate the plateletsin a high-speed centrifuge on-site.The harvest and processingprocedures take approximately 30minutes before the concentratedplatelet-rich sample is injected backinto the horse at the speci!c area ofinjury using sterile techniques andguided by ultrasound.
PBEC’s Board-Certi!ed Sta"Surgeon, Dr. Weston Davis,explained PRP use in more detail:“We harvest a large quantity ofblood, anywhere from 60 to180milliliters, and we process that toconcentrate the segment that isvery rich in platelets. We get a highconcentration of platelets—we arehoping for !ve to eight times theconcentration that you would getfrom normal blood. Then we takethat platelet-rich extract and inject itback into an injured area toencourage a more robust healingresponse. Whenever you have aninjury, platelets are one of the !rstcells that get there. They willaggregate, clump, and de-granulate. They release granulesthat are very rich in growth factorsand signal the body to start thehealing process.”
What is IRAP?
IRAP is used to treat equine athletesthat are susceptible tomusculoskeletal injuries andosteoarthritis or degenerative jointdisease. Joint trauma results in therelease of in#ammatory mediatorssuch as Interleukin-1 (IL-1). IRAPuses a horse’s own anti-in#ammatory protein found withinthe blood to counteract thedestructive e"ects of IL-1 to slow theprocess of osteoarthritis. Theprocess works by binding to the IL-1receptors in the joint and blockingthe continuation of damage andin#ammation.
“We often see joint damage in sporthorses because of the nature oftheir work, but we try to avoid over-use of steroids in joints becausesteroids can have long-term e"ectson cartilage,” said Palm BeachEquine Clinic veterinarian Dr. BryanDubynsky. “This is a way we canmanage joint disease and stopin#ammation without having toconsistently use steroids. Some ofour clients will maintain their horseson IRAP alone for joint injections.”
Palm Beach Equine Clinic's high-speedcentrifuge. Photo courtesy of Palm Beach
Equine Clinic
The goal to better serve sport horses that continue to improve athletically isthe driving force behind the search for even more developed and precisetechniques used in regenerative medicine. And, at PBEC, the work to breaknew ground is never !nished.
“I believe we are learning more about these technologies with moreadvanced science behind what they do and how they do it,” said Dubynsky.“These treatments are natural, drug-free, and competition-safe, andnecessity drives the need for regenerative therapies in the sport horseworld.”
Have further questions about the regenerative therapy programs availableat Palm Beach Equine Clinic? Call the clinic today at 561-793-1599 to learnmore.
From The Hospital: Walking Sutures on a
Degloving Injury
Palm Beach Equine Clinic is known for trusted and knowledgeableteamwork between its veterinarians. That reputation went into motion whena horse with a degloving injury to its left hind cannon area was admitted tothe Palm Beach Equine Clinic hospital.
Photos courtesy of Palm Beach Equine Clinic
Several Palm Beach Equine Clinic veterinarians jumped into action toperform these walking sutures! The goal of this approach was to stretch theskin enough to reappose it with the walking sutures. This technique involvesa process where each suture is placed !rst in the deep dermis and then intothe deeper tissues, usually fascia, at a point closer to the center of thewound. The e"ect is to move the skin closer to the closing position witheach suture, minimize the dead space between the skin and underlyingtissue, and relieve tension on the sutures eventually placed to close thewound edges.
Prognosis? So far, this patient is recovering well!
Meet Palm Beach Equine Clinic’s Abby Berzas
Abby Berzas, 26, grew up in L’AnseMeg/Duralde, Louisiana, just 10minutes from one of the world’smost popular Mardi Grascelebrations. Aside from knowinghow to put on a great party, hercommunity was nestled deep withinfarm country. So, it’s no surprise thatAbby grew up around horses, abeginning that led her to studyagricultural and equine sciences atMcNeese State University insouthwest Louisiana beforeattending veterinary school at St.George’s University in Grenada. Shecompleted her veterinary studies atLouisiana State University and madeher way to south Florida for thewarm weather, ocean, and ofcourse, the horses! Abby works atPalm Beach Equine Clinic as anintern, and she has big plans for thefuture.
Learn more about Abby:
How did you !rst get involved with
horses?
My siblings and I grew up aroundhorses! We had quite a few pets andfarm animals, but horses werede!nitely “my thing.” We grew uptrail riding andexploring the farmland behind ourhouse. We would wake up beforesunrise, pack a lunch, and spend theentire day riding. I got involved inrodeo (barrels, poles, and goat tying)and did that through high school.
What led you to study/become
interested in equine veterinary
medicine?
It’s something I’ve always wanted todo. Regardless of the times Ithought I might practicemixed/small animal medicine, myheart has always returned to equinemedicine.
My biggest in#uences to pursueveterinary medicine were myparents. They aren’t veterinarians,but through their examples I’velearned that work needs to beful!lling. At the end of each day, Ineed to be happy with what I choseto do with my life.
What do you enjoy most about
treating horses?
I most enjoy being around them! It’salso a challenge. Every day is alearning curve, and every day is anopportunity to become better,despite the obstacles. I also reallyenjoy feeling appreciationfrom owners. It’s so nice when anowner genuinely thanks you for yourhelp. To know that what I do makesa di"erence in the lives of others is abig part of why I chose to practiceveterinary medicine.
What are your day-to-day
responsibilities at PBEC?
As interns, we take care of anyhospital patients admitted, whetherthat be surgery or medicine patients.We run anesthesia for surgeries andassist with after-hour emergencies.We are also able to take ambulatorycalls when the hospital isn’t so busy.
What do you enjoy most about
being part of the PBEC team?
I enjoy the good energy here!Everyone is cheerful, welcoming,and willing to help. I feel lucky to beable to complete my internship insuch a healthy work environment. Iam happy doing a variety of things,but I really enjoy internalmedicine. Also, I will be certi!ed inmixed-animal acupuncture soon, soI’d love to incorporate that into mypractice eventually.
What can we !nd you doing when
you are not working?
Lately, I’ve been spending days o"at the beach with my dog and!ancé. I was recently given my veryown kite and kite board, so I’ll bekiteboarding whenever the wind isgood! I also love hiking andexploring new beaches or parks. Iwould love to ride in my spare time,but my ponies are in Louisiana withmy family.
Healthcare Reminder: Equine Dentistry
Dr. Tyler Davis performing a dental exam. Photos courtesy of Palm Beach Equine Clinic
According to a study conducted by North Carolina State University,approximately 40% of horses have signi!cant dental problems. What’s theanswer to many of those problems? Prevention! Dr. Tyler Davis of PalmBeach Equine Clinic states that routine and thorough dental exams can helpprevent many issues from ever becoming problems.
On a basic level, dentistry in horses is important because the mouth is the!rst part of the horse that is taking in and processing food. Horses mustgrind their food into a !nely masticated bolus before swallowing. Thecombination of a horse’s upper jaw being larger than the lower and the factthat a horse chews by moving the jaw from side to side results in unevenwear of the teeth. This uneven wear may cause sharp edges, which hindere$cient chewing and may ulcerate or lacerate the cheeks and tongue. Thepain caused by the ulcerations or lacerations can result in incompletemastication, sometimes leading to problems like colic.
What is "oating?
Floating is the term for rasping or !ling a horse's teeth to ensure an even,properly aligned bite plane. While #oating is the physical process, thescope of an equine dental exam is much broader and examines the horse'soverall health as in#uenced by the mouth.
"You can get a rasp and without
even looking in the horse’s mouth
"oat the points o#, and you may be
getting the vast majority of the
work done,” said Dr. Davis. “But a
really good dental exam with a
speculum, a very good light
source, and a dental mirror allows
you to see possible problems and
prevent those problems from
becoming painful and a#ecting
your horse’s overall health.”
The most common signs of dental
discomfort in horses include:
head-tilting and tossingdi$culty chewingbit-chewing and tonguelolling tail-wringing and buckingdrooling and bad breath(sometimes) weight loss andspillage of grain
For sport horses, dental care becomes even more important. Much of theconnection between horse and rider comes by way of the horse’s mouth. Ifthere are problems or discomfort within the mouth, it will be evident in thehorse’s performance and disposition under tack. According to Dr. Davis,having a horse’s mouth in healthy condition allows one to immediately ruleout dental issues when trying to troubleshoot a performance problem.
How often should you have a veterinarian perform a routine dental exam
on your horse? Dr. Davis recommends every 12 months at the veryminimum.
Contact your veterinarians at Palm Beach Equine Clinic for more informationon equine dentistry or to schedule a dental exam at 561-793-1599.
Let's Get Social
ABOUT THE CLINIC
CLINIC SERVICES
MEET THE VETERINARIANS
CONTACT PALM BEACH EQUINE CLINIC
Tweet Share this Page: Like 0 Share
