Veterinarian becomes sole equine sports medicine specialist in Wisconsin

Sabrina Brounts, DVM, MS, DACVS, associate professor at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, has passed the required examination from American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation (ACVSMR) to become the state's only board-certified veterinarian in equine sports medicine, according to a university release. The ACVSMR was developed to meet the needs of athletic and working animals and those in need of rehabilitation. In addition to Brounts  being the sole ACVSMR diplomate in the equine track for the state, her certification marks the 23rd certification in veterinary specialties for the University of Wisconsin's clinical arm, more than any other veterinary medical clinic in the state, the university says.

Sabrina Brounts (center) and Jennifer Whyard (seated), a specialty intern in large animal surgery, use ultrasound to evaluate a tendon injury in a horse's hind limb. Photo courtesy of Nik Hawkins. “Many horses are high-level athletes, so it's important to have specialists in this area to help with healing and injury prevention, as they do on the human side of medicine,” says Brounts. She has been central in UW-Madison's pioneering method for monitoring tendon injuries, called acoustoelastography, or AEG, which uses ultrasound to evaluate the stiffness of tendons and determine how well they have healed, according to the university. “AEG provides a simple, objective, noninvasive method for monitoring healing progress and helps take the guesswork  out of deciding when a horse can safely return to competition,” she says. To continue to study AEG, Brounts is currently enrolling horses with acute superficial digital flexor tendon problems in a clinical trial.

California

Kimberly Carlson, DVM, DACVS, and her team at VCA Bay Area Veterinary Specialty in San Francisco are seeking candidates for an investigational study of stem cells for dogs suffering from osteoarthritis with the goal to determine if a single injection of donor stem cells into one or two arthritically affected joints can help reduce pain and inflammation. Due to the degenerative nature of the disease, many dog owners turn to anti-inflammatory and pain-relief medications, but Carlson and her team believe a regenerative alternative method for dogs with osteoarthritis might be of great value to both patients and clients.

Candidates who qualify for this study must be dogs that are older than 9 months, weigh more than 5.5 pounds, have osteoarthritis of only one or two leg joints, have had pain or lameness for at least three months, and must not have cancer.

Joints that will be included in the study and injected under anesthesia include the hips, stifles, shoulders, and elbows. Dogs that may be considered must be in good health and undergo a full diagnostic workup before qualifying for the study. Dogs that qualify for the study may not have had previous stem cell therapy of any kind. For more information about the study, Carlson can be reached at (510) 483-7387.

Michigan

Shelter and private practice veterinarians in Grand Rapids, Michigan, have banded together to care for 37 dogs seized by area animal control in June. The dogs were kept in small travel-sized containers and suffered from severe dental issues, matted fur, urine-stained fur and skin, and damaged paws and toenails. Kent County Animal Control personnel discovered the dogs in the home of Kimberly Savino, who is now charged with felony animal cruelty and faces trial in Kent County Circuit Court according to community news site mlive.com. “I put out a call for vets to ‘adopt' a dog,” said shelter veterinarian Laurie Wright in a statement issued Sept. 5. “Within minutes, I had veterinarians offering to care for these struggling pets. They wanted to make a difference.” Kent County Animal Shelter Supervisor Carly Luttmann said that treatment tabs for each dog would top $10,000, plus costs of boarding, vaccinations and other care if it weren't for the generosity of veterinarians, groomers and the dog-loving public who donated their time, expertise and money to the cause. “We are so incredibly fortunate to have such a caring community,” she said.

IOWA

Darrell Trampel, DVM, PhD, a professor of veterinary medicine at Iowa State University passed away unexpectedly on Aug. 31. He served as the ISU Poultry Extension veterinarian and diagnostician for the last 32 years. Much of his recent efforts were focused on developing plans for transport of eggs and egg products from noninfected premises within an avian influenza control area (the FAST Eggs plan). As the primary liaison between ISU's College of Veterinary Medicine and the Iowa Department of Agriculture, the Iowa Poultry Association, and the Iowa Turkey Federation, he played an essential role in regulatory and eradication programs for poultry diseases according to a university release. “There is likely no one who knew more or cared more about the health and success of the Iowa poultry industry than Dr. Trampel,” said Patrick Halbur, DVM, MS, PhD, professor and chair of the Veterinary Diagnostic and Production Animal Medicine Department at ISU. “He will be profoundly missed.”

UTAH

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Veterinary Service Laboratory has confirmed the presence of the highly contagious porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, or PEDv, at the Circle Four Farms, Utah's largest hog farm and one of the largest in the country. Circle Four Farms, owned by Virgina-based Smithfield Farms, raises 1.2 million hogs annually. The USDA has agreed to work with state veterinarians to fund testing “to assure that stringent animal biosecurity practices are in place,” according to a Sept. 3 news release.