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

CHICNumbersIssuedorUpdated:ThirdQuarter

NAME

NEW/UPDATECHICNO.OWNER(S)

TANGAERQUELQUECHOSES

UPDATE

64630

STEVEN/REBECCABELFLOWER

SKYCASTLEWALDHORNOFGEBEBA

NEW

92333

MEGAN/DAVIDESHERICK,BETTYBARTH

CLANCY’STHEWILDN’THEINNOCENTNEW

92482

MEGAN/DAVIDESHERICK