WEG Vet Corner "Vet Corner," a horse health column written by Rood & Riddle veterinar  ians, made its debut in February in the inaugural issue of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games electronic newsletter. The newsletter provides competitors, participants, and fans with up-to-date information about the ongoing preparations for the Games, plus features of interest to the equine community. The newsletter is expected to reach about 30,000 equestrian enthusiasts through its first issue, with increasing readership anticipated as the Games draw near. It will debut as a bimonthly newsletter, but the WEG expects it to progress to a monthly publication as enthusiasm for the event grows. Rood & Riddle is the official veterinary partner for the Games, to be held on September 25 to October 10, 2010, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The most prestigious equestrian competition ever to be held in the United States, the Games are expected to host 900 horses from 60 countries, 800 competitors, and 600,000 spectators during its 16-day competition of eight equestrian disciplines. "Vet Corner" will address topics of interest to horsemen of all experience levels and will showcase Rood & Riddle's cutting-edge technology in caring for elite equine athletes as well as companion horses. "This is a great opportunity for Rood & Riddle," said Danielle Landolt, WEG sponsorship sales manager. "This was a great initiative on Rood & Riddle's part to come up this idea." Landolt expects "Vet Corner" will give novice horseman insight into what it takes to keep equine competitors sound and healthy and will provide professional horsemen with information on new technology and other innovations in equine medicine. Anyone interested in receiving the electronic newsletter can sign up for it on the WEG website at www.feigames2010.org. The newsletter also will be available on the website. Putting Their Best Feet Forwardand his colleagues in the Podiatry Center are helping to bring the latest in care and treatment of the equine digit to the horse community at home and abroad.  In October, Dr. Morrison and farrier Rodney King traveled to Germany for the 2008 Luwex Symposium, a gathering of more than 400 farriers from all over the world. The event was held in Krueth, the German equivalent of the Kentucky Horse Park. Dr. Morrison lectured on treatment and shoeing options for laminitic horses. "Our demo was on shoeing and foot-casting techniques in horses with chronic laminitis," Dr. Morrison said. "Rodney shod a foundered horse and helped me apply a foot cast/shoe on a foundered horse." During its annual gathering in Orlando on January 17-21, the North American Veterinary Conference (NAVC) honored Dr. Morrison as its 2008 Speaker of the Year (equine section) for his debut appearance at last year's conference. The NAVC is a not-for-profit organization that provides continuing education to veterinarians and affiliate professionals. Dr. Morrison's eight-hour lecture on heel pain, foot infections, laminitis, hoof wall injuries, balance, and foot function drew wide acclaim from attendees, whose vote determined the Speaker of the Year. During this year's NAVC, Dr. Morrison spoke about foal foot care and traumatic foot injuries. In February, Dr. Morrison flew to Japan at the invitation of the Japanese Racing Association to give a series of podiatry lectures on heel pain, managing the club foot, foot infections and larval therapy, benefits of barefoot versus shoes, and chronic laminitis. Adding to his already busy schedule, Dr. Morrison coauthored a chapter in Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice on complications of unilateral weight bearing, and he submitted a scientific paper to the Equine Veterinary Journal outlining his study of deep digital flexor tenotomy and realignment shoeing in 236 chronic laminitis cases (2000-'08) and the factors affecting their outcome. When Midway College’s equine studies program needed a last minute replacement to teach their spring semester course of Basic Farriery and Hoofcare” they called upon podiatry associate Dr. Bob Agne for assistance. Dr. Agne put together a thorough curriculum for the students at the campus in nearby Midway, Kentucky, and provided lecture and hands on instruction each week through the spring 2009 semester. Dr. Raul Bras, an associate in the Podiatry Center and a 2007 graduate of Cornell University's farrier school, was the guest speaker for the North East Ohio Equine Practitioners Association in Cleveland. His talk, "Rehabilitating the Laminitis Horse," discussed the anatomy and physiology of the inner hoof wall, current research on laminitis, and the practical approach to rehabilitate the laminitic horse in a clinical scenario. In October, Dr. Vernon Dryden, another podiatry associate, spoke to the Kentucky Equine Medical Association about equine hoof infections and the use of sterile larvae for wound debridement in the hoof. In February 2009, Dr. Dryden traveled to Virginia to address clients of the Three Oaks Equine Hospital of Goochland on hoof care and presented a series of hoof-care lectures to the New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association. On Call Program Earns Special Eclipse Award  On Call, a service of the American Association of Equine Practitioners that provides accurate veterinary information and commentary when a horse is injured during a live-race telecast, was honored with a Special Eclipse award on January 26 for its outstanding contribution to Thoroughbred racing. On Call was the brainchild of Dr. Larry Bramlage and a group of elite members of the AAEP. Along with Dr. Bramlage, On Call features Rood & Riddle surgeons Dr. Alan Ruggles and Dr. Scott Hopper, among its roster of on-air veterinary experts. "It is an incredible honor for the On Call program to be recognized for its contributions to racing and its role in increasing the public’s knowledge of horse health issues,” AAEP Executive Director David Foley said. “We dedicate this award to the many AAEP members who have volunteered their time and expertise to serve the industry, the media, and, most importantly, the horse.” The need for the On Call program arose after the telecast of the 1990 Breeders' Cup, when two horses, Mr. Nickerson and Shaker Knit, suffered fatal breakdowns in a spill during the Breeders' Cup Sprint and champion filly Go for Wand was euthanized on the track after shattering her right foreleg near the wire of the Breeders' Cup Distaff. "The television people had nobody to talk to, so they showed Mr. Nickerson's injury five times with relatively little informative commentary," Dr. Bramlage recalled. "So the AAEP stepped up with the idea that it would be a public service to have someone who was knowledgeable about those types of injuries available to interview." On Call was launched in 1991 with about 15 AAEP members across the nation acting as veterinary commentators. The idea was to use local veterinarians to cover the various racing telecasts, so Dr. Bramlage was assigned the 1993 Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs. "In 1994, ABC asked to have the same person available all the time, and they asked if I would do it," Dr. Bramlage said. "That's when I started doing the three Triple Crown races and the Breeders' Cup. I've now done it for 15 years." Initially, television crews viewed the On Call veterinarians as a nuisance. "But when they had a major injury, they found out that we could be an asset," Dr. Bramlage said. "Currently, they look for us for the telecast, and they want to be sure that we are available." Nearly 100 people now are involved in the program. "On Call had to be a labor of conviction early on," Dr. Bramlage said of the program's tenuous start. "The live media did not really want us around. We stood by with little encouragement for our first couple of years. Then we were called on to provide information, sometimes in difficult situations, and we performed. We provided concise, timely information for the general public in a way that they could understand and use to deal with even the most heart-wrenching injuries. Over time, we earned our spurs, and now the live and print media seek us out because they have learned we can provide information for their good and for the good of the racing public." Dr. Bramlage has become a familiar face on telecasts of the Triple Crown races and the Breeders' Cup World Championships each year. "Dr. Ruggles and Dr. Hopper also do the races in Kentucky. I'm just fortunate enough to get to do those four big races," Dr. Bramlage said. Bramlage Earns Distinguished Life Member Award Dr. Larry Bramlage's contributions to equine medicine were recognized in December when the American Association of Equine Practitioners honored him with its Distinguished Life Member award during its annual convention.  Dr. Bramlage has served the AAEP since 1976, becoming president of the association in 2004. Over the years, he has participated in or chaired a litany of committees, including Public Policy, Insurance, Nominating, President’s Advisory, Convention Planning, Abstract Review, and Finance. He also served on the AAEP's Racing and Purchase Exam task forces. In 1991, Bramlage and a group of elite members of the AAEP devised an idea to make available expert veterinary commentary to the media during major, televised horse races. They called the program "On Call," and in 1993, Dr. Bramlage became one of the most recognizable faces in veterinary medicine as the On Call expert for the Kentucky Derby. ABC was so intrigued with his knowledge and delivery that network officials asked Dr. Bramlage to stay on as the regular On Call expert for the Triple Crown and Breeders' Cup races. On Call was rewarded for its excellence in January when it received the Special Eclipse award. In 1998, Dr. Bramlage flaunted his sense of humor when he teamed with Dr. John Madigan of the University of California to present the annual Kester News Hour as the kickoff of the AAEP convention. Drs. Bramlage and Madigan presented a recap of the preceding year's veterinary news in an entertaining and impressionable fashion, while taking potshots at each other, often against a backdrop of hilarious photos. The duo's jab-and-parry style made the Kester News Hour a perennial favorite among convention attendees, earning them the AAEP Distinguished Service Award when they took their final bows in 2007. “Dr. Bramlage has made innumerable contributions to the AAEP for many years,” said David Foley, AAEP executive director. “Not only has he been instrumental in many of our successes in recent years, but he has also represented us incredibly well in several facets of the industry. He has been a true credit to the AAEP and is extremely deserving of this honor.” "Peer Review is how we establish credibility in the veterinary profession, whether it is for journal articles or for research grant applications," Dr. Bramlage said of this most recent honor. "To be reviewed by your peers and awarded Distinguished Life Member status by the AAEP is a degree of validation that I could only have dreamed of achieving. I am flattered."
Rood & Riddle Prominent at AAEP Convention Four veterinarians from Rood & Riddle delivered presentations, including the prestigious Frank J. Milne State-of-the-Art Lecture, at the American Association of Equine Practiti  oners convention in December, and several veterinarians hosted informal sessions called Table Topics. Dr. Steve Reed, a world-acclaimed authority on equine neurological disease, addressed a standing-room-only audience for the three-hour Milne Lecture titled "Neurology Is Not a Euphemism for Necropsy: A Review of Selected Neurological Diseases Affecting Horses." Traditionally, neurological disease in horses was considered an automatic death sentence, but many of those horses now can be salvaged through sophisticated diagnostics and innovative treatment, he said. "It is important to recognize that treating horses with neurological conditions, even serious ones, can often result in successful outcomes, including useful athletic lives," Dr. Reed told listeners. During his presentation, Dr. Reed, who is board-certified in veterinary internal medicine, took his audience through a detailed neurological examination, explaining subtle nuances that help to differentiate between various causes, and detailed the current treatments for the various causes of neurological disease, including surgical options, medications, and management changes. Dr. Reed predicted that in the future a better understanding of neurological diseases would produce quicker, easier, and more accurate diagnostics, more effective treatments, and eventually vaccines against diseases such as equine protozoal myeloencephalitis (EPM) and equine herpesvirus (EHV-1). Later in the convention, Dr. Reed moderated a neurology session and hosted a Table Topic on infectious neurological diseases. Dr. Lori Bidwell took the podium on behalf of herself and colleagues Dr. Rolf Embertson, Nicole Bone and Myong Ryu, to present the results of their study "Diazepam Levels in Foals after Dystocia Birth." A combination of ketamine and diazepam (Valium) commonly is used as mare sedation to manage a dystocia birth, but before this study, clinicians did not know if the diazepam had a detrimental effect on the foal. This study showed that use of diazepam did not seem to negatively affect the outcome of the case. Dr. Michelle LeBlanc, one of the world's top equine reproductive specialists, presented a two-hour, in-depth session, "The Chronically Infertile Mare." Dr. LeBlanc started with a list of typical client complaints regarding an infertile mare and suggested common causes of them. She then detailed various diagnostic methods and treatment options to resolve problems in the infertile mare. "Our ability to diagnose the cause of a specific chronic infertility and manage it has improved greatly in the last 10-15 years," Dr. LeBlanc said. "Diagnostics, our understanding of reproductive physiology, new and old therapies, and the proper use of these treatments have resulted in increased pregnancy rates." She emphasized that when dealing with a chronically infertile mare, a thorough reproductive examination is of paramount importance. Dr. Peter Morresey offered veterinarians an alternative to systemic administration of drugs to neonates with respiratory infections via a nebulizer, which aerosolizes drugs for direct pulmonary delivery. Dr. Morresey demonstrated how a plastic, one-gallon container could be used for this purpose in the absence of a commercial nebulizer. He offered detailed instructions on how to determine if nebulizer therapy is indicated, the drugs and dosage that has been found to be most effective for various conditions, and the proper nebulizer technique to use. Hospital administrator Dr. Bill Rood co-hosted a Table Topic for clinic administrators on methods of fee setting. Dr. Bonnie Barr, who is board-certifiedin veterinary internal medicine, co-hosted a Table Topic on infectious disease. Dr. Morresey led a Table Topic on practical fluid therapy. Dr. Scott Hopper, a board-certified surgeon, co-hosted a Table Topic on suspensory ligament care and treatment. New book Equine ER Chronicles a
Year at Rood & Riddle Every horse that comes through the emergency room doors at Rood & Riddle brings with it a story of intertwining lives—human and animal—packed with hope and sometimes tragedy. A new book, Equine ER, by Leslie Guttman chronicles a year at Rood & Riddle and offers a glimpse of the veterinarians and staff who dedicate their lives to the horses in their care. Nearly every chapter of the book features a different case, presented with the permission of the horse's owner. "It's a diversity of cases and life at the hospital, set in the Blue Grass against the backdrop of some of the events that happened in 2008, such as Eight Belles and Big Brown," Guttman said. (Eight Belles's breakdown and euthanasia after her second-place finish in the Kentucky Derby and the high-profile use of anabolic steroids in Derby and Preakness Stakes winner Big Brown led to an industry-wide effort to make racing safer and ban anabolic steroids on the racetrack.) "Because it was such a pivotal year, I thought it was important to bring these events into the book," she said. "However, the book's focus is primarily veterinary medicine and the human-equine connection across multiple breeds, from small owners to big ones." Guttman became an embedded writer at Rood & Riddle in March 2008, observing and documenting the extraordinary work performed at the hospital. She chronicled her assignment with videos that she posts on the Internet website YouTube and her website on Facebook, an Internet meeting place. "Overall, without any promotion yet, the videos have received more than 5,500 views and counting, and they have been viewed from 26 countries," Guttman said. A YouTube-visitor favorite is a snippet called "It's a Kick," featuring Dr. Brian Waldridge. Guttman also posts a blog of her experience on the book's website at www.equineer.blogspot.com. In her year at Rood & Riddle, Guttman said two things impressed her: the work ethic and the congeniality of the people. "The work ethic is phenomenal—the focus and the whatever-it-takes attitude," Guttman said. "They're funny, and they're such interesting people, separately and together. The level of cooperation among the staff also is phenomenal—the teamwork. I find that so impressive. Everyone is excellent and, working together, that translates to collective excellence." Guttman said the hospital's clients also recognize the level of dedication and expertise that Rood & Riddle's veterinarians and staff bring to each case. "One of the clients I interviewed said of her Rood & Riddle vet: 'If you weren't my vet, I wouldn't have horses.' That sums up how the clients I have interviewed feel about the clinic." Equine ER is published by the Eclipse Press, the book-publishing arm of The Blood-Horse, and is scheduled for release in 2009.
History Channel Showcases Rood & Riddle It was lights, camera, and plenty of action when the History Channel's "Modern Marvels" television series visited Rood & Riddle in September to film a behind-the-scenes look at the Thoroughbred industry in Lexington for a segment of its feature presentation "The Horse." Researchers for the program had suggested to producer Jim Lindsay that he should include a major equine veterinary facility in the show, so he began to look at possibilities. Lindsay said he took one look at Rood & Riddle's website and said, "This is the place." The segment opens dramatically with Dr. Bonnie Barr and the neonatal team desperately working to revive a critically ill foal that was born dead. Once the foal is stabilized, Dr. Barr assesses the fluid in the foal's lungs using ultrasound and explains to the audience that the crucial aspect of its recovery will be how well its brain withstood the birth trauma. Next, Dr. Katie Garrett and her team anesthetize and intubate a polo pony in preparation for a magnetic resonance imaging scan to determine the cause of its puzzling lameness. The horse is placed on a special table in the Imaging Center, and its lower limb is inserted into the powerful 1.5 Tesla MRI. When the images are ready, Dr. Garrett holds one up and indicates the problem area, telling the audience that the horse has a degenerative bone disease and will not require surgery. Dr. Brett Woodie joins his technicians in another section of the Imaging Center to conduct an endoscopic treadmill assessment of a Thoroughbred that has been experiencing performance problems. Dr. Woodie shows the audience the tiny fiber optic camera that is inserted into the horse's airway and gives them a glimpse of the test as the horse gallops on the treadmill. In the final scene, the camera peers over Dr. Larry Bramlage's shoulder as he performs arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone chip from a Thoroughbred's ankle. He explains that eliminating the pain of just a small bone chip could profoundly impact the horse's career. "One second in a horse race might be the difference between a half-million dollars and no money at all," he tells the audience. Lindsay said the level of technology in use at Rood & Riddle and the dedication of its people are what most impressed him. "The technology available for treatment of the horses was mind-boggling," he said. "When we saw the images of the horse in the MRI and on the treadmill, quite frankly, a number of people even remarked, 'These horses have it better than most humans in hospitals.' "When we actually got there, what really impressed me was the staff. The people are such an incredible balance of professional and just great people who were like family. It did not have any kind of a corporate feel, as big as it is and as significant as it is, being such an important clinic in the field. It had the feeling of a family operation. "Having had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Rood briefly while we were there, I can see it obviously comes right from the top—Dr. Riddle, too, although I did not personally get a chance to meet him." Much of the feedback Lindsay has received on the show has come from viewers who are amazed at the level of care these horses receive and the dedication of the people who deliver it. "They have a lot better understanding now than they ever did," he said.
Holiday Help for Animal Shelters
Every December, cardiac specialist Dr. Johanna Reimer joins with Rood & Riddle to channel fees for small-animal ultrasounds performe  d at the hospital to local humane societies. Dr. Reimer has been performing echocardiograms and abdominal ultrasound examinations for local small-animal clinics since moving to Lexington in 1991. Her service was of such importance to the local community that when she joined the equine hospital staff, Rood & Riddle allowed her to continue her referral work with small animals in its clinic in the spirit of cooperation with local small-animal veterinarians. Because of the nature of Dr. Reimer's specialty, she often has to deliver a grave prognosis on her findings. She said she always has been reluctant to tell owners their pet is terminal while handing them a bill, especially during the holiday season. Then, in November 2005, the weight of such news hit close to home when Dr. Reimer's yellow labs, Eli and Zeke, were diagnosed with cancer and had to be euthanized just four days apart. She decided she wanted to do something to ease the pain for other grieving owners and allow ones who receive good news a way to celebrate. "So since then, with Rood & Riddle's blessing, any owners who have to bring their dog or cat in to us for an ultrasound during the month of December can make the check for the amount due to the humane society of their choice instead of Rood & Riddle. Then we send it with a letter saying it is from the pet, the owner, and us." Dr. Reimer estimates that this small holiday gesture has generated about $10,000 for local animal shelters since December 2005.
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