Acupuncture is one of the adjunctive therapies that we offer at Meadow Lane Equine Clinic. Dr. Robyn Kopala has been practicing acupuncture since 2009 when she completed advanced training in veterinary acupuncture at Colorado State University. She is pleased to offer this service as part of a comprehensive approach to veterinary medicine.

Acupuncture is typically performed without sedation, and begins with a thorough history and musculoskeletal examination of the horse. Saddle assessment or soundness evaluations may be performed as indicated. This systematic approach ensures that the source of your horse’s musculoskeletal pain can be identified, and treatment can be tailored for maximal effect. Acupuncture is performed based on Dr. Kopala’s clinical findings and your horse’s response to the treatment at the time of the procedure and long-term. The response to acupuncture varies with each horse, but Dr. Kopala finds that optimal effect is seen after several weekly acupuncture treatments.

Dr. Kopala typically performs dry-needle acupuncture. However, she is well-versed in aquapuncture (injection of vitamin B12) and electroacupuncture (electrode stimulation) for the select cases where it is indicated.

Acupuncture can be very beneficial in the diagnosis and relief of musculoskeletal pain in the following circumstances:

• Compensatory musculoskeletal pain secondary to lameness
• Ill-fitting tack
• Following trauma or extended lay-ups
• Presence of kissing spines or other conformational abnormalities
• Laminitis
• Muscle atrophy secondary to nerve injury

Veterinary chiropractors use hands on spinal manipulation, joint mobilization, as well as working on the muscles and soft tissue. This is done to restore proper alignment to the horse’s musculoskeletal system, in particular the spinal column. Proper alignment and mobility allows optimal function of the nervous system and the horse as a whole. Equine chiropractic treatment is an integral part of traditional veterinary care. It doesn’t replace veterinary medicine; however, it is a great complementary form of therapy and can be used in conjunction with acupuncture for even further benefit.

Dr. Robyn Kopala completed training in equine veterinary chiropractic therapy at the Options for Animals College of Animal Chiropractic. Further information can be found at:

www.optionsforanimals.com

Equine veterinary chiropractic therapy can be very beneficial in the diagnosis and relief of musculoskeletal pain in the following circumstances:

• Compensatory musculoskeletal pain secondary to lameness
• Ill-fitting tack
• Following trauma or extended lay-ups
• Presence of kissing spines or other conformational abnormalities

Dental maintenance is an essential part of every horse’s health program. Unlike in humans, horses’ teeth continuously erupt over the course of their lifetime. Due to the un-natural lifestyle of the domestic horse, horses do not wear their teeth appropriately. This usually results in sharp enamel points forming on the teeth, leading to ulceration of the fragile tissues in the mouth. Other abnormalities, such as hooks on the upper teeth and ramps on the lower teeth, will restrict the mobility of the lower jaw, and can impact the horse’s comfort and performance.

When your horse receives a dental, standing sedation is administered, and a complete oral exam is performed. A guarded power float tool is then used to remove any sharp enamel points and correct any abnormalities in wear. If present, wolf teeth may be extracted when indicated. This is typically a simple procedure that can be performed during the same appointment. Any abnormalities such as mobile or fractured teeth can be identified, and treated as needed. Our goal is that with a regular dental program, your horse will be less likely to develop marked dental abnormalities that could lead to more complicated and costly conditions.

At Meadow Lane Equine Clinic, we recommend oral exams begin just prior to starting the horse under saddle, then annually throughout their working life into retirement. Most working horses require annual dental floating to maintain optimal performance. Other indications to perform an oral exam include:

• Difficulty eating, dropping or quidding (balling) feed
• Hard keepers or weight loss
• Reduced performance
• Fussiness in the bridle or head shyness
• Unilateral (one sided) nasal discharge
• Malodour coming from the nose or mouth
• Excessive salivation

Radiography is one of our most valuable diagnostic imaging modalities. At Meadow Lane Equine Clinic we have a portable wireless digital radiography (x-ray) unit. This enables us to produce high quality, diagnostic radiographs on-farm in a matter of minutes. Osteoarthritis, osteochondrosis dessicans (OCD), and fractures are just a few of the boney abnormalities that can be detected using our digital x-ray. We often use our digital x-ray during lameness evaluations, prepurchase examinations, corrective farriery, and to screen for developmental abnormalities in young horses (OCD, etc.). Our portable equipment is able to take quality neck, back and skull radiographs on farm as well. Depending on where your horse is being imaged, your horse may require light standing sedation to ensure the radiographs are of diagnostic quality. Our registered veterinary technician is trained in horse handling and radiology, so we can take x-rays on farm safely and effectively.

Buying a new horse? Whether you are looking for your next grand prix mount, or a steady trail-riding companion, we can give you peace of mind at Meadow Lane Equine Clinic by offering comprehensive prepurchase examinations. Our basic prepurchase examination includes a critical soundness evaluation on all surfaces, observation under saddle, flexions and hoof testing. We also perform a complete nose to tail physical exam. This includes palpation of the limbs and back, evaluation of conformation, and assessment of range of motion. A neurologic exam is also performed.

Depending on your horse’s age, intended use, and the clinical findings on the soundness evaluation, we may recommend that you take digital x-rays of your horse. In young horses or prospective sales horses, x-rays can be useful to identify any congenital conditions such as OCD that may impact the horse’s ability to perform, or to be resold at a later date. In older horses, screening for conditions like osteoarthritis that may or may not be clinical, can be useful to predict future soundness and serve as a baseline to monitor the conditions over time. Digital ultrasound is also useful to evaluate soft tissues that are common sources of lameness, such as the suspensory ligaments and stifle. The Lameness Locator can also be a useful tool for objective soundness evaluation in certain prepurchase examinations.

Other optional tests for prepurchase examinations include laboratory blood tests. A complete blood cell count and serum biochemistry are essential to screen for systemic abnormalities that are not yet clinically visible. Kidney or liver disease, are some of the conditions that can be identified with these tests. Equine Infectious Anemia (a Coggin’s test) is also recommended for any horses that have not been regularly tested or that have come from endemic areas. For the sport horse, we also highly recommend collecting a blood sample at the time of the prepurchase examination to perform a drug screen. This test identifies and quantifies any performance enhancing agents such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatories or sedatives that could impact your horse’s evaluation.

Through comprehensive prepurchase examinations, our goal is to provide you with all the information you need to make a sound purchasing decision.

Digital ultrasound is useful for both diagnostic imaging and administering therapeutics. Like our x-ray unit, our digital ultrasound is also portable and can be used for on-farm appointments. Ultrasound is typically used to image the soft tissues of the horse. This can be useful to diagnose lameness localized to the distal limbs, to evaluate the acute abdomen in the colicky horse, and to assess other soft tissue abnormalities. Serial ultrasound imaging can also guide rehabilitation programs following soft tissue injury. Ultrasound-guided joint injection techniques are often utilized at Meadow Lane Equine Clinic. This ensures accurate administration of therapeutic or nerve-blocking agents, such as with sacro-iliac or stifle injections.

Meadow Lane Equine Clinic takes great pride in servicing the sport horse industry. We offer both soundness evaluations and thorough lameness examinations. Maintaining your horse’s soundness is essential to optimizing your horse’s performance. By monitoring your horse’s soundness, and addressing any lameness issues as soon as they develop, you can reduce the overall impact on your horse’s working career. At Meadow Lane Equine Clinic, we believe in an evidence-based localization of lameness. That means we work up your horse’s lameness systematically using diagnostic nerve blocks and imaging to reach a diagnosis.

We also offer Lameness Locator technology. This equipment uses sensors placed on the horse’s body and algorithmic software to objectively detect lameness in the horse. When used in conjunction with the clinician’s expertise, the Lameness Locator can be an effective tool in lameness evaluations.

Once your horse’s lameness has been localized, imaging with the digital x-ray and ultrasound are used to determine the source of your horse’s lameness. The veterinarians at Meadow Lane Equine Clinic will then work with you to develop the treatment plan that is right for you and your horse. We are pleased to offer a multi-modal approach to resolving your horse’s lameness. Several therapies we offer include:

• ProStride
• PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma)
• IRAP (Interleukin Receptor Antagonist Protein)
• Steroid joint injections (including sacro-iliac and cervical facet injections)
• Shockwave
• Acupuncture
• Manipulation therapy
• Mesotherapy

At Meadow Lane Equine Clinic we went to ensure your horse receives the best veterinary care possible. If your horse requires advanced diagnostic imaging, surgery or hospitalization, we will ensure that you are referred to the appropriate specialist. We will work closely with the clinician monitoring your horse’s case to ensure the continuity of veterinary care before and after referral. Some of the procedures that we refer our patients for include:

• Gastroscopy
• Upper airway endoscopy
• Standing or anaesthetized MRI
• Extensive dental extractions
• Hospitalization for medical management of colic
• Colic surgery
• Arthroscopic surgery
• Stem cell collection and processing

In the past few years equine gastric ulcer syndrome has gained greater recognition as an important condition affecting both our performance and recreational equine partners. In this condition, the mucosa of the lower esophagus, stomach and upper duodenum (small intestine) become eroded or ulcerated. There are two types of mucosa in the stomach, a squamous portion and a glandular portion and depending on the location of these ulcers, a different approach and length of treatment may be required to resolve them. The location and severity of gastric ulcers is best determined by gastroscopy, where an endoscopic camera is passed down the esophagus into the stomach. A number of factors contribute to the development of ulcers in horses. Some of the primary risk factors include the dietary management and husbandry of many domestic horses. This includes low forage/high grain diets, intermittent feeding, and stressors such as lameness, trailering, or changes in herd dynamics. A variety of clinical signs can be observed in this condition, such as reduced performance, misbehavior, or a change in demeanor.

The Lameness Locator is a valuable tool available to our clinicians to aid in lameness evaluations. The Lameness Locator uses three sensors that are placed externally on the horse – one on the poll, on the right forelimb, and one over the pelvis. These inertial sensors measure minute shifts in the horse’s movement over time as it trots. The sensors pick up this data in real time, and wirelessly transmit it to a computer containing the Lameness Locator software. An algorithm is then used to determine how asymmetries in the horse’s movement correlate to lameness in a particular limb. The Lameness Locator can be especially useful in cases where the horse has lameness in multiple limbs, has extremely subtle lameness, or when diagnostic nerve blocks are performed to localize the lameness. It can provide an objective measurement of a horse’s soundness, useful as a baseline over the course of the show season, or to evaluate the response to therapy. The Lameness Locator is an evidence-based tool that was developed after years of gait analysis research performed by Dr. Kevin Keegan, the University of Missouri Equinosis Program Director. When used in conjunction with critical clinical evaluation of the horse, the Lameness Locator can be a valuable addition to your horse’s veterinary care.

For more information, please follow the link below:

www.equinosis.com

The Smart RLT Laser is a class 4 regenerative laser and is in a class all of its own. We are excited to be able to offer this service to our clients as it is only the third laser of its kind in Canada.

Laser therapy is the use of an intense beam of laser light directed into the patients tissue. This reduces pain, inflammation and accelerates healing. The laser causes vasodilation which brings healthy nutrient rich blood to the target area. It also brings more oxygen to the cells and generates more energy. Increased energy for the cells means quicker recovery. This enables wounds and other injuries to heal faster and with better quality fibre alignment.

Laser therapy has a multitude of uses including but not limited to; accelerated tissue repair and cell growth which is beneficial for tendon and ligament injuries, faster wound healing, reduced fibrous tissue formation, anti-inflammatory effects, improved nerve function, and improved vascular activity. The Smart RLT laser can be used for both acute and chronic injuries as well as for pre-performance use. If you have an important show or class coming up you can target specific areas with pre-performance use of the laser on the three days leading up to your class to help your horse feel their very best. At this time only FEI classes have a withdrawal time assigned to laser treatments.

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy is widely used for managing pain and optimizing healing in soft tissue injuries. It’s most common application is following tendinous or ligamentous injury and for management of navicular syndrome. It can also be helpful in treating back and neck conditions, and select cases of bony injury as well. Our practice has a portable unit that can be used on-farm and the procedure can be performed under light standing sedation. The treatment is typically repeated every 1 to 2 weeks for at least 3 treatments following an injury, but is often repeated in more chronic conditions.

For more information on how shockwave therapy works, please follow the website link below to Neovet Shockwave:

https://neoshockwave.com/

Meadow Lane Equine Clinic is proud to offer several types of regenerative medicine therapy. Regenerative therapies are often the initial treatment of choice for soft tissue and joint conditions. The goal of regenerative medicine is to reduce pain by modulating inflammation and promoting repair and regeneration of damaged tissues. By promoting healing and reducing inflammation, regenerative therapies can optimize healing of soft tissues and slow the progression of chronic conditions like osteoarthritis. Our patients often see better and longer-lasting results following these treatments, compared to injection with steroids or hyaluronic acid. We offer the following regenerative therapies at out clinic:

• IRAP
• PRP
• ProStride
• Referral for stem cell collection and processing

IRAP (Interleukin Receptor Antagonist Protein) therapy is typically used in joints to treat mild to moderate cases of osteoarthritis or synovitis. This therapy works by counteracting the action of inflammatory interleukin proteins that are produced in the joint fluid when the joint is used excessively. These inflammatory interleukin proteins promote cartilage degeneration and the development of osteoarthritis. With IRAP therapy, a blood sample is collected from your horse into a syringe prepared with an agent that stimulates the production of interleukin receptor antagonist proteins. The blood is incubated in this syringe and then centrifuged to separate the blood into a cellular portion and a plasma portion containing the IRAP. The IRAP portion is then collected into several sterile syringes and stored frozen. Typically 3 injections of IRAP are performed 2 weeks apart for optimal results.

PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) therapy is the treatment of choice for acute tendon and ligament injuries in the horse and can also be used in joints. Platelets contain growth factors that optimize healing and support the regeneration of tissue that more closely resembles the original injured tissue. This promotes a stronger and more elastic repair, reducing the likelihood of reinjury and improving the horse’s chance of returning to its original athleticism. The sooner the PRP is administered to the injured area, the more effective it is. PRP is processed by collecting a sample of the horse’s blood into a syringe containing an agent that prevents clotting. The blood is then centrifuged, separating it into a cellular portion, and a platelet-rich plasma portion. The PRP contains at least 7x greater concentration of platelets than in the horse’s blood. The PRP is then sterilely injected by ultrasound guidance into the injured area. PRP can be processed within an hour from blood collection and is usually injected the same day.

ProStride therapy contains both IRAP and PRP, making it an extremely versatile and effective therapy. ProStride is utilized to treat both soft tissue and intra-articular conditions. It reduces inflammation, optimizes healing and supports appropriate tissue regeneration. ProStride is produced by collecting a sample of the horse’s blood and processing it through a series of specialized devices using our on-farm centrifuge. The ProStride product is then sterilely injected by ultrasound guidance into the affected soft tissue or joint. It can be processed within 30 minutes of blood collection and is usually injected the same day.