Sports Medicine: Not Just For Humans
AU Sports Medicine Program receives financial gift, names full-time director

AUBURN UNIVERSITY -- Sports medicine is a growing field in the United States as high profile athletes seek to prevent or recover from career-threatening injuries and minor aches and pains.

Yet a new development in sports medicine is happening at Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where a new director of its Sports Medicine Program has been named, thanks to a newly established endowment.

“We’ve selected Dr. Robert Gillette to head this program that benefits athletic dogs and horses, and in turn will provide benefits to all pets and farm animals,” said Dr. Timothy Boosinger, veterinary dean. “Last year, we received the first installment of a financial gift from Mrs. Dorothy Metcalf, and this has allowed us to continue vital research and name a full-time director.”

Metcalf, a retriever enthusiast from Oxford, Maryland, became aware of Auburn’s Sports Medicine Program in 1998 when her dog’s trainer visited a symposium at Auburn University. She plans to increase the endowment in the coming years to provide ongoing support for veterinary sports medicine.

“I am thrilled with Dr. Gillette’s appointment,” Metcalf said. “The field trial community is excited because many of those in that community are already familiar with his work. We have confidence that, as this program gains visibility, it will become a major benefit to the health of animals.”

Dr. Gillette began his director’s role March 1 and he plans to emphasize three areas: a clinical service devoted to animals with performance problems and athletic injuries; research to benefit working and non-working animals; and distribution of information to veterinarians, owners and trainers.

He says athletic dogs include pointers, retrievers, racing dogs and hounds, as well as stock dogs, sentry dogs, search-and-rescue dogs and others. Horses of interest in the program include equine athletes from racing, cross-country events and team penning.

“We want Auburn University to expand upon its role as a leader in veterinary sports medicine,” Dr. Gillette said. “Nationally, the discipline has been overlooked, but fortunately more people are realizing the need for pre-performance and post performance veterinary care and research.”

Auburn University began conducting sports medicine projects in 1985 and officially established its Sports Medicine Program in 1991, becoming one of only two such programs in the country. Dr. Steven Swaim, a professor in the college’s Scott Ritchey Research Center, established the program and guided it as a part-time director until April 1999 when he stepped down to pursue other research interests. He will continue to be involved with the Sports Medicine Program’s quarterly newsletter.

“Faculty and students, especially Dr. Swaim, have contributed their time over the years,” said Dr. Gillette, who had served as a senior research fellow at the veterinary college since 1997. “And finding necessary funds for research has not been easy. The gift from Mrs. Metcalf will provide great health benefits to dogs and horses. At this point, we would not be able to do it without her help.”

Dr. Gillette, a native of Kansas, obtained his doctor of veterinary medicine degree in 1988 from Kansas State University and completed his master’s degree in biomechanics from the University of Kansas in 1998. He has been involved in sports medicine research for ten years and has served two years as national president of the American Canine Sports Medicine Association and six years overall as an elected official.
 

The Role of Sports Medicine

He says the Auburn program is specifically designed to study injuries, diseases, nutritional factors, and physiologic functions of dogs and horses involved in field sports and working endeavors.

“Our research goals are to optimize performance and find ways to minimize the risks of injuries to equine and canine athletes,” Dr. Gillette said. “Clinically, when an injury occurs or a medical problem arises, we work to arrive at a correct diagnosis early and initiate the proper treatment. Then we can apply a therapy program that addresses the problem and reduces downtime.”

Auburn’s program made it possible for a Mississippi patient to win the 1999 National Bird Dog Championship in Memphis, Tenn. The dog, Whippoorwill Wild Card of Michigan City, Miss., had been suffering from a chronic cough in 1997 and was brought to Auburn where veterinarians discovered and removed an eight-inch thorny twig lodged in his throat. A year later, he won the championship.

“In addition to the goal of improving the health, well being and functional longevity of these animals, we also want to pass along research findings to other areas of veterinary medicine,” Dr. Gillette said. “Information that is gained from research with a retriever can be applied to a poodle that jumps off the couch and runs to the refrigerator when he hears it open. And things we learn from a working horse can be applied to any horse.”

The Auburn program stresses pre-performance areas such as genetics, training, conditioning, nutrition and injury prevention. Post-performance areas involve nutrition, medical care, injury treatment, rehabilitation and reconditioning.

“We know when a human athlete suffers an injury because he will mention the resulting pain, but an animal is stoic and will keep from showing pain,” he said. “Prevention is best, but if an injury does occur, we can hopefully pinpoint the origin and treat it. Auburn has state-of-the-art equipment and facilities to treat animals and conduct research using the latest techniques.”

Some of the research projects that have been conducted or are in progress are:
• The effects of minor lameness on performance,
• A study of the “limber tail” syndrome in dogs,
• Establishment of base-line physiologic data on pointers as they train,
• Evaluation of the effects of drugs and bandages on the healing of pad wounds in canine athletes,
• A study of the effect of diet on physiologic responses, endurance, and the ability of dogs to detect odors,
• Investigation of hereditary myopathy in Labrador retrievers,
• Evaluation of growth factors on a horse’s hoof,
• A study of the effects of complex carbohydrates on horse joint physiology.
 

Spreading The News

The Sports Medicine Program’s quarterly newsletter relays information on equine and canine health topics in each issue, and its articles are often reprinted in animal sports-related magazines. Auburn also hosts an annual sports medicine continuing education seminar with nationally recognized veterinarians and trainers.

“Plus, veterinary students participate through a student chapter,” Dr. Gillette said. “They help with field events and set up booths at events across the country, most recently at the North American Veterinary Conference in Orlando. They hold regular meetings on campus and have sessions devoted to sports medicine.”

He adds that the program hinges on private support to supplement college funding.

“We’ve come a long way, especially with the funds provided by Mrs. Metcalf,” he said, “but it only provides a part of what is needed. We are constantly working with individuals and private companies to fund critical projects that will provide long term benefits to all animals.”

For more information on Auburn University’s Sports Medicine Program, Dr. Gillette can be reached at: Dr. Robert Gillette, College of Veterinary Medicine, Sports Medicine Program, Auburn University, AL 36849; or (334) 844-5646. gillerl@vetmed.auburn.edu

Individuals or companies interested in supporting the program should contact the AU Office of Development: Sam Hendrix, director, (334) 844-1446; or Diana Childers, assistant director, (334) 844-1274. They can also be reached at 317 S. College St., Auburn University, AL 36849.