Field Trials US

Congratulations to the three winners -- their owners and handlers -- of the various Purina High Point Awards. Winners were celebrated at a dinner hosted by Purina held in conjunction with a free seminar featuring Kenny Trott (Horsetooth Retriever Kennels) and Hunter Street (Black River Retrievers) and the Lone Star Retriever Club Field Trial.

• Purina High Point Open Dog - FC Tucquan's Takin' the Rysk, owned by Tom & Theresa Ford, handled by Alan Pleasant and Hunter Street (Black River Retrievers) -- 32 Open points
• Purina High Point Amateur Dog - FC-AFC Shoreline's Press on Regardless, owned and handled by Linda Berkeley-Weiss -- 25.5 Amateur points
• Purina High Point Derby Dog - YSK Miah's Swinging for the Fence, owned by Wes Strahler and handled by Caleb Brown (Tall Oak Retrievers) -- 56 Derby points

Texas A&M Tests Nonsurgical Treatment For Disc Herniation
Researchers at Texas A&M’s School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) have started testing a nonsurgical treatment for disc herniation in dogs, AAHA NEWStat reported. The treatment mirrors a nonsurgical treatment for humans developed by doctors in Japan.

In dogs, disc herniation can lead to hind limb paralysis and incontinence. Surgical intervention is the standard method of treatment, but it is costly and can be inaccessible to some pet owners.

In September 2022, Dr. Nicholas Jeffery of Texas A&M launched a clinical trial to test the treatment on 30 small dogs under the auspices of the VMBS Office of Veterinary Clinical Investigation (OVCI). The treatment involves injecting an enzyme into the affected disc to dissolve and digest ruined tissue. The patented enzyme has been approved for use in humans in Japan and is expected to be approved for use in humans in the U.S.

The first dog involved in the trial was a five-year-old dachshund named Oscar. Although the enzyme digested Oscar’s herniated disc in a matter of hours, it took about three weeks for his spinal cord to recover enough for him to walk again—roughly the time it would have taken after surgery. 

“I’ve been really pleased with the outcome so far,” said Jeffery. “Partly because the dogs have been doing well and partly because they just look so happy afterwards. It’s such a benign procedure to put needles into the spine compared to doing surgery, and the recovery is very quick.” 

Worms?
From Bradshaw-Sporting Dog Veterinarian