The new American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation at Oregon State University has recognized specialties for both dogs and horses.
OSU received attention last fall from its installation of a high-speed horse treadmill, where clinicians can diagnose respiratory issues in horses while the animals are running at speeds of 25 miles an hour or greater.
Oregon State University's College of Veterinary Medicine now includes an emphasis on veterinary sports medicine and rehabilitation for both small and large animals.
Given approval this spring by the American Veterinary Medical Association to certify specialists in sports medicine as it applies to animals, the program has brought the University new attention because of the value added to animal rehabilitation that was launched more than a decade ago. The program has now been up-dated with the recently formed American College of Veterinary Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation
“This is a new discipline, created after rigid review, that has taken many of the concepts of sports medicine and rehabilitation for humans and applied them to animal care,” said Linda Blythe, a professor in OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and one of the first diplomates named to the new college.
“Using these techniques allows animals to recover more quickly from injury or surgery, and allows older animals to live longer and have better quality of life.”
The American Veterinary Medical Association has created a number of specialty colleges over the years, including internal medicine, emergency and critical care, surgery, anesthesiology and others.
These colleges identify experts in the field, set standards for diplomate status, and create a certification process – all geared toward providing better care for animals.