Category: News
The 2015 Pan American Games were held in Toronto, Ontario showcasing exciting equestrian competition in the disciplines of show jumping, dressage and eventing. Countries from North, South and Central America, as well as the Caribbean, fielded teams for the prestigious event which served to secure qualifications for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Palm Beach Equine Clinic was proud to have two of its finest sport horse veterinarians in the middle of the action, providing veterinary support to the world’s elite horses.
Palm Beach Equine Clinic’s Dr. Jorge Gomez was in attendance at the Pan American Games to care for many of his competing clients throughout the event. Dr. Gomez is not only a top sport horse practitioner but is also a board-certified surgeon. Dr. Natalia Novoa was also one of the treating veterinarians at the Games, where she provided conventional veterinary services as well as alternative medicine including chiropractic adjustments and acupuncture for many of the equine stars.
Drs. Gomez and Novoa were witness to great sport and tremendous results during their time in Toronto. The show jumping portion of the Games was held July 18-25, awarding medals for individual and team events. Both veterinarians were fortunate enough to watch the Canadian Show Jumping Team win gold. Argentina went home with the silver medal and the United States earned bronze. They also proudly watched several of their own clients earn top finishes in the individual competition. McLain Ward (USA), Andres Rodriguez (VEN), and Lauren Hough (USA) earned the gold, silver and bronze medals respectively.
There is a great deal of work that is vital to maintaining a world class performance horse in peak condition for an event such as the Pan American Games. Dr. Gomez was selected to be the Team Veterinarian for Venezuela and Guatemala. Dr. Gomez teamed up with Dr. Novoa to provide veterinary support for silver medal winner Darlon van Groenhove with Andres Rodriguez (VEN) and sixth place finisher Hardrock Z ridden by Emanuel Andrade (VEN). Dr. Novoa was honored to work with and care for many of the event’s most successful horses, including Canada’s Tripple X III (Tiffany Foster) and Coco Bongo (Eric Lamaze), Argentina’s Abunola (Luis Pedro Biraben) and Cannavara 9 (Matias Albarracin), and Venezuela’s Darlon van Groenhove (Andres Rodriguez), as well as Hardrock Z (Emanuel Andrade).
“Such success is attained with the contributions of a number of people, including the riders, trainers, owners, grooms, veterinarians, farriers and other support personnel, and I wish to take this opportunity to congratulate each and every person involved,” Dr. Novoa stated. “It is my honor and pleasure to provide veterinary care to such top caliber horses. It is truly exciting to watch these athletes compete at the highest level, earning personal bests, such as Andres Rodriguez winning the Individual Silver Medal for Venezuela! Good luck to everyone in the preparations for the Olympic Games in Rio in 2016!”
Palm Beach Equine Clinic, an industry leader in sport horse veterinary care, features a renowned list of veterinarians who are experts in their respective fields, and available to provide services to clientele throughout North America and around the world in the various horse sport disciplines.
Major Developments at Palm Beach Equine Clinic
Palm Beach Equine Clinic is excited to announce the addition of the most advanced Equine Nuclear Scintigraphy Gamma Ray Camera. Last winter, Palm Beach Equine Clinic announced the grand opening of an eleven-stall barn for intensive and postoperative care. Four new offices were built for the additional seven veterinarians that joined the practice. This fall we will complete the renovation of the Nuclear Scintigraphy (bone scan) lab. In addition to installing the new top of the line Nuclear Scintigraphy camera manufactured by Medical Imaging Electronics.
Capabilities of Equine Nuclear Scintigraphy Imaging
The Equine Scanner H.R. designed by MIE reduces time required to scan the horse and provides more defined images. The new technology behind the Equine Scanner H.R. assists with the ability to produce high-quality images even if the horse moves slightly while taking an image. Image acquisitions will not have to be repeated as frequently which reduces the length of time required for a scan. The camera is equipped with special software that is designed to acquire images with sharp contours. This creates a precise, effective diagnosis of the lameness or specific point of injury. MIE describes their new gamma-ray camera as “an ingenious combination of mechanics, electronics and special software algorithms, which allows unique scanning on standing horses.”
Palm Beach Equine Clinic is one of very few equine practices in the U.S. with a staff Board Certified Radiologist. World-renowned Radiologist, Dr. Sarah Puchalski, is on site to read and interpret images immediately so clients have results as quickly as possible. Dr. Puchalski is excited about the renovation and the new Equine Scanner H.R. machine.
“The addition of this scanner places Palm Beach Equine at the forefront of diagnostic imaging the world over. Excellent motion correction software and the largest field of view allows for accurate, rapid scanning of large parts such as the pelvis, back and neck in addition to the more routinely imaged limbs. It is very exciting to be able to work with these tools in Wellington,” said Dr. Puchalski.
Equine Nuclear Scintigraphy for Referral Veterinarians
Often times horses may have multi-limb lameness that makes it difficult for your veterinarian to pinpoint the problem. Dr. Puchalski gladly accepts referrals from other veterinarians and is happy to assist in the specific diagnosis of your horse’s ailments. Palm Beach Equine Clinic has performed over 3,000 bone scans in the last decade.
We remain the leader in Equine Imaging. Please contact Palm Beach Equine Clinic by calling (561) 793 – 1599 to schedule your horse’s imaging appointment.
Congratulations to Dr. Weston Davis for winning the BEVA Trust Peter Rossdale EVJ Open Award at the 2014 BEVA Congress in Birmingham. The award was for a paper Dr. Davis wrote entitled:
Palm Beach Equine Clinic was proud to be one of the sponsors for the 2014 Pony Derby held at the PBIEC Stadium. In addition to the sponsorship, they donated a day with surgeon Dr. Bob Brusie which raised a record amount of $10,000! Thanks, Dr. Brusie for your support!!
Dr. Brusie graduated from Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine. He completed his surgical residency at the Marion DuPont Scott Equine Center in 1989 and has been in private practice ever since. He became Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons in 1994. Dr. Brusie joined Palm Beach Equine Clinic in 1996 as Head of Surgery.
Dr. Bob Brusie is a board-certified surgeon who is recognized for his expertise in colic surgery, as well as for his skill in arthroscopic surgery. His surgical experience expands the clinic’s progressive care in both emergency and elective procedures. He has published articles on numerous topics, including the equine intestinal tract and septic arthritis in horses. Dr. Brusie is married and has three daughters.
PBEC Community News
The latest community news for Palm Beach Equine Clinic
Horse Tales Literacy Program
Dr. Janet Greenfield-Davis will do a hands-on presentation for the Horse Tales Literacy Project at Good Earth Farm on January 24th from 10:00am-12: 00 pm. Sixty-five students from Pahokee and Glades Academy will have the opportunity to see, touch, and learn about horses for the first time. Dr. Greenfield-Davis has donated her time to do several educational talks for the Horse Tales Literacy Program.
Winter Equestrian Festival Lunch and Learn
Drs. Weston Davis and Sarah Puchalski will be speaking at the WEF Lunch and Learn on January 30th in the Wellington Club from 12:00pm-1: 00 pm. Dr. Davis will cover the topic, “Advances in Minimally Invasive Surgery” and Dr. Puchalski will speak on “Diagnostic Imaging for the Modern Sport Horse”. There will be an open discussion after the presentations. This event is open to the public free of charge. Palm Beach Equine Clinic would like to thank Zoetis for sponsoring this event.
PBEC Monthly Contest
Each month, Palm Beach Equine Clinic will be hosting a raffle to give our friends a chance to win great prizes. The winner of the contest will be picked on the last day of each month, every month the prize will be different. The January prize is one month of either training classes at Crossfit Wellington or one month of personal training at Evolution Fitness Wellington, you get to choose! The total value of this product is $250.00.
Tour Palm Beach Equine Clinic and Meet the Veterinarians
From December 1st, 2013 through April 1st, 2014, PBEC is pleased to offer tours by appointment. Guests will have a guided tour of the facility and time to talk with the veterinarians on staff. Tours will include the new hospital, Nuclear Scintigraphy room, and Surgery Center.
Palm Beach Equine Clinic welcomes new veterinarian Radiologist, Dr. Sarah Puchalski, and Surgeon, Dr. Weston Davis. Dr. Puchalski is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiology. Her specialty includes the interpretation of radiographs in addition to other diagnostic imaging techniques.
New Team Members
With Dr. Puchalski’s addition, Palm Beach Equine Clinic is pleased to be one of few practices in the country with a full-time board certified radiologist.
Dr. Davis is a Board Certified surgeon specializing in equine sports medicine. Dr. Davis joins Dr. Bob Brusie and Dr. Jorge Gomez at Palm Beach Equine Clinic providing exceptional surgical expertise in orthopedic and soft tissue related problems including emergency colic surgery.
Expanded Facilities
In addition to this exciting news comes the announcement of a new expansion to their veterinary hospital. PBEC is located less than one mile from the Winter Equestrian Festival and across the street from the Global Dressage Festival. The expansion includes a new barn containing 11 intensive care stalls capable of providing advanced medical treatment and post-operative care. The added stalls and office space makes Palm Beach Equine Clinic the most progressive, well-equipped facility in the region for equine veterinary care.
Palm Beach Equine Clinic (PBEC) is the one of the select few equine hospitals in the country with three board-certified surgeons. With 24 veterinarians on staff, they are the most complete hospital in the southeast United States, ready to handle any emergency as well as elective surgery and preventative care.
Exceptional Equine Medical Care
Palm Beach Equine Clinic has locations in Wellington, Florida, Long Island, New York and satellite veterinarians throughout the United States. PBEC provides exceptional equine medical care with an unwavering commitment to the horse for more than 30 years. Working with patients that range from the reliable amateur horse to Olympic athletes, PBEC’s mission from day one has been to provide innovative veterinary services that promote health and happiness in horses while extending their performance careers. With this mission in mind, Palm Beach Equine Clinic remains the leading service provider in equine veterinary medicine.
From December 1st, 2013 through April 1st, 2014, PBEC is pleased to offer tours by appointment. After scheduling an appointment, guests can look forward to a tour of the facility and time to talk with veterinarians. Tours will include the new hospital, Nuclear Scintigraphy room, and Surgery Center. Visitors will have an opportunity to ask questions and meet all the new doctors on staff. PBEC is located at 13125 Southfields Road in Wellington, Florida.
Contact PBEC for more information
Palm Beach Equine Clinic is respected throughout the industry. Well known for an unwavering commitment to the horse and their owners, PBEC offers innovative, advanced medical care. Known as leaders in new diagnostics and therapies, PBEC veterinarians have published numerous articles in equine magazines and journals.
Dr. Scott Swerdlin, President of Palm Beach Equine Clinic was asked to judge trainer, Charlie Moorcroft’s annual Halloween Pony Parade and Costume Contest on Sunday afternoon, October 27th. Each contest won a prize for various categories. The final prize given was two $50 gift certificates to Palm Beach Equine Clinic for the Best of Show awards. The winners were Sophie Studd and Eliza Guero. Congratulations kids and have a Happy Halloween!!!
On May 10, 2013, Dr. Janet Greenfield-Davis participated in career day at Elbridge Elementary School. Elbridge Elementary is one of many schools that Dr. Greenfield-Davis has donated her time and knowledge to educate our young students of today on equine veterinary medicine. Dr. Greenfield-Davis is the official veterinarian for Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, which focuses on equine-related programs for special needs children. Dr. Greenfield-Davis enjoys educating the community while raising awareness of equine health.
“Educating our community and public service is a culture that we emphasize at Palm Beach Equine Clinic”, stated Dr. Scott Swerdlin, President of Palm Beach Equine Clinic.
Dr. Ryan Lukens recently completed an internship at Palm Beach Equine Clinic. Dr. Lukens excelled during his internship and was presented a contract toward a long and successful future with Palm Beach Equine Clinic. In the spirit of our mission statement, Dr. Lukens presented a lecture to 200 first graders concerning the anatomy of the horse with the Horse Tales Literacy Program. This event occurred at Good Earth Farm in Loxahatchee on Friday, May 17th.
“Dr Lukens was wonderful. He was knowledgeable and very patient with the first graders”, said Shelley LaConte, South Florida Director of the Horse Tales Literacy Project. “He had a smile on his face the whole day. It was a pleasure working with him. We were very grateful for his time and glad he is a part of Palm Beach Equine Clinic.” If you or any of your organizations would like a lecture or presenter please call Eques Solutions at 561-227- 1537.
Featured in the March 2016 issue of Wellington The Magazine, Palm Beach Equine Clinic is the Official Veterinarian of Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center.
