Category: Team
As you prepare to compete, the partnership with your veterinary team is critical for your sport horse’s health and success. It is comforting to know that the finest equine hospital and sport horse care in the Southeast is less than one mile away from the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and across the street from the Global Dressage Festival. The veterinarians and staff of Palm Beach Equine Clinic are respected throughout the industry for their advanced level of care and steadfast commitment to the equine industry and horse care.
Palm Beach Equine Clinic is proudly the Official Veterinarian of the Winter Equestrian Festival and the Global Dressage Festival, two of the world’s most competitive equestrian horse show circuits.
The team is onsite at all the competitions to provide veterinary services and is ready to step up in case of an emergency. This dedication has become invaluable over the years to many competitors that have needed their expertise in veterinary medicine.
As the consistent leader in sport horse medicine, Palm Beach Equine Clinic provides 24-hour coverage at their all-inclusive on-site hospital; complete with full surgical and internal medicine capabilities, laboratory, pharmacy and advanced diagnostic imaging center.
State-of-the-art diagnostic imaging services include:
- Standing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
- Nuclear Scintigraphy (bone scan)
- Digital ultrasonography and radiography
- Standing computed tomography (CT)
Furthermore, Palm Beach Equine Clinic performs thorough lameness examinations, extensive pre-purchase/pre-lease evaluations, dentistry, podiatry consultation, and complete reproductive services. Palm Beach Equine Clinic also provides alternative medicine services such as chiropractic and acupuncture therapies, as well as, resourceful preventative medicine programs.
The veterinarians of Palm Beach Equine Clinic are are top-level academics frequently published in popular equine magazines and national veterinary journals. One of the more recent members to the Board of Directors at the Palm Beach Equine Clinic is Dr. Richard Wheeler, whose primary area of interest is equine lameness and sports medicine. He is passionate about his role in maintaining sport horses to enjoy a long and successful career.
What are the latest innovations that allow you to administer cutting-edge care to sport horses?
Dr. Richard Wheeler: There are many exciting new developments in equine sports medicine. The addition of imaging modalities such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) together with recent improvements in digital radiography, ultrasound and Nuclear Scintigraphy allow us to be more specific with our diagnoses and image areas of the horse that we were previously unable to image. Furthermore, regenerative therapies such as platelet rich plasma (PRP), bone marrow concentrate and the use of stem cells offer exciting opportunities with regard to the treatment of a wide variety of conditions, including soft tissue and joint injuries.
What do you find separates the most successful equine competitor from the rest?
Dr. Richard Wheeler: Across the field of disciplines, I believe attention to detail and a good team are the most important factors. As a veterinarian, I try to work closely with the owner, rider, trainer, farrier, groom and often many other support staff members. I will often examine the high level horses every week during the intense winter season and we will work together to make subtle adjustments to keep the horse performing at their very best.
How do you feel about your move to the USA and Palm Beach Equine Clinic ten years ago?
Dr. Richard Wheeler: Time has gone fast! There is nowhere in the world like Wellington, Florida, it is a wonderful place to live and practice veterinary medicine. Palm Beach Equine Clinic is an amazing family with a wealth of experience and knowledge to draw on. I think our greatest strength is our team approach; we will spend hours discussing and debating the best approach to cases and I think this is incredibly valuable to our clients. It is of great value to me as a veterinarian to have the high quality equipment we have invested in as well as the support of our Board Certified Surgeons (Drs. Brusie, Gomez and Davis) and our Board Certified Radiologist Dr. Puchalski. I am a strong believer in developing a specialty as a veterinarian so having the depth of support at Palm Beach Equine Clinic allows me to concentrate on lameness and sports medicine with the capability to provide my clients with doctors who specialize in other areas such as alternative therapies, reproduction and dentistry.
Dr. Wheeler’s extensive experience with a variety of equine performance sports advanced after graduating from the Royal Veterinary College in London in 2002. Dr. Wheeler completed an internship at the world-renowned Newmarket Equine Hospital, specializing in surgery and sports medicine, before moving to Palm Beach Equine Clinic in 2005. Licensed to practice in Florida, Kentucky and New York, as well as the United Kingdom and Europe, Dr. Wheeler is an FEI official veterinarian. A horseman himself, Dr. Wheeler has competed in a variety of equine sports including eventing, dressage, show jumping and polo.
Many international Grand Prix riders, such as one of the United States’ top Dressage riders, Tuny Page, attributes the health and soundness of her horses to Dr. Wheeler and the Palm Beach Equine Clinic team.
“Richard is a fine veterinarian with great depth of experience and super instincts. On top of that, he communicates beautifully with me as the client and my grooms as my horse’s managers. Richard is very secure in his positions about diagnosis and treatment of the horses, which allows him the ability to communicate openly with other veterinarians and therapists. This works particularly well when I am traveling with the horses and need to have open communication between other veterinarians and Richard. Richard has always treated my staff with the respect and integrity they deserve and the result is tremendous trust within our team. The most important recommendation for Dr. Wheeler is, quite simply, that my horses are happy, healthy and sound.”
International Grand Prix Dressage Rider Tuny Page
Additionally, International Dressage star, Mikala Munter (DEN), who recently won the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle CDI 4*, knows the importance of equine health and states praise for Dr. Wheeler.
“Dr. Wheeler from Palm Beach Equine Clinic has a good eye and feel for what a horse needs, and he is the best veterinarian for a sport horse”
International Grand Prix Dressage Rider Mikala Munter
Palm Beach Equine Clinic is committed to provide care for your equine athlete throughout the year and across the globe, and support at shows across the USA, Europe and South America.
Dr. Sarah Puchalski is a Diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Radiology whose specialty includes the interpretation of bone scans, MRI, ultrasound, radiographs and other diagnostic imaging techniques. With her addition to the staff, Palm Beach Equine Clinic is one of the few equine hospitals in the country to employ a full-time radiologist on-site. In addition to working with horses locally and assisting veterinarians around the world, Dr. Puchalski also competes in the Medium and High Amateur Owner Jumper circuits.
It is important for clients to get know our doctors so we asked Dr. Puchalski to share a little about herself!
How do you like being in Wellington and having the opportunity to compete at the Winter Equestrian Festival?
I think it is a really unbelievable opportunity to ride in the most competitive rings in the country regardless of the level at which you are competing.
How do you like working at Palm Beach Equine Clinic?
Palm Beach Equine Clinic is great place to work. It is very vibrant and busy. I like the energy that comes out of the place and the imaging equipment is world-class.
Why do you feel it is important to have a Board Certified Radiologist on site?
My full time job is image reviews which takes a high level of specialization. This provides support for all veterinarians ranging from field veterinarians to surgeons. It is very rare for an equine hospital to have a full-time radiologist so having one on board offers a step up in the quality of service. When a horse comes in for an MRI or bone scan everything can be reviewed before the horse leaves the clinic so if any other care is needed it can be handled in one visit.
What ways do veterinarians use radiologists?
There are a couple ways. One is that I read complicated images such as bone scans and MRIs. Most veterinarians do not have the training to read these images. The second way is to provide a second opinion on routine diagnostic techniques such as radiographs and ultrasounds. Clients and referral veterinarians will also use my opinion for pre-purchase examinations.
Tell us about your studies and how you’ve developed an international reputation?
I did two internships in field service and sports medicine at New Bolton Center Hospital at the University Of Pennsylvania School Of Veterinarian Medicine. Then, I spent four years at the University of California, Davis in imaging. For eight years I stayed there as faculty for doing research instruction and clinical service. I have published more than 50 scientific articles and performed over 100 presentations around the world on lameness diagnosis and Diagnostic Imaging in Sport Horses.
What would you like veterinarians and owners to know about you?
My philosophy is to support all veterinarians, whether it be a veterinarian from Palm Beach Equine Clinic or a referral. I read cases from all over the world on a daily basis. Many owners ask their veterinarian to consult with me for a second opinion. I view my role more as a support role for all veterinarians to provide the best care for horses.
Introducing Dr. Ryan Lukens
Dr. Ryan Lukens joined the Palm Beach Equine Clinic team in June of 2012. He has been a great asset and some of you may not have had the opportunity to meet him.
Palm Beach Equine Clinic currently has 24 veterinarians providing exceptional veterinary care and client services. As we grow, thanks to our clients, we feel it is important that everyone gets to know our veterinarians. Not only professionally, but also personally. Each of our doctors brings exceptional veterinary skills and great personal strengths to our Palm Beach Equine Clinic Family. It is the combination of these strengths that makes our Team a success.
We sat down to interview Dr. Lukens and asked him to tell his story.
Q: You went to Ohio State and played football, do you feel that your football career helped you with your future in veterinary medicine?
A: Yes, I played football for 5 years at Ohio State, from 2004 to 2008. I was a fullback and a linebacker. My senior season was my freshman year in veterinary school. I remember studying for Cell Biology and Clinical Pathology during my plane rides back from games.
My coaches were very accommodating. I would usually have to skip Sunday film day to study for Monday exams and then make up film review after my exams on Monday, which would usually have been a “day off” from football. Needless to say I was busy during that first quarter of vet school. Football taught me discipline and time management.
My Coach, Jim Tressel, instilled values in his players by group discussion and study of leadership books. These values affect my career today, I am always aware of how my actions and words affect everyone around me. The lessons from Coach Tressel have helped me improve my communication skills with my clients and fellow colleagues.
Q: Your wife is a small animal veterinarian, how did this play a part in your education and career?
A: My grades were above average during my last football season but improved the following quarter. This improvement in grades can be traced back to meeting my future wife in school a month after my football career ended. The day we met we spent most of our time studying together and immersing ourselves in our class work.
Studying became fun and we tackled the challenges together. She was small animal oriented and I was able to teach her equine aspects while she helped me with small animal based courses. From our separate experiences working with different animals our entire pre-vet school lives, we greatly improved each other’s understanding of former less-familiar species.
When we entered clinical rotations our 3rd year, I would always find a way to get out to the barn rather than stay in the small animal clinic. It was fun being able to teach my wife about horses, she had almost no experience with horses when we met.
Q: How do you feel about being a part of the Palm Beach Equine Clinic team of doctors? What kind of experiences have you had since joining PBEC?
A: I am more than happy to be a part of this prestigious clinic and to live in the center of horse country in South Florida. I do not miss lameness exams in the snow! I started working at Palm Beach Equine Clinic for over 6 weeks while I was finishing school. This opportunity led to a great start in my career. I was able to familiarize myself with the operation of this efficient, tertiary medical facility.
My interests in school and to this day are sports medicine and I always envisioned performing competent lameness exams. Over the past year and a half, my lameness exam numbers have increased exponentially. This past winter season I was successful in keeping several horses that had lameness issues early on sound throughout the entire season. I enjoy doing pre-purchase examinations. I am fortunate that this area offers a great amount of sale horses. Pre-purchase exams are also an excellent way to develop relationships with new riders and trainers.
Moving from Ohio, I was quickly introduced to “summer sores”. Habronemiasis (summer sores) are not seen clinically in the north. So becoming more educated on them and providing successful treatment has been an educational experience for me.
A fortunate part about being a team member is the number of doctors and specialized fields that Palm Beach Equine Clinic offers. This is what makes the veterinary care here so proficient. It benefits the patient and client as we are able to share ideas and consolidate treatment options amongst our large team.
Q: What are your goals for the future?
A: I am currently working on becoming ISELP (International Society of Equine Locomotor Pathology) certified. This course and certification will continue to expand my knowledge and treatments of lameness. I look forward to meeting new clients and treating new horses. In the future, I want to join the ranks of the lameness experts known throughout the country. Wellington is one the greatest places in the world for the opportunity to treat the best horses in the world. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.