Page 12 - May 2019 Thoroughbred Highlight

Health & Wellness Highlight
Ontario Equine Hospital opens its doors
The new Ontario Equine Hospital (OEH) had a soft opening on April 19 and once word spread that respected arthroscopic doctor, Darryl Bonder was back in business, the stalls began lling up with equine patients.
“We are clearly ful lling a need within the industry,” said Dr. Bonder explaining that his former business, Toronto Equine Hospital, was sold three years ago. “Once we catch up we will have an of cial open house and grand opening for everyone.”
Joining Dr. Bonder at Ontario Equine Hospital are top notch anaesthetist Dr. Cruz and talented surgeon Dr. Orlaith Cleary. Technicians Sarah Bowen, Diana Smith and Jill Surette (also the administrator) round out the team.
Dr. Bonder was the rst to introduce arthroscopic surgery, a minimally invasive type of surgery, to the equine industry in Canada in 1979. His mentor,
Dr. Robert Jackson was credited with bringing the method to the Western world from Japan where it was developed for humans in the 1960s, with the ideology that it was better to be aggressive about diagnosis and conservative about cutting.
Dr. Bonder is proud of the technological advances his equine hospital brings to the industry. Recently spending three months in Israel on a faculty surgeon locum this past winter Dr. Bonder was able to use endoscopic laser surgery at the foreign hospital. Highly impressed, he purchased the equipment
for OEH explaining that the advanced diagnostic equipment will allow for non-invasive laser surgery to be performed internally from within the insulated endoscope.
OEH is also the only privately owned equine facility in Ontario to offer nuclear medicine as a diagnostic tool. “It is a phenomenal piece of technology and is the most sensitive of all imaging modalities,” said Dr. Bonder who explained that the moveable unit has the capability to scan the horse’s entire body. Nuclear
medicine provides a multi-dimensional picture of internal body tissue by the detection of gamma rays emitted by a radioactive isotope administered to
the horse. Thus doctors are able to look for issues in areas of the horse that regular x-rays or scans wouldn’t be able to detect nor have access to.
The hospital also boasts a brand new digital x-ray machine, an on-site lab and new 360 degree cameras in each stall allowing the doctors to monitor the horses anytime day or night while they recover.
With a tenure of 43 years in the industry and sometimes working twelve hour days, Dr. Bonder,
a father of four and grandfather of nine grandkids, shows no signs of slowing down. “We have had an overwhelming response so far.” he said, “None of this would have been possible without the support of my entire famil
Dr. Darryl Bonder with the nuclear medicine diagnostic machine at the new Ontario Equine Hospital
Before
The images of
a mass which was removed non-invasively with laser surgery through an endoscope
After
Thoroughbred Highlight - Page 12 - May 2019