Dr. Erin Malone
Dr. Erin Malone, DVM, PhD is the UMEC large animal associate medical director and a specialist in equine surgery and lameness.
Malone spent her childhood in several states (Iowa, Kansas, California, Arizona) and finally acquired her first horse-a part-Arabian gelding—as a teenager while her family was living in Austin, Texas.
“He was more puppydog than horse, and he was mine to train,” she said. “I was lucky to be in a private high school where I had riding lessons that included jumping and dressage. It was the only time I competed in a show; the rest of the time I just ambled around on him and played.”
At the end of high school, Malone decided to become a veterinarian, because “it seemed to fit,” she said.
“I spent time in a research lab and realized I needed to be outdoors,” she explained. “I love science and clinical research, but I can’t sit at the bench all day. In a veterinary medicine career I could combine my interests.”
She continued to ride, but at Duke University (where she graduated in 1985 in zoology and physics) she ended her jumping career when she realized her fear of heights got in the way and took up foil fencing instead. Her interest in horses, however, never wavered.
“They’re so regal and commanding and how can you not be awestruck by their presence?” she said. “It makes working on them a pleasure, and I much prefer working on horses to any other animal.”
She graduated from veterinary school at the North Carolina State University in Raleigh in 1989.
“At first I wanted to be a zoo animal vet, but I realized I’d never be able to know enough about one species much less several species,” she explained. “My senior year was so much fun I had to go on and do an internship. It was just great being in clinics and treating animals.”
During her internship at Ontario Veterinary College in Guelph the diverse international group of clinicians added to her enthusiasm for solving veterinary medical problems.
“It was a great year, because there were people from so many different countries around each case, and they put out differing ideas and perspectives,” said Malone. “It showed me many ways to get a good end result for a horse.”
(One of those international residents became her husband: Dr. Scott Madill from Australia. He’s currently the UMEC equine reproduction specialist.)
For two years, Malone worked in a private veterinary practice in Georgia, but she discovered she missed teaching and applied for a residency at the University of Minnesota. Malone spent her residency at the University from 1992 to 1995 and followed that with a doctoral degree in equine gastrointestinal problems as well.
“I like to do surgery on anything that holds still: sheep, goats and cattle as well as horses,” she said. “I also enjoy lameness work. It’s a fun and interesting mix.”
As large animal associate medical director as well as surgeon, her duties range widely.
“Half of my job is managing the clinics-- seeing that we treat the animals, the clients and each other compassionately and with respect, and seeing that staff, technicians and doctors have the resources they need—trying to facilitate the day to day work and move the whole program forward, ” she explained. “Another quarter of my job is clinical --working in surgery and performing lameness evaluations. And the final quarter is teaching and research.”
Colic is a common affliction of horses and can be fatal; colic treatment is one of Malone’s particular passions.
“Horses are very delicate for being so strong and can get complications after colic surgery,” she explained. “My work revolves around managing those complications, particularly those involving gastrointestinal tract motility. These days, we can offer earlier diagnosis and treatment, dedicated anesthesia teams and better surgical outcomes for horses with colic.”
She also has a particular interest in dermatology including aural (ear) plaques in horses and in equine sarcoids and is conducting a research study on a medication that may treat both conditions.
“Aural plaques are very common and can make some horses head shy and sensitive,” she said. “In the past we had no treatment.”
“Horses are such a challenge: their system is in such a fine balance and once it’s upset everything gets upset,” she said. “Getting them into working order is a fantastic challenge. In my mind, they are really the hardest species to work on. Because of their performance level, there is no tolerance for things not working quite right: gastrointestinal system, airway, limbs, hooves-- they need it all.”
The new facilities for UMEC will make that challenge easier to meet, she said.
“The new clinic is awesome and awe-inspiring,” said Malone. “It’s truly horse-centered. We will be able to do so much more on lameness and performance issues and can better evaluate horses that may not be lame but are not performing optimally. It’s also designed to be safe: a place where it is easy to work on horses because it is designed for the work we need to do. In addition, this facility will really advance education about horses. The site is ideal for bringing together the various groups—students, educators, horse owners, and veterinarians—to discuss what is best for the horse. ”
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Dr. Erin Malone is board certified in surgery by the American College of Veterinary Surgeons" |