The internet has quickly become a resource to many pet owners, especially those seeking new solutions for their dog’s arthritis. In this Examiner article, Dr. Selmer does a great job of taking a complicated subject of stem cell therapy for dog arthritis and making it an easy read. In the video embedded in the article, you will see how a dedicated pet owner used the internet to find new solutions for her dog’s arthritis pain due to elbow dysplasia.

Stem cells are quickly becoming many veterinarians’ treatment of choice for pets that have pain due to arthritis.  But with over 50,000 veterinarians in the country, many are still learning about this new therapy.  While there are veterinarians like Dr. Michel Selmer who researched new solutions for his patients suffering from arthritis pain and are now offering stem cell therapy, many veterinarians hear about this new modality from their clients.  At Vet-Stem we have created a letter for pet owners to download and share with their veterinarian.

Clinical Trial in Dogs with Hip Dysplasia Shows that Stem Cells Alleviate Pain from Arthritis

Veterinarians strive to practice the highest level of medicine by using products and techniques that have solid evidence to support effectiveness.  Vet-Stem was the first company to conduct and publish the results of a clinical trial in dogs that were suffering from arthritis pain associated with hip dysplasia.   Many of these dogs were crippled from arthritis and their owners had tried many different therapies to treat the pain.  For a few of the dogs, being in the study was a last resort. 
Read the rest of this entry »

Once it was determined that Gogo was a good candidate for stem cell therapy, his veterinarian did a full pre-surgical work up to determine if Gogo’s kidney, liver, heart and other organs were in good working order.  In order to collect the fat from Gogo, he would need to go under anesthesia for a brief time.  His blood work and chest films came back with information that determined he was a healthy senior citizen.  Read the rest of this entry »

We asked three of the top pet insurance companies in the United States to tell us in their own words if their company would cover a stem cell procedure for a dog or cat. Here are their answers.

“At Fetch, we’re proud to offer the most comprehensive pet insurance coverage for all medical conditions, including congenital and hereditary diseases. To us, this means that pets should get the best and most appropriate treatment as recommended by their veterinary team.”

When veterinarians started recommending Vet-Stem therapy to our policyholders, as an insurance company, we were excited to be able to offer coverage for a new treatment modality for serious orthopedic conditions. Now, having seen the success stories, I’m even more excited to be able to offer it to my own patients!”  (fetchpet.com)
– Dr. Jules Benson, BVSc MRCVS, VP Veterinary Services

Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell therapy is eligible for coverage in pets with a VPI® Pet Insurance policy providing that the condition being treated is eligible for coverage under the terms of the policy.  The reimbursement amount will vary based on the plan coverage provided for your pet’s condition. (www.petinsurance.com)
– Dr. Carol McConnell
Chief Veterinary Medical Officer/Vice President Underwriting and Veterinary Services

PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance takes great pride in the fact that our policies cover the cost of stem cell therapy for treatment of eligible conditions.  Our web site (www.purinacare.com) has more specific details about coverage and exclusions.

“As a veterinarian, I am always pleased to see that PurinaCare’s policies cover the latest in medical advances.  Our goal is for veterinarians and their clients to have the freedom to choose the best treatment for their pets!”
– Dr. Bill Craig, Chief Medical & Underwriting Director, PurinaCare Pet Health Insurance

We thank these three insurance companies for their answers and willingness to discuss coverage.  It is important that you review any insurance policy for coverage and exclusions.  We will continue to work with the industry to try to secure the best coverage for stem cell therapy for all your pets!

Upon retirement from the police force, Gogo was adopted by his handler, Deputy Letze.  Deputy Letze wanted to ensure that Gogo would be comfortable and enjoy his retirement.  He discussed using stem cells to treat Gogo’s elbow arthritis with his veterinarian.  Gogo’s veterinarian wanted to make sure that he was a good candidate for stem cell therapy for arthritis.  Gogo was referred to a board certified orthopedic specialist, Dr. Adam Gassel, for a thorough lameness evaluation.  Dr. Gassel has performed over 50 stem cell procedures and has seen how stem cells have improved the quality of life for a majority of his patient, making them more mobile and less painful.  Read the rest of this entry »

Last week I had the honor of presenting our Vet-Stem stem cell treatment success data at the First North American Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Meeting.  Sponsored by our partners at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, it was an incredibly intense and exciting stem cell meeting focused specifically on veterinary medicine.  I presented data on arthritis in horses and arthritis in dogs and how stem cells can reduce the pain and improve quality of life and even performance.  There were over 40 presentations from universities, private practices, and industry.  The amount of sharing and open discussion frankly surprised me.  It is the first of many to come I am sure.  In my upcoming blogs I will provide you with a glimpse into some of the exciting possibilities being researched.  But for now, be proud that the data from your dogs and your horses (those that have used stem cells) was the most solid and clinical proof of how well these cells work in real patients.  I presented data on over 3,500 cases of orthopedic injury and disease including pain from arthritis and how animals can return to a useful and happy life after treatment with stem cells from adipose (fat) by their Vet-Stem trained veterinarian.

Meet Gogo.  Gogo is a Male German Shepherd from the Czech Republic.  He and Deputy Len Letze graduated from the TSA National Explosives Detection K-9 School in March 2003 and Gogo was a diligent partner until he was forced to retire due to the pain from arthritis on July 4^th, 2009.

During his career Gogo helped keep the airport safe for the traveling public by conducting sweeps of aircraft, vehicles, luggage and cargo.  He had the pleasure of serving the citizens of the County of Orange, California, by searching trains and train stations during elevated security times.  Gogo was involved in many search warrant services and searching of hazardous locations identified by Law Enforcement.  He was part of the major security plan for highly publicized events including the World Baseball Series, World Games, Stanley Cups, MLB playoffs and many other events.  Gogo also conducted bomb sweeps for Presidents Carter, Bush Sr., Clinton, G.W. Bush and Obama and many other VIPs including Diplomats and foreign leaders. Read the rest of this entry »

The following blog post is from Sandy Gregory, an exercise physiologist at Scout’s House, a provider of products for disabled and special needs pets. Sandy graciously offered her time to write a special blog post for us.

 
Photos courtesy of Scout’s House

What’s The Right Amount of Regular Exercise for My Dog?
by Sandy Gregory, M Ed, RVT, CCRA
Exercise Physiologist at Scout’s House

Whether you and your dog are training for something competitive or  are just having fun, there are several factors to consider before starting a new exercise program:

1)  Get Your Vet’s Ok—Talk to your veterinarian to make sure your dog is healthy enough to exercise. 
2)  Start Easy—Don’t go full force into a workout program.  Consider the activity level and age of your dog first.  If he’s a puppy, he shouldn’t get more than 15 minutes of exercise at a time, 3 times a day.  And never exercise a puppy on hard surfaces as that can damage growing bones and joints.  Likewise, if your dog is older or doesn’t move easily, if he’s overweight, or if he has a short nose or short legs, he won’t have much endurance to start.  Read the rest of this entry »

We would like to thank the Olathe Animal Hospital for this incredible video, the journey of Monty, about a mixed breed older dog that was showing signs of aging.  As you will see Monty was experiencing pretty classic symptoms of pain from arthritis.  Note that when Monty’s own stem cells were used to treat his pain from hip dysplasia, he became a “younger” moving dog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqiGvfoG7xg

Guest Blog by Dr. James Gaynor:

Is it hard to tell if your dog hurts?  Sometimes.  A limping dog or a dog not using the leg may be obvious.  Dogs do not bear full weight on a leg for 1 of 3 reasons:  1- it hurts; 2- it is unstable (maybe from a fracture); 3- it has neurologic problems (this may be more likely to be seen as dragging rather than limping).  The problem is that dogs may hurt in many more places than just their legs.  The key to recognizing pain is to realize that any CHANGE in your dog’s BEHAVIOR may indicate a painful condition like arthritis caused by hip or elbow dysplasia.
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