Although this blog primarily focuses on stem cells for arthritis, we thought a post about other indications for stem cells might be helpful to some.  We frequently get questions from animal owners about whether or not VetStem Cell Therapy might help with various illnesses or diseases.  Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes the answer is no.  Oftentimes, the answer is maybe.  In this blog we will cover some of the potential indications for stem cell therapy.  It is important to remember however that all of the following treatments are still in the investigational stages.  VetStem cannot guarantee that your animal will have a favorable outcome, should you decide to have him/her treated with stem cells.

Kidney Disease: This is one of the most frequent inquiries we get.  Unfortunately, many pets will experience kidney disease in their lives.  Kidney disease can be either acute (sudden onset, lasts a short time) or chronic (develops over a long period of time, may worsen over time).    Some veterinarians have treated kidney patients with VetStem Cell Therapy.  While they have seen some favorable results, more investigation is needed to confirm the effect of stem cells on patients with kidney disease.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): IBD is a group of disorders that affect the gastrointestinal tract of dogs.  This is another condition that some VetStem veterinarians have treated with stem cell therapy.  There is literature to suggest that the use of fat-derived stem cells in canine patients with IBD can lead to significant improvement and even complete remission in some cases.  Of course every patient is different and IBD can be very complicated to diagnose so it is important to ensure your dog has a complete workup before pursuing stem cell therapy as a potential treatment option.

Feline Chronic Gingivostomatitis: This is a severe oral inflammatory disease affecting felines.  Cats with this disease may experience oral pain, reduced appetite, and weight loss.  Oftentimes, these cats will need to have all of their teeth extracted and even then, some will still require lifelong medications and treatment.  VetStem Cell Therapy might provide relief.  Two small studies on cats with full mouth extractions conducted at the University of California at Davis have shown that fat-derived stem cell therapy led to improvement or remission in the majority of cats treated. A few veterinarians have seen favorable results using VetStem cell therapy however more investigation is needed.

Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH): This condition applies specifically to equines.  Many performance horses experience bleeding in their lungs following strenuous exercise.  Traditional therapy includes medications that can reduce the amount of hemorrhaging but don’t actually treat or cure the disease.  In a clinical research program conducted by VetStem, it was determined that the majority of horses treated with VetStem Cell Therapy experienced significant improvement with little to no bleeding post racing.

This is just a small list of what we consider non-standard indications that may respond to stem cell therapy.  As a reminder, these conditions are still in the investigational stages and your animal may or may not respond as expected.  If your animal is suffering from one of these conditions or a condition that is not listed here, it is best to consult with your veterinarian and contact VetStem to get more information about your animal’s specific condition.  You can also contact us here to get a list of veterinary stem cell providers in your area.

Koda was about 9 years old when his owners noticed he was limping and his left elbow was swollen.  X-rays revealed that Koda had arthritis as a result of elbow dysplasia.  Dr. Douglas Stramel at Advanced Care Veterinary Services recommended VetStem Cell Therapy and Koda received an injection of his own stem cells into his problematic elbow as well as intravenously.

In addition to stem cell therapy, Koda also received physical therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic care and the combination of therapies led to an improved quality of life.  According to his owner, Koda became happier and more playful.  She noted, “Koda can now go up and down the stairs when he wants to and not struggle. He had been hesitant to go on walks for a period of time prior to the stem cell therapy but now there is no hesitation.”

You can read the rest of Koda’s story here.

If your dog has been diagnosed with arthritis, stem cell therapy may provide some relief.  Consult with your veterinarian or  to find a veterinary stem cell provider in your area.

As the first company in the United States to provide an adipose-derived stem cell service to veterinarians for their patients, VetStem pioneered the use of regenerative stem cells in veterinary medicine and now holds exclusive licenses to over 50 patents including world-wide veterinary rights for use of adipose derived stem cells.  VetStem has been providing stem cell services to veterinarians since 2004 and has now provided services for over 13,000 animals.  When it became clear that stem cell therapy led to positive outcomes, additional stem cell providers began to emerge on the market.

You may have seen or heard of in-clinic stem cell processing.  These systems allow veterinarians to process their patient’s stem cells on site in their own hospital.  While this may seem like a more convenient method, there are some serious points to consider before choosing your stem cell provider.

We have compiled this helpful list to demonstrate VetStem’s high quality standards and to help you compare our services with other stem cell providers.  Some of the highlights include:

1. VetStem technicians have years of experience with thousands of samples.  Our laboratory technicians are trained to do one job: process stem cells.  While that may seem obvious, who do you think is processing your animal’s stem cells if using an in-clinic stem cell provider at your veterinary office?  The answer is likely a veterinary technician.  Having worked in the veterinary industry for years, I can tell you with full confidence that vet techs have about 100 different jobs and often several jobs going on at the same time.  He/She may not have the time to devote to processing your pet’s stem cells without getting pulled away to help restrain an animal, process blood work, fill a prescription, or assist in surgery.  Distractions can lead to mistakes and mistakes can lead to a negative outcome in your animal’s therapy.
2. VetStem uses sterile Bio-Safety cabinets inside hepa-filtered clean rooms.  As clean as your veterinary office may appear, you can’t get any cleaner than a “clean room” that is designed specifically to process stem cells.  We take sterility very seriously at VetStem, to the point that we may recommend delaying treatment if we feel a sample’s sterility has been compromised.
3. VetStem determines the cell yield and viability of each sample to determine an accurate dose prior to shipment.  It only makes sense that cells are counted, viability is verified, and the correct dose is prepared before a patient receives their stem cell injection(s).  Unfortunately, the in-clinic systems do not allow for this.  So how does your veterinarian know how to divide up the stem cells to provide the proper dose(s)?  By counting cells and verifying the viability of the cells, VetStem ensures that your animal receives accurate dosing.  This helps make the stem cell therapy as effective as possible.

As you can see, we at VetStem really pride ourselves in providing the highest quality standards to all of the patients whose stem cells we process.  We want what is best for your animal and therefore do our best to provide quality service.  We pioneered this technology and we continue to work closely with the FDA to ensure we are following the current guidelines regarding stem cell therapy.  If you have any questions for our team, feel free to contact us by email or by phone.

A few weeks ago we shared a story about a horse that was able to return to barrel racing after receiving VetStem Cell Therapy.  Stem cell therapy can be effective in alleviating potentially career ending injuries in performance animals.  This week, we bring you the story of Bodie, a now 8 year old Springer spaniel, who is a successful bird dog champion.

At just 8 months old, Bodie was diagnosed with hip dysplasia.  He continued to compete and win championships however the arthritis from his hip dysplasia eventually began to slow him down.  At 3 years old, Bodie’s owner had him treated with VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy by Dr. Mitchell Luce.  He received injections of his own stem cells into each hip as well as intravenously.

After treatment, Bodie was able to discontinue his use of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) and took 3^rd place at the 2013 BDC High River Classic!  His owner reported increased activity and said he stopped “bunny hopping”.  Click here to read the rest of Bodie’s story.

Arthritis.  It’s a term we all know and a diagnosis most of us will receive at some point in our lives.  The same is true of our canine companions.  In fact, according to recent literature, about 1 in 5 dogs in the United States are affected by osteoarthritis.  It is estimated that there are about 90 million pet dogs in the US, which means about 18 million pet dogs will suffer from arthritis.  With such high numbers, it is not surprising that osteoarthritis has been identified as the number two reason why pets are being euthanized.

While there are several treatment options available to help alleviate the symptoms of arthritis, many of them come along with unpleasant side effects and/or begin to lose efficacy after prolonged use.  While not a cure for arthritis, VetStem Cell Therapy is one treatment option that has been shown in studies to be able to provide relief for many dogs without the nasty side effects that may come with certain arthritis medications.  Because stem cell therapy utilizes an animal’s own healing cells, there is a very low risk for rejection or reaction.

But is stem cell therapy right for your dog?  That is a question you should consider asking your veterinarian.  See our recent blog post to help you discuss stem cell therapy at your next vet appointment.

If your dog has been diagnosed with arthritis, contact VetStem to find stem cell providers near you.