Equine cervical facet disease is a broad term used to describe a degenerative disease process in the neck of horses. Conventional treatment options are geared toward managing symptoms but ongoing degeneration of the facet joints and their supportive structures can occur. In recent years, we have seen promising results in the treatment of cervical facet disease with VetStem Cell Therapy.

What is Equine Cervical Facet Disease?

Equine cervical facet disease is a degenerative condition that causes pain and stiffness in the neck of affected horses. Cervical facets are the synovial joints that connect a vertebra to its neighboring vertebrae. Cervical facet joint problems can stem from developmental orthopedic diseases or from injuries to tendons, ligaments, and other cervical facet joint structures, all of which can lead to the development of osteoarthritis and/or instability of the cervical vertebrae. Arthritic cervical facet joints gradually enlarge which can lead to the impingement of nerve roots and/or the spinal cord.

Symptoms of cervical facet disease vary and may include pain, stiffness, neurologic deficits, performance problems, saddling problems, reluctance to collect and go on the bit, neck stuck in fixed position and unable to move, and front limb lameness. Conventional treatments for these joints may temporarily reduce inflammation and pain, but the joints and their supportive structures may continue to degenerate and lead to a worsening of symptoms.

VetStem Cell Therapy for Equine Cervical Facet Disease

VetStem Cell Therapy has been used for over 15 years to treat osteoarthritis and tendon/ligament injures in dogs, cats, and horses. Stem cells have demonstrated the ability to reduce pain and inflammation and to promote healing and the regeneration of damaged tissues. Nearly five years ago, a horse named San Fransisko (or Sisko, for short) received VetStem Cell Therapy for cervical facet disease as part of a clinical research program.

Sisko is a talented horse trained in Dressage. When an injury led to a diagnosis of cervical facet disease, Sisko’s veterinarian recommended treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy. To make a long story short, Sisko had a great response to stem cell therapy and advanced in his career in Dressage. Read Sisko’s story here.

Recently, Sisko’s mom reached out to VetStem to share an update. See what she had to say below:

“I thought I would give you an update on how Sisko has been doing. We almost lost him in March of 2020 to a neurological infection of unknown origin. With the quick thinking of my vet and a pathogen lab in Florida, he was saved with an experimental drug and recovered completely. He went back into training in April and started showing in June. He breezed through Second Level, which totally amazed my trainer. We were fortunate enough to go to ten shows during the season (with strict COVID precautions in place) and Sisko qualified for our regional championships in First and Second Levels Open Division. He did very well at that show, winning a second and three thirds in his four classes. He ended the year as Open Champion in First and Second Levels for our California Dressage Society chapter’s series of rated shows and Open Champion in Second Level for our schooling shows. He also won the USDF Open Regional Schooling Shows Championship in Second Level for Region 7. Besides those achievements, we are thrilled that Sisko won the USDF German Sport Horse Breed Award in First Level for the entire United States and took that same award for the second year in a row for our CDS chapter. To top off those honors, he placed 29th out of 140 horses in First Level for the USDF Horse of the Year (with only five three-star shows counting towards that distinction). He is currently training Third Level and we’re excited to see how he does at the shows this year.

I firmly believe that without his stem cell treatment, Sisko would not be progressing up the levels and doing so well in his training. He is a very talented horse, with a great work ethic, and I am proud and grateful to have him! He has a wonderful team supporting him, which makes his success so much more special.”

There is Still More to Learn

Like all of our clinical development conditions, there is still more to learn about the treatment of cervical facet disease with VetStem Cell Therapy. While results will vary, Sisko’s case is very promising.

Does your horse have cervical facet disease? Speak to your veterinarian or contact us to find a list of VetStem providers in your area. Though we are not currently conducting an equine cervical facet disease clinical research program, we are available to work with your veterinarian to help determine if your horse may benefit from VetStem Cell Therapy.

As the first company in the United States to provide an adipose-derived stem cell service to veterinarians for their patients, VetStem holds exclusive global veterinary licenses to a portfolio of issued patents in the field of regenerative medicine and owns a number of patents and patent applications. We believe these patents are an important way to strengthen our intellectual property in the rapidly developing field of regenerative medicine.

As leaders in the field, VetStem contributes to the development of the regenerative medicine market. As such, we have invested heavily in patent protection of our technology and recently engaged appropriate counsel to pursue licensing and patent enforcement. Our goal is to provide opportunities to potentially infringing companies to license one or more of our patents to utilize in their own business model. This creates a win-win situation for everyone involved, including the customers who potentially benefit from the technology.

We recently completed licensing deals with multiple companies for use of our patented technology. These deals mean that the other companies can continue using and profiting from our technology while VetStem earns revenue to invest back into the company. For instance, a recent sublicense by one of our licensees brought VetStem $1.75 million in upfront licensing revenue. Thus, these licensing deals help optimize the value of our company and further solidify our stake in the market.

With ongoing research and development, VetStem endeavors to stay at the forefront of the field. Since the first VetStem recipient in 2004, VetStem has processed nearly 14,000 patient samples, resulting in over 30,000 stem cell treatments. Without our dedicated clientele, veterinarians, and pet owners alike, we could not do what we do!

January is Walk Your Pet Month! This month-long celebration serves to remind pet owners of the benefits of regular exercise. Walking your dog (or your cat!) can be an easy way to provide your pet with consistent, low-impact exercise, which can lead to improvements in joint health.

Benefits of Regular Exercise

Like people, pets may benefit from regular exercise. Walking is a low-impact exercise that may contribute to weight loss and may delay the onset and/or severity of osteoarthritis. According to the Arthritis Foundation, walking comes with several benefits which may lead to healthier joints including muscle strengthening, joint fluid circulation, and weight loss. Weight loss is an important factor when it comes to managing pain and lameness associated with osteoarthritis. One study found that weight loss significantly decreased lameness in obese dogs with OA.

How to Exercise Your Pet

Different pets require different exercise regimens, which vary based on several factors. One of your best resources is your veterinarian. He/She can help you build an exercise plan tailored specifically to your pet. That being said, it appears that regular, moderate exercise may be beneficial in comparison to intermittent, intense exercise.

According to Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine, “Regular physical activity is paramount in the treatment of osteoarthritis both in humans and animals. A lifestyle of regular activity that is moderated away from intermittent extremes of exercise (such as long hikes on the weekends) and activities to which the pet is not conditioned is essential. Ideally, multiple shorter walks are better than one long one. The same activity every day (or slightly increasing if tolerated) is ideal.”

Cats Need Exercise Too!

When we think of walking our pet, most of us immediately think of dogs. But cats suffer from osteoarthritis too and may benefit from routine exercise. Of course, it is not quite as easy with cats as it is with dogs. Some cats may like to walk on the leash. Others may prefer to play with a toy. Speak to your veterinarian about appropriate ways to exercise your cats to help keep them as healthy as possible.

As we begin 2021 and remain in the midst of a global pandemic, we wanted to revisit the topic of COVID-19 in animals. In previous blogs, we discussed the spread of the novel coronavirus from humans to animals and from animal to animal. While we know that animals can become infected with COVID-19, the CDC continues to report that there is no evidence that animals play a significant role in the spread of the virus.

COVID-19 in Animals

You may remember that the first reported case of a pet with COVID-19 was a dog in Hong Kong. From there, more reports emerged of animals infected with the virus. In the United States, the first report of a COVID-19 positive animal was a tiger at the Bronx Zoo. Several other large cats at the facility went on to test positive in the following weeks. After that, it was two cats from separate households in New York, both of which likely contracted the virus from a COVID-19 positive owner. At the time, I remember wondering about the link between cats and COVID-19 and whether there was any significance there.

As the weeks and months went on, more and more reports of COVID-19 positive animals came out. Dogs, cats, minks, more exotic large cats. As of late December 2020, the USDA reported a total of 11 exotic cats (tigers, lions, and a snow leopard) and 54 domestic cats in the United States tested positive for COVID-19. This in comparison to a total of 38 COVID-19 positive dogs.

Cats Infected with COVID-19

While it is clear that some animals are more susceptible to the virus, there isn’t much information regarding COVID-19 within specific species. For instance, it is not currently clear how many COVID-19 positive cats experience symptoms. It appears that some cats have symptoms while others are asymptomatic. But we do not yet know why that is the case.

We also do not know the death rate in cats with COVID-19. There is news that a cat in Pennsylvania that had COVID-19 was humanely euthanized due to respiratory distress. There was another cat in Alabama that passed away and was COVID-19 positive however information suggests that the cat had additional health issues that were more likely the cause of death. Fortunately, it does not appear that cats are at high risk of death from COVID-19 infection. But more studies are necessary to understand how this virus affects our four-legged companions.

COVID-19 Transmission in Cats

In November, a study out of Kansas State University confirmed some of my suspicions regarding COVID-19 transmission in cats. The study concluded that cats infected with SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) can be asymptomatic and still easily spread the infection to other cats. The study found that the virus is shed through an asymptomatic cat’s nasal, oral, and rectal cavities and that they can infect other cats within 2 days of contracting the virus.

While more research is needed, this information is crucial to understanding how the virus is transmitted in cats. And though we mentioned it before, it is worth repeating: there is still no evidence that animals play a significant role in spreading COVID-19 to people. There is, however, significant evidence to suggest people spread the virus to animals. So, if you or a family member is suspected to have, or tests positive for, COVID-19, the CDC recommends avoiding contact with your pets.

More Studies Are Needed

There is still so much to learn about the novel coronavirus. More studies are underway to determine how this virus operates and what we can do to keep everyone, both ourselves and our pets, safe. For now, we will continue to do our best to keep ourselves and others healthy. At VetStem, we continue to follow our local ordinances by social distancing, wearing masks, and requiring employees to stay home if they have symptoms or exposure. Though these are scary and uncertain times, we hope that the start of 2021 finds you and your loved ones, two- and four-legged, happy and healthy.