Next week, May 2^nd-8^th, is National Pet Week! Founded in 1981 by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the Auxiliary to the AVMA, National Pet Week “celebrates the pets that enrich our lives and encourages responsible pet care every day of the year.”

Each day of National Pet Week has a specific theme. See below for a list of themes provided by the AVMA with a link to helpful information for both new and seasoned pet owners alike:   

Daily Themes

Each day of the week focuses on a different topic essential to responsible pet ownership:

• Sunday: Choose well: Commit for life
• Monday: Socialize now: New doesn’t have to be scary
• Tuesday: Nutrition and exercise matter
• Wednesday: Love your pet? See your vet!
• Thursday: Travel with care
• Friday: Emergencies happen: Be prepared
• Saturday: Plan for their care: Give them a lifetime of love

You may notice that several of the above themes emphasize responsible pet ownership, which includes routine veterinary care. On this blog, we frequently talk about diseases and ailments which may prompt visits to the vet. But routine care is very important to maintaining your pet’s health. Preventative care, such as regular wellness exams, can lead to the detection and diagnosis of problems that may otherwise go unnoticed until it is too late. If a problem is detected in its early stages, it is more likely to be treated and resolved with less expense, less difficulty and better success.

But routine veterinary care is not the only way to keep your pet happy and healthy! Exercise and stimulation are important too! We have blogged many times about the benefits of walking your dog such as weight management and a reduction of osteoarthritis symptoms. But taking a walk can provide mental stimulation as well. All the new smells, sights, and sounds beyond your dog’s normal environment provide great mental stimulation. A dog who is well stimulated tends to be happier and more relaxed at home and may demonstrate less destructive behaviors. And don’t forget about cats! Though they tend to be lazier than our canine companions, cats benefit from routine exercise and mental stimulation as well. National Pet Week starts on Sunday so don’t forget to celebrate your pets!

World Veterinary Day is an annual holiday created by the World Veterinary Association (WVA) to “…promote the veterinary profession and work on improving animal and human welfare, the environment, food safety, animal transport, and quarantine.” It is celebrated on the last Saturday of every April and this year is the 20^th anniversary of its first celebration. Each year there is a theme and this year’s theme is, “Veterinarian Response to the COVID-19 Crisis.”

The year 2020 brought some serious challenges, and many people stepped up in exceptional ways to meet those challenges. Veterinary professionals were among those people. Animals did not stop needing care, and in fact, so many dogs and cats were adopted from shelters in 2020 that some shelters were completely emptied out at times! In addition, pet owners brought their existing pets to the vet more often in 2020 than they had in the past. Pet owners reported that quarantine and social distancing from other humans changed their relationship with their pets by fostering the human-animal bond and thus, they were more attune to their pet’s health needs. This meant that veterinary visits increased during a time when staff were being furloughed and social distancing was mandated. Veterinarians responded as they always do, with grace and fortitude. They navigated these uncharted waters by developing curbside service, telemedicine platforms, and fought for the right to be considered essential workers so they could keep the doors open for animals in need. Veterinary professionals forged ahead with the difficult task of maintaining a high level of pet care while trying to keep themselves, their staff and pet owners safe and healthy during a time of ever-changing rules and regulations.

Veterinarians also demonstrated the breadth of their caregiving spirit during this past year. They donated supplies to the human medical community, including PPE and respiratory ventilators early in the pandemic when resources were scarce, critical illness rates were high, and the disease was spreading rapidly. Then in April 2020, Great Britain called for assistance from their veterinarians to act as respiratory assistants. New York City asked veterinarians to care for the bodies of those who passed, ensuring they were treated with dignity and respect. And more recently, veterinarians in the United States have been authorized to administer COVID vaccines to their fellow humans in need, prompting the USDA to swiftly deploy their vets to aid in this monumentally important endeavor.

Equally as important as all the brave souls in the typical clinical practice setting, were the veterinarians that the public might not think of when they think of a “vet.” Agricultural veterinarians continued to make sure our food sources were safe and remained in steady supply. Veterinary pathologists, virologists, and epidemiologists diagnosed, studied, and reported on COVID-19 infections in animals, helping to assure the public that pets were considered a low risk for spreading the disease to humans. Veterinary medical school professors, like other teachers, found new ways to train their students when they could not be together in the classroom or the hospital. Government and private sector-employed laboratory veterinarians were among those in the medical and pharmaceutical fields working tirelessly to create COVID-19 treatments and vaccines. Veterinarians in the biotechnology field, such as veterinarian led VetStem, promoted the “One Health” sometimes termed, “One Medicine” concept by collaborating with the human medical community and sharing their wealth of knowledge about coronaviruses across different animal species. You can learn more about One Health here. To that end, VetStem Biopharma and sister company, Personalized Stem Cells, jumped into action in 2020, gaining FDA approval to begin a clinical trial treating human COVID-19 patients with stem cells. By March 2021 we celebrated the successful treatment of nine people who had been significantly afflicted with the disease. These patients had all been in a hospital ICU, and after receiving intravenous (IV) treatments with stem cells, they all made it back home to their families. This is a relatively small number of patients, but the results are certainly promising.

Despite the chaos, uncertainty, and heartbreak that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to this world, veterinarians have been steadfast in their dedication to promote the health and safety of all beings on this Earth, and I can honestly say that I have never been more proud to be a member of this special group of people.

Kirby is a Pembroke Welsh Corgi who has been competing in agility since he was just one and a half years old. Several years ago, he began experiencing intermittent lameness in his hind end, most notably in his hips and left knee. He was diagnosed with osteoarthritis and cruciate ligament injuries.

Because he is such an active dog, his owner pursued several treatment options to help him feel more comfortable. Initially, he was treated with cold laser therapy, underwater treadmill, and a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory. This combination would help Kirby for a little while and then he would go back to being lame. Next, his mom pursued treatment with platelet therapy. Kirby received concentrated platelet injections into both hips and both knees. His mom reported that he responded well, and the results lasted for a year after the platelet injections.

But after that year, Kirby was sore again. That is when his mom elected to have Kirby treated with VetStem Cell Therapy. His veterinarian collected fat tissue from his abdomen in a minimally invasive anesthetic procedure. His mom described the procedure as such, “The minor surgery to harvest the fat was easy and he recovered quickly.” VetStem laboratory technicians processed Kirby’s fat to concentrate and extract his stem and regenerative cells. Kirby’s stem cell injections were sent back to his veterinarian for treatment. He received one injection into each hip, each knee, and also intravenously.

Approximately two months after treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy, Kirby was doing much better. According to his mom, he was able to return to agility, competing about once a month with an 80% qualifying rate. In addition, he hikes 12-15 miles with his mom each week. She stated, “I’m so grateful to VetStem for their help and that they have his cells in storage so we can give him more injections in the future if needed!!”

Kirby’s treatment was nearly two years ago and according to his mom, he was still doing well and competing in agility trials as of late 2020. He has not required a repeat injection of stem cells to date!

If you think your dog may benefit from stem cell therapy, speak to your veterinarian or contact us to receive a list of VetStem providers in your area.

There are a multitude of diseases outside of orthopedic conditions for which treatment with stem cells has been successful, while others do not respond as well. At VetStem, we work with veterinarians and their pet owners on a case-by-case basis to determine if stem cell therapy may be a viable treatment option. Oftentimes, these patients have diseases that are challenging to treat or current standard therapies are lacking in clinical data. One of these diseases is canine atopic dermatitis (also known as allergic dermatitis or atopy).

What is Canine Atopic Dermatitis?

Canine Atopic Dermatitis (CAD) is what most dog owners call “allergies.” The primary symptom is itchiness, usually in the feet, face, ears, armpits, front legs, and/or abdomen. Scratching and licking can lead to hair loss, hotspots or other irritations, skin thickening and more. Secondary skin infections and/or ear infections can develop and make symptoms worse.

CAD is a genetic disease that predisposes a dog to certain allergen sensitivities. The allergen(s) are environmental such as pollens, molds, dust mites, dander from other animals (yes, even human dander) or normal skin organisms. While there is still much to learn about CAD disease, we have learned that atopic dermatitis occurs due to a skin barrier defect, which allows allergens to absorb deeper into the skin where the immune system can access them. Thus, when an atopic dog comes into contact with the offending allergen(s), their body creates a skewed immune response leading to an allergic reaction. It is worth mentioning that the symptoms of CAD are very similar to those caused by food allergies or flea allergies and some patients may be affected by more than one condition. Your veterinarian is your best resource for determining if CAD is the cause of your dog’s itchiness.

Traditional Treatments for CAD

In an ideal world, allergic dogs would avoid the allergens they are sensitive to, but CAD allergens are often airborne and thus, even staying indoors does not eliminate exposure. Frequent bathing is helpful in removing the allergens from the skin and allergy desensitization injections can be tailored to each dog after extensive allergy testing is performed, however both of these treatments require much time and effort that some families may not be able to accommodate. While more innovative treatments have been developed in recent years such as oral medications or canine antibody injections, truly effective treatment options remain limited, may be expensive, and do not cure the condition but rather control the “itchiness” symptom. CAD is a lifelong disease that will require lifelong management.

Stem Cells for CAD – Mechanisms of Action

One tool that stem cells utilize is immunomodulation, or the ability to modify the immune response. Since there is an immune component to atopic dermatitis, it is theorized that stem cells can down-regulate a dog’s immune response and therefore, his/her body may not overreact to specific allergens and he/she will not become overly itchy.

Stem Cells for CAD – The Research is Limited

There are very few studies on the use of adipose derived stem cells to treat canine atopic dermatitis. And the two most relevant studies reached conflicting results. While one study showed no significant improvement of clinical signs or symptoms, the second study showed significant improvement. In addition, results from the second study lasted for at least six months. Because studies are limited, we can not say for certain that stem cells improve symptoms in dogs with atopic dermatitis.

What about anecdotal evidence?

Multiple veterinarians have utilized VetStem Cell Therapy for atopy in both dogs and cats. Some veterinarians have reported an improvement in symptoms after treatment with stem cells. In some cases, patients have required less allergy medication than before stem cell therapy. That being said, some patients have not experienced improvement in symptoms. So, while we can’t say that stem cells will help every dog with atopic dermatitis, we do believe that some benefit from treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy based on the responses reported from the veterinarians and owners who have implemented it.  

As always, it is important to note that each patient is different and therefore some may not respond at all to stem cell therapy. If you think your allergic dog may benefit from treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy, speak to your veterinarian or contact us to find a VetStem provider in your area.

Next Wednesday, April 7^th, is National Walking Day! Did you know walking can help reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis in dogs? Osteoarthritis (OA) is the most common form of arthritis in dogs (and people!) and affects approximately one quarter of the canine population. It is a degenerative disease in which the cartilage within a joint breaks down, causing changes in the surrounding bone. Common symptoms of OA include pain, stiffness, and reduced range of motion. In dogs, the majority of OA cases stem from a developmental orthopedic disease such as joint dysplasia. It can also develop as a result of an injury such as a cruciate ligament tear.

Exercise Reduces Symptoms of Osteoarthritis

While some may believe that reduced usage of the affected joint will lead to improvement of symptoms, it appears the opposite is true. Studies have found that regular physical activity can actually benefit dogs with OA and lead to an improvement in symptoms.

The type of exercise is very important, however. For instance, high impact exercises such as running and jumping may lead to increased inflammation and pain and therefore should be limited. On the other hand, regular joint-friendly exercises are ideal for dogs with OA. These are low-impact and put less stress on the body, thereby reducing the risk of injury. Some joint-friendly exercises include swimming and leash walks.

Benefits of Walking for Dogs with Osteoarthritis

Walking can be a great way to keep dogs physically active. It is easy on their joints and comes with a number of benefits that can lead to healthier, less painful joints. Walking regularly can help dogs lose weight, thereby causing less stress on the joints. It can also help strengthen the muscles and supporting soft tissue structures around the joints, promoting increased joint stability. In addition, it increases joint fluid circulation which is beneficial to maintaining healthy joint cartilage.

Of course, every dog is different. So as always, it is best to check with your veterinarian to determine the best exercise routine for your dog.