We are happy to announce that another small animal veterinarian has surpassed 300 VetStem Cell Therapy cases! Dr. Jeff Christiansen of Superior Veterinary Surgical Solutions is a board-certified veterinary surgeon based in Florida. He has been providing VetStem services to his patients since 2012. He is one of just two small animal veterinarians who have provided VetStem services to over 300 patients.

Dr. Christiansen integrates regenerative medicine seamlessly into his surgical practice by using it both in conjunction with and in lieu of surgery, depending on the type and severity of injury. While Dr. Christiansen frequently addresses common ailments such as osteoarthritis and cruciate ligament tears, his stem cell expertise extends to a diverse range of injuries and diseases including patella luxation, fractures, spinal conditions, kidney disease, and more. Additionally, Dr. Christiansen has utilized VetStem services for exotic species. In collaboration with a local zoo, he delivered VetStem Cell Therapy to alleviate arthritis in a black bear.

Dr. Christiansen is also an avid user of VetStem’s platelet-rich plasma (PRP) products. While he primarily utilizes PRP for small animal orthopedics and wound healing, Dr. Christiansen has also used PRP to treat various unconventional cases. From treating a fractured limb in a kangaroo to expediting healing after tumor removal in an ostrich, his extensive experience spans a multitude of species and ailments.

We have shared the stem cell success stories of several of Dr. Christiansen’s patients including Max, a trained companion for a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant and purple heart recipient, who received VetStem Cell Therapy for torn cruciate ligaments. Another one of Dr. Christiansen’s patients, an explosive detection K9, was able to get back to work after receiving VetStem Cell Therapy for hip dysplasia and arthritis. Dr. Christiansen’s dedication to integrating regenerative medicine into his surgical practice has not only transformed the lives of hundreds of furry patients but also underscored the vast potential of VetStem Cell Therapy across a spectrum of species and conditions.

The VetStem sales and marketing team just returned from the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM) Pain Management Forum in Indianapolis, IN. For the past few years, VetStem has sponsored a lab at the forum. This year, we sponsored a lab focusing on local blocks and joint injections. It was taught by several instructors including VetStem proponents and pain specialists Dr. Douglas Stramel and Dr. Jamie Gaynor.

Founded in 2001 by a group of veterinarians, the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management unites veterinary professionals across all disciplines from around the world to advocate for best practices in the treatment of pain in animals. The organization is committed to encouraging pain management for all animal species through education and advocacy. They also encourage various veterinary organizations to raise public awareness about pain and pain management as it pertains to veterinary patients.

IVAPM is the leading forum and educational resource for veterinary professionals and pet owners interested in animal pain prevention, management, and treatment. One of the primary goals of IVAPM is to educate the veterinary community to recognize and treat pain in all species of animals. In addition to offering continuing education, they also provide the only interdisciplinary pain management certification program for veterinary professionals.

The Pain Management Forum brings together hundreds of veterinary professionals all advocating for the best practices in the treatment of animals in pain. This year marked the third annual Pain Management Forum. We enjoy attending and supporting the IVAPM Pain Management Forum and look forward to supporting their cause in the coming years!

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On last week’s VetStem blog, we shared what happens to your pet’s fat after it is collected for stem cell therapy. This week, we’ll go into some detail about what to expect after your pet receives their stem cell injections.

The standard VetStem process takes place in approximately 48 hours. On day 1, your veterinarian collects fat from your pet. On day 2, the fat is processed at the VetStem laboratory to extract and concentrate your pet’s stem cells. And on day 3, your pet receives their stem cell injections. But what happens after they are injected? Well, each veterinarian has different protocols. For instance, some pets may stay overnight for monitoring, while other pets may go home the same day. After that, your vet may recommend various rehabilitation exercises at home or back at the hospital, depending on what was treated.

Many owners want to know when they should expect to see results. While we can give basic expectations based on 20 years of experience, every pet is different, and some pets require longer or even additional treatments before they experience noticeable results. We generally say to wait for about 90 days after treatment. If there are no noticeable results after 90 days, this can be due to several reasons. We will usually recommend that your veterinarian do a full work up on your pet (if not already done) to make sure that there are no additional problems that may be inhibiting your pet’s healing. We also offer vet-to-vet consults with VetStem’s staff veterinarians to go over your pet’s case and help to determine if another round of stem cell doses may help.

Here are some statistics we have gathered over the years to help give you a better picture of how VetStem Cell Therapy has helped dogs and horses who were treated for orthopedic conditions:

Dog Stats:

• At 30, 60, and 90 days post stem cell therapy for orthopedic conditions, greater than 80% of dogs showed an improved quality of life.

• In young dogs (1-4 years old) with osteoarthritis, 84% showed an improved quality of life after treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy and 78% were not re-treated in the first year.

• When it comes to osteoarthritis in older dogs (9-18 years old), 81% showed an improved quality of life after treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy and 63% were not re-treated in the first year.

Horse Stats:

• 76% of horses treated with VetStem Cell Therapy for suspensory ligament injuries returned to full work at their prior level.

• 77% of horses who were treated with VetStem Cell Therapy for tendon injuries returned to full work at their prior level.

• 57% of horses treated with VetStem Cell Therapy for joint disease returned to full work at their prior level.

As we discussed in last week’s blog, after sending the initial stem cell injections to your veterinarian, all of your pet’s additional stem cells are put into cryopreservation. This essentially means that the stem cell will be “asleep” in sub-zero temperatures and ready to “wake up” should your pet require an additional treatment. One of the many benefits of VetStem Cell Therapy is our ability to store and also grow more of your pet’s stem cells so that one fat collection procedure provides a lifetime supply of doses.

Have you ever wondered what happens after your pet has fat collected for treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy? If so, we have some good news for you: we’re going to break down the steps in between fat extraction and stem cell injection in this week’s blog!

VetStem Cell Therapy begins the same for every pet. First, your pet must have fat extracted during a minimally invasive anesthetic procedure. For dogs and cats, the fat tissue is most commonly taken from their abdomen while horses tend to have fat taken from their tailhead. Once extracted, the fat is aseptically packaged by your pet’s veterinary team and shipped overnight to VetStem in a temperature-controlled container.

Once VetStem receives the fat tissue, our laboratory team processes the package to ensure there are no potential sterility issues and that the temperature is at or below the maximum acceptable temperature. They also confirm that the pet’s name matches what we have in our database to ensure patient identity. If there are any issues with identity or sterility, processes are delayed until we can rectify the issues.

The fat then goes into process in our laboratory. Lab technicians follow strict protocols using VetStem’s patented technology to process each pet’s fat in sterile hoods in our GMP compliant facility. Stem cells are extracted from each sample and counted using an extremely accurate cell counter so we know exactly how many stem cells we get from each fat sample we process. We also confirm the viability of the cells. This allows us to ensure we provide what are considered to be therapeutic doses.

Meanwhile, our customer service team is busy on the administrative side entering data for each pet who is having fat processed that day. We record everything from breed, sex, age of the pet to injury/condition being treated, concurrent treatments, fat collection site and so much more. Customer Service also generates shipping labels so that doses for each patient can be shipped back to your veterinary team via priority overnight.

Stem cell doses are prepared for your pet based on the specific injection requests from your veterinarian. These doses, like the fat tissue, are packaged carefully in a temperature-controlled container and shipped out the same day for receipt at your veterinary clinic the following morning. Most of the time, your pet will receive their stem cell injections the day the doses are received at the clinic, which is approximately 48 hours after the initial fat collection procedure.

But the fun doesn’t end there! Our lab technicians also store any remaining cells for your pet, which are carefully labeled in one of several cryotanks. The storage location of extra cells is noted in your pet’s file so we can easily locate them for future stem cell recoveries. This means your pet can receive future stem cell treatments as needed without having to undergo another fat collection procedure.

And there you have it: a day in the life of a fat tissue sample at VetStem. If you’re curious about VetStem Cell Therapy, visit our FAQs page for more information.