August 4^th is Assistance Dog Day and next week is International Assistance Dog Week. This is a time to recognize and honor the hard work and selfless love that assistance dogs provide day in and day out. As you probably know, assistance dogs are specially trained to perform specific tasks for people with disabilities. These disabilities can be physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or mental. There are many types of assistance dogs including guide dogs for the blind, medical and hearing alert dogs, mobility assistance dogs, and more. In this week’s blog, we are going to share a special story about a psychiatric service dog named Max.

Max has been a trained companion for U.S. Army Staff Sergeant Edward Johnson since 2014. Sgt. Johnson, a purple heart recipient, was shot in the head during combat in Iraq in 2006 and was left with a traumatic brain injury. Max helps Sgt. Johnson cope with PTSD and other debilitating ailments related to his injuries.

Unfortunately, Max tore his cruciate ligament in his knee. As a common injury in large breed dogs, cruciate ligament tear is one of the biggest reasons for hind limb lameness, pain, and subsequent knee arthritis in dogs. Additionally, according to the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, 40-60% of dogs who injure one cruciate ligament will go on to injure the other cruciate ligament in the future.

Max was obviously in pain and in need of surgery and other medical procedures. Fortunately, his story made the news and through donations and good will, Max was able to have surgery and treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy. His surgeon, Dr. Jeff Christiansen of Superior Veterinary Surgical Solutions, donated his services and organized donations from several others as well. As an experienced VetStem provider, Dr. Christiansen recommended stem cell and platelet therapy in conjunction with the surgery to aid Max’s healing. VetStem provided a free platelet therapy kit as well as discounted stem cell processing services.

According to Dr. Christiansen, Max recovered completely. But as is common, Max suffered a second cruciate ligament rupture in his other leg just over two years after his first surgery. Once again, Dr. Christiansen and several companies, including VetStem, stepped up to provide this dog with top-notch care. Max received surgery on his other knee in addition to stem cells and platelet therapy. Max once again recovered well and hasn’t required a repeat stem cell treatment since.

A sad story that we hear a lot is when a ball-loving dog is no longer able to play fetch due to arthritis or some other orthopedic injury. That was the case for Sherlock, a nearly 100-pound Staffordshire terrier/rottweiler mix. Though Sherlock loved to chase his ball, as he got older, his body started slowing down and he was diagnosed with arthritis in all four limbs. In an effort to not take away his favorite activity, his owners continued to play ball with a little less intensity. And then he tore his cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Fortunately for Sherlock, his veterinarian recommended using VetStem Cell Therapy in conjunction with surgery. Stem cells have the ability to reduce pain, inflammation, and minimize the formation of scar tissue. In addition to his injured knee, Sherlock’s veterinarian treated both of his elbows and his non-injured knee to give him some relief from the arthritis in those joints.

Sherlock’s owner reported that he responded well to his initial stem cell treatment but that shortly after, he injured the cruciate ligament in his left knee. Unfortunately, this is more common than you may think. According to the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, 40-60% of dogs who injure one cruciate ligament will go on to injure the other cruciate ligament in the future. This time, Sherlock’s veterinarian was able to request doses from his stored stem cells, which she administered during the surgery on his left knee. Sherlock once again received an injection of his own stem cells into each knee and each elbow.

After treatment, his owner said that his recovery went from six weeks to three-and-a-half weeks. She stated, “He healed so quickly that it surprised everyone. He was 12 years old by this time and a full recovery seemed almost too hopeful to wish for, but instead we not only got a full recovery but a faster recovery than before.” She went on to state, “Sherlock is now 13 years old and we do not run and chase balls anymore, but we enjoy walks on the beach and lots of snuggles and I am so grateful that he is still here feeling good and enjoying life with me. Stem cell therapy made an immense difference in his ability to live a high quality life in his older years.”

Does your dog suffer from osteoarthritis or have they injured their cruciate ligament? If so, VetStem Cell Therapy may help. Speak to your veterinarian or contact us to receive a list of VetStem providers near you.

As you probably know, much of the VetStem blog is spent discussing the treatment of arthritis with stem cells. We talk about things like joint dysplasia and cruciate ligament tears as catalysts for the development of arthritis. In today’s blog, we are discussing Fragmented Coronoid Process, or FCP, a developmental defect that causes arthritis in the elbows.

Nikolai Augustus, a Labrador retriever, was 2 years old when he began limping. X-rays revealed he had broken bone fragments in both of his elbows as a result of fragmented coronoid process, or FCP. FCP is one of the main diseases associated with elbow dysplasia. It is a developmental defect of the two small bony protrusions on the end of the ulna, known as the coronoid processes, within the elbow joint. In this condition, one of the bony protrusions develops a fissure or crack and separates from the ulna. FCP may result in instability and pain as well as decreased mobility and swelling.

The treatment of choice for FCP is surgical removal of the bone fragments and any abnormal cartilage. This procedure can be performed arthroscopically by an orthopedic surgeon, which results in a smaller incision and less damage to the supporting elbow structures. In all cases however, regardless of surgical repair, the patient will develop some degree of arthritis. That’s where VetStem comes in!

Niko’s veterinarian recommended arthroscopy in addition to treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy. Stem cells are regenerative cells that can differentiate into many tissue types and have demonstrated the ability to reduce pain and inflammation, help to restore range of motion, and stimulate regeneration of tendon, ligament, and joint tissues. By using VetStem Cell Therapy in conjunction with surgery, Niko’s vet hoped to delay the progression and reduce the severity of degenerative joint disease in his elbows.

To begin the process, Niko’s vet collected fat tissue from his abdomen in a minimally invasive anesthetic procedure. The fat was aseptically packaged and shipped to the VetStem processing laboratory in Poway, California. Lab technicians processed the fat to extract and concentrate the stem and regenerative cells contained therein. The cells were divided into doses, and two injectable doses were shipped to Niko’s vet for treatment. Approximately 48 hours after the initial fat collection procedure, Niko received one dose of his own stem cells into each elbow.

According to Niko’s owner, he had a great response to the treatment. His owner stated, “One year after surgery and stem cell therapy and Niko is running and playing with the energy of a 3-year-old. We are thankful our vet recommended stem cell therapy for Niko and that he has the bank of stem cells to help treat Niko in the future.”

In addition to the two stem cell doses that were shipped for immediate treatment, several doses of Niko’s stem cells were put into cryopreservation. This is particularly valuable for a patient like Niko who will never have perfect, arthritis-free elbows. In fact, approximately 15 months after his initial treatment, Niko received a follow up treatment identical to his first using some of his banked stem cell doses. Niko’s additional cells will remain in cryopreservation and can be accessed for treatment as needed for the remainder of his life.

If you think your pet may benefit from treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy, contact us to receive a list of providers in your area.

All month long we’ve been discussing arthritis in honor of Arthritis Awareness Month. We’ve covered arthritis in cats and dogs as well as using exercise to manage your pet’s arthritis. Another tool to help reduce symptoms of arthritis and actually help to repair damaged cartilage tissue is VetStem Cell Therapy. This week, to wrap up our month of Arthritis Awareness blogs, we are sharing Gracie’s stem cell success story.

Gracie, a spirited Golden Retriever, was two years old when she suddenly could not stand up. Prior to this, her personality had changed as well. She went from being a rambunctious, active pup to very calm. It turns out, she was struggling with pain. Her owners immediately took her to the veterinarian where it was determined she has a bad case of bilateral hip dysplasia resulting in osteoarthritis. Hip dysplasia is a deformity of the ball and socket hip joint that occurs during growth. The deformity results in joint laxity (looseness) and eventually leads to osteoarthritis (OA). OA is a painful condition that can greatly reduce a dog’s quality of life.

Fortunately for Gracie, her veterinarian works with VetStem proponent Dr. Angie Zinkus at Germantown Parkway Animal Hospital. Dr. Zinkus has treated multiple arthritic patients with VetStem Cell Therapy and agreed Gracie was a good candidate for the procedure. In this particular case, Dr. Zinkus mentored Dr. Susannah Mays to familiarize her with the VetStem process.

First, Dr. Mays collected fat tissue from Gracie’s abdomen during a minimally invasive anesthetic procedure. The fat was aseptically packaged and shipped to the VetStem processing laboratory in Poway, California. Lab technicians processed the fat to extract and concentrate the stem and regenerative cells contained therein.

Gracie’s cells were divided into doses and a total of nine stem cell injections were shipped to her veterinarian for treatment while the rest were put into cryostorage. Approximately 48 hours after the initial fat collection procedure, Gracie received injections of her own stem cells in her hips, knees, elbows, shoulders, as well as an intravenous injection. According to Dr. Zinkus, though Gracie’s knees, elbows, and shoulders did not show signs of arthritis, she prefers to treat each joint as a preventative measure to help protect against the development of future osteoarthritis.

In addition to stem cell therapy, Gracie received platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections into her joints. PRP and stem cell therapy work synergistically. Concentrated platelets accelerate internal healing processes by attracting stem cells, supporting an anti-inflammatory environment, and stimulating local tissue repair processes.

According to Gracie’s owner, the stem cell and PRP treatment was a huge success! Her owner noted that it only took a few months before they noticed a vast improvement stating, “Gracie is back to her silly self, running as fast as she can to chase our backyard squirrels!! Thank you, VetStem and Dr. Zinkus for this wonderful solution to Gracie’s painful hips.”

Gracie’s story is just one of many that we have received from pet parents. As we discussed in a recent blog, Osteoarthritis is one of the most common diseases in dogs and pain associated with osteoarthritis can greatly reduce a dog’s quality of life. But VetStem Cell Therapy can help! According to surveys answered by owners and veterinarians, greater than 80% of dogs showed an improved quality of life after receiving VetStem Cell Therapy for osteoarthritis.

Curious if your dog may benefit from treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy? Speak to your veterinarian or contact us to receive a list of VetStem providers near you.

Tomorrow, March 25^th, is National Newfoundland Dog Day! Newfies are a unique breed and are often as sweet and gentle as they are big! Unfortunately, like all giant breeds, Newfies are prone to orthopedic issues like osteoarthritis and cruciate ligament injuries. This was exactly the case for Ava, a 115-pound, 3-year-old Newfoundland who partially tore her cruciate ligaments in both knees.

As a mellow dog, Ava was able to recover without surgical intervention and resumed her normal activities without any noticeable pain. That being said, when Ava was approximately 6 years old, she began showing signs of pain and decreased mobility, a result of the arthritis that had developed in her knees.

Ava’s veterinarian diagnosed Ava with moderate osteoarthritis in both knees and recommended treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy. Ava’s owner agreed, stating, “I have grown up with horses and had seen success stories of using stem cells to help ligament and tendon tears…and started researching VetStem. After all, a Newfoundland is really a mini pony.”

To begin the VetStem process, Ava’s veterinarian collected fat from her abdomen in a minimally invasive anesthetic procedure. The fat was aseptically packaged and shipped to the VetStem processing laboratory in Poway, California. Lab technicians processed the fat to extract and concentrate Ava’s stem and regenerative cells. Three injectable doses of Ava’s own stem cells were shipped to her veterinarian and approximately 48 hours after the initial fat collection procedure, Ava received one injection into each knee as well as an intravenous injection. The rest of her cells were put into cryopreservation for potential future use.

Ava’s owner noted that it took about four weeks to see significant improvement in her lameness and mobility. At six weeks post stem cell therapy, Ava could get up from lying down and walk normally. She no longer did mini-skips or awkwardly adjusted her weight between her back legs.  She was also able to discontinue her use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Nine months after treatment, Ava was examined, and her veterinarian noted that both knees felt very strong and stable compared to before the stem cell treatment.

Approximately two years later, Ava hurt her leg again while playing. Fortunately, she had banked stem cell doses from her initial treatment. This time, Ava’s veterinarian treated both of her knees and both of her elbows, where she had also developed arthritis. Like before, it took about four weeks before Ava’s owner noticed improvement in her mobility. She was able to trot and play with her sister Newfie and go on her normal thirty-minute walk. Prior to stem cell therapy, Ava’s owner stated that she could barely go on a five-minute walk. 

Just over a year and a half after Ava’s second stem cell treatment, her owner contacted VetStem to say that Ava was still doing well. At nearly ten years old, Ava was still moving around well and had not had any anti-inflammatory medication since four weeks post her second treatment with stem cells. Her owner stated, “I can’t recommend stem cell therapy enough…so many people who know her were able to see the difference in her level of comfort, which only validates her story in my eyes even more. Thank you VetStem, you truly saved my bear’s life and I will always be thankful for that!” If you think your pet may benefit from VetStem Cell Therapy, speak to your veterinarian or contact us to receive a list of providers near you.

Nickie has always been an animal lover so when she found her home without a dog, she went in search of a new companion to join her family. She soon found Casey, an 8-week-old Rough Collie, and this adorable ball of fluff joined their family.

Unfortunately, the joy of the puppy days was short lived. At just four months old, Casey began to not eat regularly. Nickie diligently tried every recommendation her veterinarian made and not only did Casey’s appetite not improve, but he began to have frequent bouts of diarrhea and vomiting. She tried a variety of commercial, homemade, and prescription diets with no relief. In conjunction with the diets, Casey’s veterinarian prescribed numerous medications, including a steroid called prednisone.

After a variety of diagnostics including X-rays, bloodwork, ultrasound, and biopsies of his GI tract, Casey was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). As indicated by the name, the intestines of a pet with IBD are chronically inflamed, resulting in symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, inappetence, and weight loss. Currently, the primary treatments are medical management via diet and steroids +/- additional supportive medications.

Casey continued his regimen of 7 different medications and a prescription diet with minimal control of his symptoms for nearly 3 years until routine bloodwork revealed that his liver enzymes were elevated. He had another ultrasound with biopsies of his liver that revealed the steroids were damaging his liver. He still struggled with frequent watery diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss as well as hair loss and red, inflamed skin. Nickie was distraught and questioned if the time had come to let Casey go.

At this time, Casey’s veterinarian suggested trying VetStem Cell Therapy. VetStem, a veterinary regenerative medicine company located in California, is currently researching the use of stem cells for the treatment of IBD. Stem cells have demonstrated the ability to down-regulate inflammation, modulate the immune system, and repair damaged tissue. Additionally, multiple clinical studies have demonstrated that stem cells can improve the symptoms of IBD.

Nickie and her husband were skeptical at first, wondering if this was snake oil or just another dead end in Casey’s treatment. After discussion and research, they decided to pursue stem cell treatment as a last resort. Casey had fat collected from his abdomen in a minimally invasive anesthetic procedure. The fat was aseptically packaged and shipped to the VetStem processing laboratory. Lab technicians processed the fat to isolate and concentrate the stem and regenerative cells contained therein. Therapeutic doses were then prepared for treatment.

Over the course of 10 months, Casey received 5 separate intravenous doses of his own stem cells. According to his owner, his symptoms have improved greatly and Nickie feels like she is finally getting to meet the real Casey. He now interacts with his family and even plays with them. He has made a best friend at the park that he loves to play with and takes long naps on the porch in the sun. He rolls over for belly rubs, which he had not done in the first 3 years of his life. 

Today, Casey eats well and is off all but one of his medications, including being completely off steroids. He has occasional IBD flare ups but nothing to the degree he experienced previously. He has grown back a full, thick Collie coat and loves to “talk” to Nickie and announce all the goings-on in his neighborhood. Nickie says that she has the wonderful problem that Casey is now slightly overweight, something she never thought she would see! Nickie says that without the excellent care of her veterinary team and VetStem Cell Therapy, Casey would not be here today.

Veterinary stem cell therapy, though not new, has gained significant traction in the last 10 years. Through ongoing research and treatment data, we continuously learn more about the many functions of stem cells and what diseases can be treated. VetStem has a variety of research programs, including the IBD program, to collect data and better understand how we can help pets. There is still much left to learn, and it is important to note that each animal responds differently to treatment.

If you think your pet may benefit from VetStem Cell Therapy, speak to your veterinarian or contact us to receive a list of VetStem providers near you.

Recently, we shared the success story of a sweet Husky mix named Kobi who was successfully treated with VetStem Cell Therapy for osteoarthritis in her elbows and wrists. Kobi’s story is special, in large part due to her traumatic start in life, followed by a harrowing prognosis after her parents learned she had severe osteoarthritis. Her owner’s submitted her story as a testimonial, and reading it gave us chills! So, while you may have already read VetStem’s version of the story, here is the full unedited version of Kobi’s story.

Kobi was a rescue through the Second Chance Pet Network in Dryden, Ontario. My husband Tom and I saw her on a Facebook post with her tiny curled husky tail and fell in love immediately, so we applied for adoption and set an appointment to meet her.

We learned that Kobi had a very rough beginning. She was found in November in a reservation in Northern Ontario, with no parents in sight. Her litter mates had passed away from the cold and only she and her brother were still alive, huddled in the middle together. The rescuers brought the two pups south to the shelter, and immediately realized the little boy was sick. Kobi and her brother were separated and he passed away soon after from parvovirus. Kobi was nursed back to health and eventually placed in a wonderful foster home.

When we met Kobi at nearly 8 months old, we couldn’t believe she hadn’t been adopted yet. When we visited her foster home, Kobi bounced right up to us and dropped onto her back to show her belly. I gave her a little rub and couldn’t believe how sweet she was. We loaded her up into the car and brought her home.

We introduced her to March (our 6-month-old German shepherd cross, adopted through the Winnipeg Shelter) and it was unconditional love at first sight. Day in and day out they wrestled and played but about 3 weeks after Kobi came home, she called for help from the yard. She was holding up her front leg, so I ran out and carried her inside. Hoping it was just a strain from hard play, we let her rest through the night. It did seem to improve, but then two days later, she called for help again and it was the opposite leg she was holding up. Puzzled, we made a vet appointment for her.

During the x-rays, it was obvious that the damage done to her little body in the cold had taken its toll, and as she grew, she developed dysplasia and arthritis in both front knees. She was put on pain killers and it was so hard seeing her dopey and hurting. Within a few weeks we were able to bring her to a surgeon nearly 6 hours away in Winnipeg and she had surgery on both front legs to correct the dysplasia and try to clean up some of the arthritis. It was so expensive, but very worth it, because it worked well! After a difficult and lengthy healing period, she was back to her nutty, bouncy self. The vet did say, however, that the arthritis was not a mild case and we’d be able to expect about 6 years before it became too much for anti-inflammatory and pain medication to handle.

That was hard to hear, but we’re stubborn people and we were determined Kobi was going to live her longest and best life. Over the next two years, Tom and I fostered 40 puppies and dogs, largely with the help and patience of March and Kobi. There were ups and downs with her comfort level but for the most part, Kobi was a happy, hilarious, quirky puppy.

In 2019, the 4 of us moved to Calgary, Alberta. A BIG city compared to where my country girls grew up, but they love a good adventure! After about a year and a half, when Kobi was creeping up to 5 years old, she started showing signs of pain and slowing down. Is a husky who can’t be the fastest dog at the Bark Park even a husky anymore? We visited a few vets looking for solutions and it was a really emotional time. I refused to believe the only option was pain medication and laser treatment until it was time to let her go. That was for old dogs and she was still just a puppy.

After a lot of tears and many hours of research, Tom found something called Stem Cell Therapy. We found Bow Bottom Veterinary Hospital in Calgary and they were incredible with Kobi. Dr. Schell identified that Kobi would be a great candidate for the treatment! It wasn’t an easy journey – another big surgery for our little husky to harvest the cells, but from there, the injections were easy peasy. After 3 weeks, it was clear that Kobi had never felt better. Literally! She’d NEVER been that comfortable before in her whole life. She played more and cuddled harder than ever before. It was incredible! Two weeks ago we all celebrated Kobi’s 6th birthday together. There was a point when we thought our time together would be up by now, but today she’s got a lot of years left and we’re going to make the best out of every single one of them. <3

In last week’s VetStem blog, we introduced you to veterinarian and stem cell therapy proponent, Dr. John Hutchens. Dr. Hutchens shared his thoughts and experiences regarding the use of VetStem Cell Therapy in his patients. Check it out if you haven’t already, it’s a good one with lots of great information.

This week, we are sharing the experience of one of Dr. Hutchens’ VetStem patients, Holly. Holly is a chocolate Lab that received VetStem Cell Therapy for osteoarthritis in her hips and knees. Her owners kept a near daily journal of her treatment and initial progress. It’s rare that we get such a glimpse into the stem cell recovery process, so we wanted to share this with you! Check it out below.

Tuesday, July 25, 2022

Holly, our 11-year-old Labrador Retriever, had surgery today to remove a small amount of adipose tissue (fat) from her abdomen. It was sent to VetStem in California and should arrive there tomorrow. VetStem will isolate the stem cells and prepare 5 shots for Holly, one for each hip and one for each knee, and one IV. The rest will be stored by cryopreservation for future use. Stem cells are used for regenerative purposes in dogs, cats, and horses. VetStem will send the shots and IV back to my vet on Thursday for injection Friday morning if all goes well.

Friday, July 28

When we arrived at the vet at 8:00 am, we were told the shipment had been delayed in Indiana and was not there yet. My vet, Dr. Hutchens, had already talked to VetStem and they assured him it would be here first thing this morning. Since the cells are viable for 48 hours after shipping, if we had to, we could wait and do the procedure Saturday morning. He was willing to come in on a Saturday if they didn’t show up this morning. He is awesome. This was a minor blessing because Holly had developed diarrhea Wednesday evening and it gave the vet time to give her some meds to settle her stomach and start an IV to hydrate her. We left Holly at the vet and prayed the shipment would arrive soon.

Around lunch time we got a call from the vet. The shipment had arrived right away. Holly had already gotten her injections and IV and we could pick her up at 4:30. She was bright, perky, and ready to go home. She had a lot of swelling from the injections, and she was very sore on her back legs. She looked like a checkerboard where her hair had been clipped for her surgery and from her shots. She woke up twice that night and had to be helped up so she could go out to relieve herself.

Saturday, July 30

Her legs are still very sore. She is having difficulty getting up off the floor. We don’t have carpet and she slips when trying to get up. I’ve had to lift her up several times when she needed to get up. She slept all night.

Sunday, July 31

Holly is getting up easier today. In the morning she was stiff and had a hard time getting up but this afternoon she is getting up on her own and walking more.

Monday, August 1

Holly is so much better today. She can get up on her own and trots down the hall, instead of walking! She goes up and down her outside ramp with ease. This afternoon I rolled her ball about 10 feet and she actually ran after it. She is as good as, and maybe slightly better than she was before all this.

Tuesday, August 2

Wow, Holly went for a walk around the back pasture with Don (husband). Normally, she would go halfway around the acre, and stop while he finished his walk. Today, she walked around it 5 times! She hasn’t done that in about a year. I’ve cut back on her pain meds. Before all this, she was on 1.5 Rimadyl tablets and 2 Gabapentin capsules every day. She is only on 1 Rimadyl tablet and 1 Gabapentin a day now.

Wednesday, August 3 and Thursday, August 4

Holly continues to improve. It’s been a while since she would sit up and now, she is sitting again instead of lying on the floor all day. Unfortunately, that means she is begging for food. LOL. She has more energy, less pain, and is much happier. Her quality of life is so much better now.

Friday, August 5

We took her back to the vet to have her stitches out. The vet was amazed at how much better she was. She went from not being able to get up on her own, to getting up by herself, trotting down the halls. She is going up and down her ramp with ease, sitting up and being happy again! I recommend stem cell therapy to anyone who has a dog, cat, or horse that has health problems that this could fix. It’s a regenerative medical therapy that will enable the body to repair, replace, restore, and regenerate damaged or diseased tissues using its own cells.

Monday, August 8

Today Holly ran from the living room to the side door and barked when Robin came over and rang the doorbell. She commented that Holly had not done that in quite some time. This is so awesome.

Friday, August 12

Holly ran about 3 feet today. We threw (rolled) a ball about 5 feet and she ran after it. It didn’t last long but she actually ran a little.

August 16 & 18. This is week 3.

This is amazing. Robin threw Holly’s ball about 50 feet. Holly took off running as fast as she could (not very fast), trying to catch it. It’s crazy how much she has improved! She tried going down the deck stairs but fell at the bottom. She is still not quite strong enough to use the stairs going down all the time. She still mostly uses the ramp. We changed her meds to 1.5 Rimadyl only. We think the Gabapentin was causing her diarrhea.

August 24 & 25

Holly woke up wanting to play! She playfully growled and barked and tried to grab Don’s hand while squirming around in her bed and wagging her tail. She loves playing with him and never bites. LOL. When we opened the gate to the front pasture, she ran about 50 feet to meet Abby, Robin’s dog. They bounced around for a minute, then each went their own way sniffing everything they could find. She is actually interested in being outside now instead of lying around in the house all day. The next morning, she was stalking squirrels. She ran half the yard’s length then slowed down to a walk when the squirrel climbed a tree. She found one of her beloved balls and carried it around with her for half an hour before going back in the house. I can’t believe how much energy she has now.

September – Week 1

Holly has started using our deck stairs to go down to the yard again! Before, she would use her ramp which has roofing shingles tacked on it so she wouldn’t slip. Now, she is strong enough that she doesn’t fall at the bottom step anymore. She still uses the ramp to get back up to the deck.

September – Week 2 (approx. 45 days after treatment with stem cells)

Holly ran all the way across our back yard this week. That’s about 100 feet! I also noticed that she has started jumping up and down a little when she gets really excited or someone comes to the house. These stem cells seem to still be working. I wonder what it could do for me. LOL. It’s like the Fountain of Youth!

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As you can see, VetStem Cell Therapy helped Holly live a better quality of life. At 11 years old with osteoarthritis in multiple joints, the treatment didn’t make her like a puppy again. But it did help her get moving so she could get back to some of her favorite things in life like playing with her ball, walking with dad, stalking squirrels, and greeting visitors. If you think your dog may benefit from treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy, speak to your veterinarian or contact us to receive a list of VetStem providers near you.

We have a special veterinarian highlight this week. This will actually be a two-part blog series in which we will learn about Dr. John Hutchens of Westmoreland and Slappey Animal Hospital this week and his patient, Holly, next week.

According to his bio on the hospital website, Dr. John Hutchens received his Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from the University of Georgia and his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine. He has been utilizing VetStem Cell Therapy since 2013. We recently caught up with Dr. Hutchens to ask him some questions about his use of stem cells.

Why do you find VetStem Cell Therapy to be a valuable addition to your practice?

VetStem Cell Therapy adds value to my practice by significantly improving my patient’s quality of life. Each of my patients have a special relationship with their human counterparts. That relationship can be greatly impacted by the pain associated with degenerative joint disease, arthritis, or injury. VetStem Cell Therapy helps to restore my patient’s ability to move comfortably, restoring their ability to enjoy life and interact with the family they love. There is HUGE value in providing relief of pain and suffering. You cannot put a monetary value on improving a pet’s quality of life and the relationship they have with their family. PRICELESS. 

What injuries/ailments do you typically treat with VetStem Cell Therapy?

I have used VetStem Cell Therapy to treat dogs with hip dysplasia and chronic arthritis of the knees and hips. I have treated the average family pet that couldn’t get up the stairs due to severe hip pain. I have also treated the working dog that was diagnosed with hip dysplasia whose human was told by a veterinarian he would no longer be able to do the job he loved. Guess what, after stem cell therapy he continued doing what he loved to do with comfort.

Please describe your ideal stem cell patient- what criteria must they meet in order to recommend stem cell therapy?

My ideal stem cell patient is a dog whose mind is ready and willing to go, but their joints tell them “NO”. This is a patient that wants to interact with the world around them, but because of pain, they just lie around watching the world go by. These are the patients that wag their tail when you walk in the door, but don’t get up because it just hurts too bad to move.

The things I want to know before deciding if a patient is a good candidate for stem cell therapy:

#1 Does the patient have cancer or a history of cancer?

#2 What therapeutics have they tried prior to stem cell therapy and what were the results?

#3 Are the clients willing to bring the patient back for follow up visits to assess progress?

What advice can you offer pet owners considering stem cell therapy for their pet?

Stem cell therapy sounds too good to be true, but in reality, it works! Stem cell therapy is safe, it’s effective, and it’s life changing. With stem cell therapy, you are utilizing your dog’s own naturally occurring healing properties, stem cells, to provide relief from joint pain. It’s not magic, it’s biology and amazing medical advancement.

We hear your patient, Holly, had a great response to treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy. Can you tell us a bit about her treatment and outcome?

I’ve seen Holly many times over the years and watched as her body began to suffer from the impact of degenerative joint disease. She is one of the absolute sweetest patients I see, but because of joint pain, Holly could not comfortably get up to greet me when I walked into the room. Holly had previously been prescribed Rimadyl, Gabapentin, and Adequan at different times to treat her pain and inflammation with mixed results. Ultimately, the discomfort seemed to overwhelm the therapeutics. During one of Holly’s appointments, I discussed the success I had with other patients, similar to Holly, that had experienced dramatic improvement using stem cell therapy. It didn’t take much to convince the Cooks that Holly needed stem cell therapy.

The VetStem Process

We obtained the fat necessary to harvest Holly’s stem cells from a small incision in her abdomen. Holly did fantastic through the collection procedure! The collected fat was then shipped overnight to VetStem for processing. Within 48 hours I was holding the healing power of Holly’s stem cells in my hands! AMAZING!

Holly was brought back into the office to receive her stem cell therapy two days after the collection procedure. Holly’s stem cells were injected in both of her hips, both knees, and given to her intravenously. She was sent home the same day for monitoring and recovery.

Holly returned seven days later to have the sutures from her abdominal incision removed. The response to treatment was AMAZING. I knew that stem cell therapy was effective, but what I saw that day was miraculous. Holly, the dog that could barely get up without help, was bouncing around the exam room like a brand new dog. I watched as a previously lame dog walked without assistance. Seeing her improvement brought tears to my eyes and a HUGE smile to my face.  I would say Holly is a tremendous stem cell success story.

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We would like to thank Dr. Hutchens for taking the time out of his very busy schedule to answer all of our questions. Hopefully his answers help you to make informed decisions about potentially treating your pet with stem cell therapy. Or, if you are in the Perry, GA area and are curious about VetStem Cell Therapy for your pet, Dr. Hutchens is a great resource. Also, follow him on Instagram @johnhutchensdvm for super cute and educational veterinary content!

When our pets are in pain, we will do whatever we can to make them more comfortable. That is why so many pet owners elect to have their pet treated with VetStem Cell Therapy. They all have one primary goal: to improve their pet’s quality of life. Keeping our pets happy and healthy is incredibly important. But when a dog’s pain is not only affecting their quality of life, but also their ability to perform very specialized tasks, getting them back to top shape is crucial.

That is the case with Jax, a German Shepherd and an explosive detection dog in Florida. Jax seemed to limp ever since he was a puppy. An X-ray revealed that he has bilateral hip dysplasia and osteoarthritis. Hip dysplasia is a deformity in the ball and socket joint of the hip that eventually leads to osteoarthritis. It is a painful condition that can greatly reduce a dog’s quality of life. And of course, it affected Jax’s ability to perform on the job.

Fortunately, Jax’s veterinarian, Dr. Jeff Christiansen of Superior Veterinary Surgical Solutions, recommended treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy. Dr. Christiansen has been utilizing VetStem Cell Therapy for over a decade and has previously provided stem cells for working police dogs.

To begin the process, fat was collected from Jax’s abdomen in a minimally invasive anesthetic procedure. The fat was processed at the VetStem processing laboratory to extract and concentrate the cells contained therein. Three injectable doses of Jax’s own stem cells were shipped to Dr. Christiansen for treatment. Jax received one injection into each hip and one intravenous dose.

According to his owner and handler, Jax responded well to the treatment. He stated, “Jax is a year and a half and, well, to say he’s a fantastic pup is an understatement. His limping is gone and he’s a typical GSD.” Jax received a follow up treatment with one IV dose approximately nine months after his initial treatment using some of his stored stem cells. Approximately two months after his second treatment, Jax’s owner said he is rocking the bomb work!

We love hearing stem cell success stories, especially when the treatment helps animals return to their important jobs like Jax! Keep up the good work, Jax!