As our avid readers know, we like to acknowledge and celebrate various pet and veterinary “holidays” in our blog. Today happens to be an unusual but fun one: it’s Penguin Awareness Day! But what does this mean and why is it relevant to VetStem?

Well, first a little bit of history. Penguin Awareness Day gained popularity amongst scientists and other related institutions in 2010. Their main goal was to highlight their penguin research and to get the public interested in conservation. Today, Penguin Awareness Day aims to educate the public about penguins and their natural habitat and to learn about the effects of climate change on the various populations of penguins. Unfortunately, penguin numbers around the world are dwindling.

It is a terrible thing when animals become endangered or extinct. At VetStem we are proud to say that we have helped several penguins live a better quality of life! Several penguins have actually received VetStem Cell Therapy for conditions such as degenerative joint disease. And like in dogs and horses, they have experienced a better quality of life as a result!

Click here to see a video about VetStem Cell Therapy for penguins. Though an older video, at approximately 36:00 minutes, Dr. Todd Schmitt at SeaWorld San Diego begins talking about their penguin conservation efforts. He talks a bit about using VetStem Cell Therapy to treat arthritis in penguins and there is even a video of the first-ever penguin to be treated with stem cells.

While it may not seem like much, we are extremely proud that VetStem has a small part in penguin conservation. To date, VetStem Cell Therapy has improved the quality of life in numerous penguins, thereby helping them to live longer and more comfortably. We do not take our role in exotic animal conservation lightly and continue to further our efforts in this field.

Lately, we’ve shared news about our work with several species of exotic animals. VetStem has worked with a number of exotic animal organizations around the U.S. to provide stem cell therapy to sick and injured animals. You may remember our recent blogs about elephants and aquatic animals.

We’ve also discussed our work with bears, including Francis and Brody. Francis is a sun bear from the San Diego Zoo that received VetStem Cell Therapy for arthritis in several joints. Brody, a juvenile black bear in Florida, received VetStem Cell Therapy in conjunction with surgery for a condition that is similar to hip dysplasia in dogs. In addition to degenerative and congenital diseases, VetStem Cell Therapy has been used to treat traumatic injuries such as a sea turtle who was injured by a propeller as well as viral diseases as discussed in our blog about elephants.

Recently, VetStem Chief Development Officer, Dr. Anne Hale, visited The Preserve in Texas to discuss the use of stem cells in some of their older elephants and giraffes. According to their website, “The Preserve is dedicated to expanding elephant education, knowledge, and conservation. These efforts have brought about numerous professional accolades and recognition. We’re committed to doing our part to help save elephants from extinction.”

Dr. Hale stated, “I was honored to meet The Preserve family and look forward to supporting their efforts to keep these wonderful animals healthy and happy.”

At VetStem, we recognize our duty to these exotic and endangered animals. We take our job very seriously when it comes to the research and development of innovative regenerative medicine treatments for animals and diseases that have minimal treatment options. For those who may be interested in having an exotic animal treated or contributing to the exotic animal cell therapy program, we encourage you to reach out to VetStem personnel.