Meet Scarlett – A 3 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who underwent Vet-Stem Cell Therapy to help her elbow and hip dysplasia.

“In the spring of 2010 at the age of 21 months I noticed that she wasn’t enjoying her walks – she was walking slower, dragging behind and sometimes even stopping and wanting me to carry her. This was a young dog that used to walk for hours and loved visiting with all of the neighbors.  We were sent to Dr. Gassel at Southern California Vet Specialty Hospital and after some specialized tests found out that she did have elbow dysplasia in both elbows. We also found out that she had hip dysplasia. I was concerned at first because this was something new to me but Dr. Gassel felt Scarlett was a good candidate for this procedure. Read the rest of this entry »

We are always pleased to hear happy stories of our patients. Below is the story of Hannah and how stem cell therapy helped her to overcome arthritis pain so that she could continue to serve others.

“Our Border Collie, Hannah, has hip dysplasia and our orthopedic vet Dr. Pam Nichols, at Animal Care Center K-9 Rehab Center, told us both hips were equally bad ….some of the worst she’d ever seen (hip dysplasia is one of the leading causes of arthritis in dogs). She was afraid Hannah would have to have both hips replaced to ensure a long active life; but suggested that we try stem cells first. Hannah used to use her front paws to pull herself up at times after a lot of running or play and the arthritis was very invasive. She was not making any extra trips upstairs and was unable to even stand on her hind legs. Read the rest of this entry »

Pain relief is not the first thing you think of when you think of stem cells, but years of working with dogs and horses has taught us that pain relief is a significant reason that stem cell therapy helps dogs and cats achieve a better quality of life and horses to return to performance.  Vet-Stem will be attending the IVAPM meeting (International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management) in Nashville September 14-18.  We look forward to meeting with pain management experts who currently utilize stem cell therapy so that we can learn the latest methods to use stem cell therapy to reduce pain. Read the rest of this entry »

Here is a recent email from a dog owner.  Simply put, this is why we do what we do.

“Here’s a picture of Yogi at the beach.  He’s in great shape, 2 years after the stem cell treatment.  We joke that he goes around singing “I feel good” in a James Brown voice.

Yogi was infected with 3 tick born diseases including Lyme’s about 2 and ½ years ago.  The Lyme’s, together with significant hip dysplasia, proved a terrible combination. He got so bad (even after weeks of antibiotics that cleared up the Lyme’s) that in the evenings he stiffened up so much he could barely get up from a lying or sitting position.   Some days he was in so much pain he didn’t want to go for the daily park outings with the other household dogs and would just sit forlornly on the deck.

Read the rest of this entry »

In an article in DVM Newsmagazine September 1, 2010, Dr. Sherman O. Canapp, DVM, MS, CCRT, Dipl. ACVS describes three options for optimal care and comfort for dogs with elbow arthritis.  Dr. Canapp is a nationally-recognized veterinary surgeon with a specialty practice in the Baltimore area that specializes in sports medicine for dogs.  He has presented the last two years at the American Veterinary Medical Association annual meetings on his use of stem cell therapy in the elbow and stifle for repair of serious sports injuries.

This particular article is the third in a three-part series covering the treatment of elbow disease in dogs, where Dr. Canapp reviews intra-articular medical treatment options for dogs.  Treatment with adipose derived stem cells is featured prominently in the article and in the associated table (see below) showing sustained duration of effect.  Read the entire article for more information.

As someone who has seen his own dogs age and lose their vitality as arthritis sets in, I know just how it feels to wistfully recall the puppy days, when walks could never be too long, couches were never too high, and stairs were never a challenge. We’re even able to forget all the potty accidents in the house and all the things that were chewed beyond salvation, longing to have that energetic, pain-free soul back. Here’s a story about hope fulfilled. Read the rest of this entry »

We tend to think of larger breeds such as Labradors and Shepherds when talking about hip dysplasia, but smaller dogs can be afflicted with the joint abnormality as well. And although the defect is present at birth, some dogs go undiagnosed for many years because they don’t outwardly appear to have a problem; it’s only as they get older and have difficulty rising or getting around that owners seek treatment. The pain that Raina, a nine year old Cocker Spaniel with hip dysplasia, was suffering from had progressed to the point that her owner had to carry her outside on her bed so she could relieve herself. Read the rest of this entry »

Last month I shared the story of Ruggles, the Deutsch Drahthaar whose arthritis had kept her from accompanying her owner on the hunting trips she loved. Rather than relying on lifelong medications for pain relief, her owner opted for Vet-Stem Cell Therapy with Dr. Jim Mathias at Tipp City Veterinary Hospital and Wellness Center in Ohio. Now Ruggles’ return to full performance, as both a hunting companion and a family member, is featured on People Magazine’s peoplepets.com.

Recognizing the signs of aging is important if we want our pets to have a good quality of life in their golden years.

A visit to the vet may be needed if you notice any of the following in order to know if your dog is aging normally or if there are things you can do to help them:

•   Change in energy level, gets tired more easily, not as playful

•   Personality change- more grumpy towards dogs and or humans Read the rest of this entry »

Stem cells have been and will continue to be a hot news topic.  They are praised, cursed, debated and researched.  So what do we know about how they actually work? 

First, these little cells we call “stem cells” can be found anywhere in the body.  You are alive right now because your own stem cells replace the hundreds of millions of cells you lose every day as a part of normal living.  They are your “spare parts” and are essential.  If your dog has arthritis, stem cells help replace the lost cartilage caused by the disease.  Read the rest of this entry »