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.

Siberian Huskies have a reputation as a particularly spirited breed, so when his owners noticed that their 10 year old Husky Forge was stumbling on walks and stopped jumping up on the bed, they knew it was time to seek treatment. Radiographs revealed hip dysplasia and arthritis, advanced to the point that total hip replacement was suggested. Rather than subjecting Forge to the pain and extended recovery time of total hip replacement, his owners instead chose to give stem cells a try. Dr. Kristi Oldham at Bees Ferry Veterinary Hospital in Charleston, South Carolina injected both of Forge’s hips with his own stem cells in February of 2010. Since then, Forge has become like a new dog, no longer stumbling on walks or showing signs of pain or discomfort. According to his owners, prior to receiving Vet-Stem Cell Therapy people would remark how old he looked. Now, “We have actually been asked on more than one occasion if Forge is fully grown yet. People are amazed when we tell them how old he is or that he has arthritis because he looks and acts so much younger now.”