Gogo

In previous blogs  I introduced you to Gogo, a male German Shepherd who was recently retired from the bomb squad.  Gogo’s job was  to keep the airport safe from terrorist threats.  The sad thing is that Gogo loved his job and would still be out there working hard if his arthritis in his hips and elbows hadn’t been so painful. Despite trying all the latest in pain killers, Gogo just could not tolerate the

medications.  His handler had heard about stem cells and there happened to be a very experienced veterinary surgeon that used stem cells on many of his patients just down the street.    Dr Gassell examined Gogo and felt that the stem cells might reduce the pain and inflammation that the arthritis in Gogo’s hips and elbows was causing.  This first video shows Gogo before his stem cell treatment.   Note the difference in Gogo’s attitude, energy level and how he moves 3 weeks after stem cell treatment in the hips and elbows for arthritis.

The internet has quickly become a resource to many pet owners, especially those seeking new solutions for their dog’s arthritis. In this Examiner article, Dr. Selmer does a great job of taking a complicated subject of stem cell therapy for dog arthritis and making it an easy read. In the video embedded in the article, you will see how a dedicated pet owner used the internet to find new solutions for her dog’s arthritis pain due to elbow dysplasia.

Stem cells are quickly becoming many veterinarians’ treatment of choice for pets that have pain due to arthritis.  But with over 50,000 veterinarians in the country, many are still learning about this new therapy.  While there are veterinarians like Dr. Michel Selmer who researched new solutions for his patients suffering from arthritis pain and are now offering stem cell therapy, many veterinarians hear about this new modality from their clients.  At Vet-Stem we have created a letter for pet owners to download and share with their veterinarian.

Clinical Trial in Dogs with Hip Dysplasia Shows that Stem Cells Alleviate Pain from Arthritis

Veterinarians strive to practice the highest level of medicine by using products and techniques that have solid evidence to support effectiveness.  Vet-Stem was the first company to conduct and publish the results of a clinical trial in dogs that were suffering from arthritis pain associated with hip dysplasia.   Many of these dogs were crippled from arthritis and their owners had tried many different therapies to treat the pain.  For a few of the dogs, being in the study was a last resort. 
Read the rest of this entry »

Once it was determined that Gogo was a good candidate for stem cell therapy, his veterinarian did a full pre-surgical work up to determine if Gogo’s kidney, liver, heart and other organs were in good working order.  In order to collect the fat from Gogo, he would need to go under anesthesia for a brief time.  His blood work and chest films came back with information that determined he was a healthy senior citizen.  Read the rest of this entry »

Last week I had the honor of presenting our Vet-Stem stem cell treatment success data at the First North American Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Meeting.  Sponsored by our partners at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, it was an incredibly intense and exciting stem cell meeting focused specifically on veterinary medicine.  I presented data on arthritis in horses and arthritis in dogs and how stem cells can reduce the pain and improve quality of life and even performance.  There were over 40 presentations from universities, private practices, and industry.  The amount of sharing and open discussion frankly surprised me.  It is the first of many to come I am sure.  In my upcoming blogs I will provide you with a glimpse into some of the exciting possibilities being researched.  But for now, be proud that the data from your dogs and your horses (those that have used stem cells) was the most solid and clinical proof of how well these cells work in real patients.  I presented data on over 3,500 cases of orthopedic injury and disease including pain from arthritis and how animals can return to a useful and happy life after treatment with stem cells from adipose (fat) by their Vet-Stem trained veterinarian.

Guest Blog by Dr. James Gaynor:

Is it hard to tell if your dog hurts?  Sometimes.  A limping dog or a dog not using the leg may be obvious.  Dogs do not bear full weight on a leg for 1 of 3 reasons:  1- it hurts; 2- it is unstable (maybe from a fracture); 3- it has neurologic problems (this may be more likely to be seen as dragging rather than limping).  The problem is that dogs may hurt in many more places than just their legs.  The key to recognizing pain is to realize that any CHANGE in your dog’s BEHAVIOR may indicate a painful condition like arthritis caused by hip or elbow dysplasia.
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Can you guess which dog has arthritis? 

You may have guessed the Irish wolfhound, and that would be a good guess.  Large breed dogs usually do fall victim to growth problems that can result in pain, limping and ultimately arthritis.  You might have guessed the Labrador retriever, again a good guess.  The Labrador retriever is the most popular breed of dog in the United States.  Their great nature and sporting build also put them at risk for future arthritis due to the high activity level some of them do as a sporting breed.  Read the rest of this entry »

We care so much about the health of our dogs, especially when it comes to weight and sometimes the parallels between human health and dog health are surprising.  Just as people search for low calorie food and often find the labels to be confusing, low calorie dog food labels can be misleading as well.  There is a link between being overweight and arthritis in people AND in our pet buddies!   Read the rest of this entry »

As pet owners, it’s always hard to see your dog in pain.  But, it’s also helpful to know there are things you can do to help decrease your dog’s pain when it’s caused by arthritis and hip dysplasia.    This documentary about a beautiful white shepherd named Malibu, also known to her friends as Boo, illustrates what her condition was before and after Vet-Stem cell therapy. You can see how her hip dysplasia set her up for a life of pain due to arthritis and how Vet-Stem has helped her live a happier life.  The strong bond between Boo and her owners is evident, and now her quality of life has improved.  To quote Boo’s owner, “technology saved the day!” And thanks to Dr Benjamin Ealing and the Broad Ripple Animal Clinic for recommending this amazing new treatment.

I wanted to introduce you to our friends at Pet Sentinel.  Pet Sentinel is a site that offers podcasts called Expert Fireside Chats.

Each Fireside Chat is an interview with an accomplished expert/specialist in the field of pet issues (pet health, pet treatment, pet nutrition, pet management, pet psychology, pet care, and so on).   There is a focused 25-minute conversation with them on a topical subject (e.g. new cures for common pet ailments, new nutritional breakthroughs for pets, whole and natural pet foods, insights on pet behavior, natural ways to train and discipline pets (without use of force or any “strict” traditional means) and so on). The conversation is recorded, and the mp3 recording or podcast made available via The Pet Sentinel website to its community.  We were honored to be invited to participate and share what we have learned about using stem cells for dogs with joint pain.

Our episode was recently posted to their website and can be found by clicking the link below.

Episode 2 (12/11/2009): Dr. Bob Harman and Dr. Julie Ryan Johnson’s Expert Fireside Chat (TM) on “Stem-Cell Therapy: The Cutting-Edge of Regenerative Veterinary Medicine”