Can you guess how old Bebe is?
Recently the NBC news followed up with Bebe Miller, a dog that was treated a few years ago. I challenge you to watch this video and see if you can guess her age. I will give you a hint, she is over 70 in dog years and still enjoying the dog park at mach speeds.
I think it is really admirable that many pet owners will adopt from shelters and rescues, thereby giving that lucky dog or cat a whole new life. Those new pet owners have made an emotional as well as financial investment in their new family members. Besides behavioral issues, many dogs may have found their way into shelters because former pet owners could not afford the treatment and care for orthopedic issues. There are also dogs that have been lost or abandoned for some time, and as a result of being on the streets, may have suffered injuries that have not healed correctly. That is why I wanted to share the story of Tommy Boy, a gorgeous Golden Retriever rescue in the loving care of his foster mom Sarah through the SCGRR, Southern California Golden Retriever Rescue. Tommy ended up in a shelter and was originally misdiagnosed with bone cancer. He was taken to a foster home to die in a better setting. Follow up x-rays and then ultimately an MRI confirmed that Tommy didn’t have cancer but he had a horrible broken pelvis. Tommy’s veterinarian suggested stem cell therapy to see if an amputation of his rear leg could be avoided. The rescue then raised the funds for the surgery and Vet-Stem reduced the cost of the stem cell processing and a year later Tommy’s radiographs continue to show improvement. We wish Tommy and all the rescues out there that help special patients like Tommy a very Happy 2010!
click here to read Tommy Boy’s whole story.
A common question pet owners ask when considering treatments for their dog or cat. I asked two very prominent veterinarians, Dr. Jamie Gaynor and Dr. Mike Hutchinson, to share with us their thoughts on this concern.
Dr. Jamie Gaynor, Owner of Peak Performance Veterinary Group, boarded anesthesiologist and internationally recognized pain expert likes to remind pet owners about the value of quality of life. Though an older dog may not have a long lifespan, the quality of those last months is extremely important. For example, a thirteen year old dog may not live more than an additional 2 years- but making those dogs feel better, move more comfortably during the remaining time left is a blessing to both dog and pet owner. He feels it is all about the quality of life.
Dr. Mike Hutchinson, Owner of Animal General of Cranberry and host of his own radio program, Animal General relayed to me the following story. Read the rest of this entry »
Dr. Ben Ealing has been performing stem cell therapy treatment for dogs since early November 2008. In the eight months he’s been performing this therapy, he’s seen very positive results.
One of our earliest cases is a dog named Sunshine. Read the rest of this entry »
I would imagine that none of you have ever been in a stem cell lab. It is a fascinating technology and the laboratory used at Vet-Stem is truly state-of-the-art. We have had hundreds of visitors tour the lab since the opening in 2003, but regular tours are not conducted while samples are being processed. We handle the fat sample shipped in by a veterinarian with great care and it is never opened to the room air. We open the sample tube only inside a sterile hood where the air is filtered through a HEPA air filter that removes contaminants such as bacteria or dust. Below is a look at one of the “hoods” for handling samples. Read the rest of this entry »When your pet is treated with adipose stem cells for arthritis in their joints, it is common to ask how long the treatment will last and when should you expect to need to retreat. In survey data returned from owners of dogs treated with Vet-Stem therapy, over 2/3 of all dogs are not retreated during the first year. Read the rest of this entry »
So my Dog is Pleasantly Plump??
It is hard to not give in when we think our dogs are ‘starving’. Did you know that if you can maintain a healthy weight for your dog you can actually reduce the chance of your dog getting arthritis by 33%!! Dogs that are overweight are also treated for the pain associated with arthritis at an earlier age. Overweight dogs also rupture their cruciate ligament (ligament in the knee) 2-3 times more often than dogs of normal weight. Convinced yet??
So what is the secret to loosing and keeping weight off? Read the rest of this entry »
Do you ever share your snack with your dog? You and your dog probably share a love of food and you have a lot in common. You play together. You eat and relax together. And if you aren’t careful about how much you eat and relax, you both might pack on unwanted weight together – excess fat that can be tough to shed.
Canine obesity is an important – and very common – medical condition with serious health implications. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has estimated that there are 41.2 million pet dogs in the United States. Other sources estimate 40 percent of those dogs, approximately 17 million, are overweight or obese. Read the rest of this entry »
Arthritis affects 46 million humans (1 in 5 adults)1 and 11 million dogs (1 in 4 adult dogs)2. It is a chronic health problem for both people and their canine counterparts, causing pain, loss of mobility, and a diminished quality of life.
For the first time ever, Pfizer Animal Health and the Arthritis Foundation are joining together –this unique partnership between a human-health disease foundation and an animal-health company is the first joint venture to explore the insights, facts, and treatment solutions for both human and canine arthritis sufferers alike. Read the rest of this entry »
Garry Jenkins, based in London, has written a great post about stem cells for dog arthritis on his blog Canine Health.
He covers what Stem Cell Therapy is, how it works, and how stem cells can improve your dog’s life.
“Dogs suffer from a range of orthopaedic problems – from arthritis, osteoarthritis and hereditary dysplasia of the hip and elbow joints, to torn tendons and ligaments and bone fractures. Veterinarians have begun achieving startling results with a revolutionary new treatment, involving the injection of stem cells extracted from the patient’s own fatty tissue.” Read more…