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 »

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.

With the advent of the internet the amount of information both accurate and interesting is absolutely amazing. As a veterinarian I am constantly challenged to keep current with all the latest advancements, and with stem cells this can really be a challenge. A common search engine for medical literature is PubMed (use www.pubmed.gov if link does not work). Over the past few years the number of reviewed papers on fat derived stem cells has seen incredible growth. There are advances in what stem cells are being used for and in the knowledge of how stem cells do what they do. Read the rest of this entry »

This next couple of blogs will help you determine if your pet is the ONE out of four dogs that suffers from the pain and immobility caused by arthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA), also known as degenerative arthritis, degenerative joint disease, or just “wear and tear”, is a condition in which low-grade inflammation results in pain in the joints. The result is pain and wearing of the cartilage that covers the bones of the joints. Read the rest of this entry »

How does it feel to get your dog back to a more comfortable quality of life? We asked pet owners whose dogs had received stem cell therapy for osteoarthritis how their dogs quality of life changed? The results are in!

Greater than 80% of dogs showed an improved quality of life according to owners and veterinarians and 85% said they would refer Vet-Stem cell therapy to a friend.

Many stories we hear from owners range from “now my dog can go outside by himself unassisted” to “you gave me my puppy back!”

What are some things that you wish your dog could do again?

Owner Spotlight: Deanna and Zach Winter

For 14-year-old Zack, “His main problem is arthritis,” said owner Deanna Winter. “Trouble walking, trouble sitting and going upstairs.” So she decided to take him to see Dr. Ealing at Broad Ripple Animal Clinic, where he recommended stem cell therapy using stem cells from his own fat. “His quality of life was going down. He couldn’t make it around the block anymore,” said Winter. Read the rest of this entry »