Jan 5, 2010

Is my dog too old for stem cell therapy?

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 »

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Dec 29, 2009

What does a stem cell lab look like?

lab 2I 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 »
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Dec 24, 2009

Stem Cell Therapy For Arthritis – How Long Will It Last?

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 »

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Dec 21, 2009

When we lose a close companion…..

This blog is all about hope and helping our furry friends have the best quality of life possible.  But eventually, we all reach that point where we have to decide if it is time to say goodbye.  In each of our lifetimes, we may have to tread this path 4-5 times, or more for those of us with multiple buddies.

My wife, Sue and I had to make this decision this last week.  Our border collie, Ritz, was 13.  A sudden paralysis of her hind end was the first symptom.  Since we are in the stem cell business, I immediately took her to a quality clinic here in San Diego, and Dr. Nancy Hampel did a complete examination.  Read the rest of this entry »

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Dec 11, 2009

You can bank your pet’s stem cells for use in the future too!

I was recently interviewed on a live pod cast with my friends at Pet Sentinel and I am always blown away by the love and dedication that pet owners have towards their best friends.  I thought in this blog I would address a lot of the common questions that came up during our discussion.  A common question was “Can I store the extra cells for use in the future?”  So if you and your veterinarian have chosen stem cell therapy as the right choice for your pet, then you already understand the basic process:  your vet will collect a small fat sample, the lab purifies out the stem cells, and then they are injected back into the painful joint.  But that is not the end of the story.  Read the rest of this entry »

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Dec 2, 2009

1 in 4 dogs are affected by arthritis

Posted by Bob under Dog Arthritis

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 »

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Nov 25, 2009

Five quick tips for dog owners to avoid Lyme Disease from ticks

Posted by Bob under Dog Arthritis, from the vet

In our previous post (See post on November 21, 2009) we discussed other causes of arthritis in dogs such as Lyme Disease.  Since Lyme Disease is a tick borne disease, here are five quick tips you can use to help your dog avoid an infection disease caused by ticks:

Read the rest of this entry »

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Nov 19, 2009

Stem cells relieve arthritis pain in Barney

These are the great stories I love to come across. Sarah Perham had her dog Barney treated with stem cells, and the results were so amazing to her, she started a website and blog about her dog’s stem cell procedure. Read the rest of this entry »

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Nov 17, 2009

Arthritis in the dog, Man’s Best Friend or Man’s Best Model?

A common question is “when will this be available for humans?” New therapies do take longer to be allowed in people, but the good news is that Vet-Stem has collected very valuable data from the thousands of dogs and horses that we have helped veterinarians treat for OA and tendon and ligament injuries. The dog is actually a very good model for human osteoarthritis. Dogs are also prone to similar soft tissue injuries such as cruciate ligament ruptures (ACL, knee injury) and tears, conditions that veterinarians have seen great improvement in healing by using stem cells. Read the rest of this entry »

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Nov 14, 2009

The science of stem cells for arthritis & other diseases

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 »

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