Arthritis in dogs is hard at any age. But it’s especially heartbreaking when puppies are diagnosed with arthritis. That was the case for Ellie Mae, a hound mix, who was diagnosed with bilateral hip dysplasia resulting in osteoarthritis.

At approximately nine months old, Ellie Mae started limping. Soon after that, she stopped putting any weight on her back left leg and would cry every time she had to get up. Eventually, she stopped wanting to play at all. A trip to the veterinarian revealed that Ellie has osteoarthritis in both hips as a result of hip dysplasia.

A hereditary condition, hip dysplasia is a deformity of the ball and socket hip joint that occurs during growth. The deformity results in joint laxity (looseness) and eventually leads to osteoarthritis (OA). OA is a painful condition that can greatly reduce a dog’s mobility and quality of life.

Fortunately for Ellie, her veterinarian Dr. Glenn Behan of Barnegat Animal Clinic, recommended treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy. To begin the process, Dr. Behan collected fat tissue from Ellie Mae in a minimally invasive anesthetic procedure. The fat was shipped to the VetStem laboratory where technicians extracted her stem cells to create doses for treatment and cryopreservation. Approximately 48 hours after the initial fat collection procedure, Ellie Mae received one dose of her own stem cells into each hip.

According to Ellie Mae’s owner, “Nothing worked until the stem cells.” After her treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy, Ellie Mae slowly began to get better. Her owner stated, “It took about 2-3 months after the stem cell treatment, and she was running around like she never had a problem. She loves to run and go on walks with no problems. Rolls around and even shows her belly again when rolling on her back. She is about 15 months old now and is a crazy playful girl and enjoying playing with her sisters once again!”

VetStem Cell Therapy is used by veterinarians to treat a wide variety of injuries and diseases and may provide relief when, as in Ellie Mae’s case, other treatments are not working. VetStem Cell Therapy utilizes the body’s natural healing cells to accelerate and improve the quality of healing for acute conditions and to slow, stop, and ultimately revert the course of chronic diseases. If you think your pet may benefit from treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy, speak to your veterinarian or contact us to receive a list of VetStem providers near you.