Today is National Welsh Corgi Day! As a tribute to Corgis everywhere, we wanted to share a special VetStem success story about an agility Corgi named Kirby.

Kirby is a fun-loving Pembroke Welsh Corgi who began competing in agility at just one and a half years old. His path, however, was not without hurdles. At around four years old, Kirby began to experience intermittent lameness in his hips and left knee, threatening to derail his agility career. His veterinarian employed a range of treatments, from cold laser therapy to underwater treadmill sessions and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. While these interventions offered temporary relief, Kirby’s lameness persisted, prompting his mom to explore alternative solutions.

Determined to find a lasting solution, Kirby’s mom elected to have him treated with VetStem Cell Therapy. To begin the process, Kirby underwent a minimally invasive procedure to harvest fat tissue from his abdomen. Kirby’s fat was processed at the VetStem laboratory to extract and concentrate his stem and regenerative cells. Five injectable stem cell doses were shipped to his veterinarian and approximately 48 hours after the initial fat collection procedure, Kirby received injections of his own stem cells into his hips and knees, as well as an intravenous injection.

The results were remarkable. Within a mere two months, Kirby showed significant improvement, and was able to return to agility competition with an 80% qualifying rate. He was also able to enjoy long hikes with his mom each week. His owner stated, “I’m so grateful to VetStem for their help and that they have his cells in storage so we can give him more injections in the future if needed!!”

Like Kirby, many dogs suffer from pain associated with osteoarthritis, which can greatly affect their quality of life. According to surveys answered by owners and veterinarians, greater than 80% of dogs showed an improved quality of life after receiving VetStem Cell Therapy for orthopedic conditions. Do you think your dog may benefit from treatment with stem cells? Speak to your veterinarian or contact us to receive a list of providers near you.