Recently, the VetStem sales and marketing team attended two veterinary shows. One team was in Lexington, KY at the International Society of Equine Locomotor Pathology (ISELP) Proximal Forelimb and Neck Connection module while the other team was in Nashville, TN at the Fetch Nashville conference. At both shows, we were excited to announce that our platelet-rich plasma (PRP) products, PrecisePRP™ Canine and PrecisePRP™ Equine, have completed FDA review.

PrecisePRP™ is intended to provide a species-specific source of concentrated platelets in plasma for intra-articular administration and is unlike any PRP mechanical kit currently on the market. PrecisePRP™ is a freeze-dried, donor-derived (allogeneic) platelet-rich plasma product. Unlike mechanical PRP kits, PrecisePRP™ does not require a blood draw or centrifugation, nor refrigeration, making it a truly off-the-shelf product that is easy and convenient.

Perhaps more important is the uniformity and consistency that PrecisePRP™ provides with its unique patent pending manufacturing process. Each vial of PrecisePRP™ contains a consistent dose of 4 billion platelets per vial at a concentration of 500,000 platelets per microliter and is leucoreduced with less than 1500 white blood cells per microliter. Additionally, each lot is quality tested before release.

According to the FDA, PrecisePRP™ Canine and PrecisePRP™ Equine are the only FDA-reviewed PRP products for dogs and horses available to veterinarians. Both products underwent thorough evaluations by the Center for Veterinary Medicine that resulted in formal risk reviews. According to the FDA, “the developer of PrecisePRP properly identified and appropriately mitigated the potential risks associated with the product, and the FDA has no additional safety concerns.”

Understandably, veterinarians are very excited about these new products. PrecisePRP™ is not only easy, it’s also consistent, allowing veterinarians to know that the PRP they are injecting has been quality tested for sterility, platelet count, and potency. In providing a more consistent product and what is believed to be a therapeutic dose of PRP, the goal is to achieve more favorable outcomes. To learn more about PrecisePRP™, visit our website.

Platelet-rich plasma has been used in veterinary medicine for over 20 years. It is commonly used to treat musculoskeletal diseases and injuries such as osteoarthritis and injured tendons and ligaments. It has also been used topically for wounds and corneal ulcers as well as several other indications. The principle of PRP therapy is to accelerate lagging internal healing processes by amplifying the biological signals that would naturally occur when platelets aggregate at a site of injury. By concentrating platelets and releasing more of those growth factors than would naturally occur, the intended effect is to attract stem cells and other healing cells to stimulate local tissue repair processes.

Today is German Shepherd day so we thought we’d share a special VetStem success story about a bomb sniffing German Shepherd named Jax. Like many large dog breeds, German Shepherds are predisposed to hip dysplasia and arthritis. And unfortunately, Jax was diagnosed with the condition at a young age.

Hip dysplasia is a deformity in the ball and socket joint of the hip that eventually leads to osteoarthritis. It is a painful condition that can greatly reduce a dog’s quality of life. And of course, it affected Jax’s ability to perform on the job.

Jax’s veterinarian, Dr. Jeff Christiansen of Superior Veterinary Surgical Solutions, recommended treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy. Dr. Christiansen has been utilizing VetStem Cell Therapy for over a decade and has previously provided stem cells for working police dogs. To begin the process, fat was collected from Jax’s abdomen in a minimally invasive anesthetic procedure. The fat was processed at the VetStem processing laboratory to extract and concentrate the cells contained therein. Three injectable doses of Jax’s own stem cells were shipped to Dr. Christiansen for treatment. Jax received one injection into each hip and one intravenous dose.

According to his owner and handler, Jax responded well to the treatment. He stated, “Jax is a year and a half and, well, to say he’s a fantastic pup is an understatement. His limping is gone and he’s a typical GSD.” Jax has been maintained on a yearly intravenous injection of his stored stem cells for the past couple of years. Last we heard, Jax is rocking the bomb work! Way to go, Jax!

Jax

Many animals have received VetStem Cell Therapy without, or sometimes instead of, surgery. There are numerous cases where stem cells can help the body to heal naturally without having to undergo an invasive surgery. That being said, there are times when surgery is absolutely necessary. In these cases, VetStem Cell Therapy is great to use in conjunction with surgery to help improve and expedite healing.

Raven, an Italian Greyhound, was just a puppy when she got her front leg caught in a fence, resulting in a broken radius and ulna. The break required extensive reparative surgery, which included a steel plate and eight screws to anatomically reduce the bones and to prevent shortening and angular and/or rotational deformity. Fortunately, Raven was in the very skilled hands of veterinary surgeon and VetStem proponent, Dr. Jeff Christiansen of Superior Veterinary Surgical Solutions.

We wrote about Dr. Christiansen in a few weeks ago. He is one of VetStem’s most prolific users and has provided this service to over 300 patients. While Raven was anesthetized for her leg repair, Dr. Christiansen collected fat for stem cell therapy. The fat was shipped to the VetStem laboratory where technicians processed it to extract and concentrate the stem and regenerative cells contained therein. Two injectable doses of Raven’s stem cells were prepared and shipped to Dr. Christiansen for treatment and the remaining cells were put into cryostorage for potential future use. Raven received one injection into the fracture repair site and one intravenous injection.

Stem cells have multiple mechanisms of action that can be beneficial when recovering from a major surgery. Stem cells have shown the ability to directly modulate acute pain, down regulate inflammation, and also to reduce the formation of scar tissue. Taken together, stem cells may improve and expedite healing when used in conjunction with surgery.

Since recovery, Raven’s owners stated that you would never know she had a broken leg and that she has “full on Italian Greyhound zoomies with no limp or complaint of pain.” Her owner also stated, “Raven just turned 2 years old and to date has no evidence of pain or difficulty moving around. Between the stem cells and Dr. Christiansen she is as good as new. The VetStem Therapy was highly recommended by the surgeon and for my peace of mind, well worth the money. We now have VetStem keep the stem cells in the event we would ever need them again.”

Raven’s surgically repaired leg

Raven healed after surgery and VetStem Cell Therapy