Stem cells have been known for a long time, dating back to the earliest successful bone marrow transplant in 1958.  But the painful process of drilling into bone and the need to do extensive laboratory expansion of bone marrow stem cells before use made them both difficult and expensive.  Late in the 1990’s this all changed with a dramatic discovery at the University of Pittsburgh. Read the rest of this entry »

Stem cell therapy is just one of the advanced procedures being done to help you improve your pet’s quality of life. I recently saw an incredible news story on WHAM, Channel 13 ABC, in Rochester, NY.   “ “He’s Part of the Family”  is about two pet owners who go to amazing lengths to care for their beloved dogs.

In the first story, a 7-year old Springer Spaniel named Riddle had apparently been hit by a vehicle and was abandoned and left to heal on his own. By the time Riddle was adopted, his bones were “healed at odd angles” and his veterinarian, Dr. Justin Greco, referred to him as “an orthopedic train wreck” with inflamed arthritis and damage to his hips, knees and elbows.  Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. Marty Becker is truly “America’s Veterinarian.”  He has been a regular on Good Morning America and he is the resident veterinarian on “The Dr. Oz Show.”  Dr. Marty also is the pet expert for the AARP!  Dr. Marty visited the Vet-Stem laboratory after giving a keynote lecture at the Central Veterinary Conference in San Diego.  His vision for the future of veterinary medicine is truly inspiring and we have developed a friendship over the last year.

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Josephine turned 11 years old in November. She is on her way to MACH 7 and still going strong nearly three years post stem cell treatment. It has been a miracle for her and has allowed her to do what she loves best! Agility!

As told by Helen King, Josephine’s owner, “In the winter of 2008, our top winning standard Poodle, Josephine (MACH 6, ADCH Teller Hollywood Dream, MXF, SACH, SCH, CD, HIT, CGC) began to show signs of a problem in her hind legs. She started to slow down on the teeter, dog walk and weaves. She was 9 years old at the time so we thought it might just be her age. Read the rest of this entry »

Little did we know in 2008, when Vet-Stem first offered stem cell therapy for dogs and cats, that so many veterinarians and owners would adopt stem cell therapy.  We are celebrating this holiday season with the milestone of the 3,000^th treatment of a canine companion with stem cells!  We are honored that so many pet owners and veterinarians have placed their trust in the Vet-Stem Cell Therapy technology to treat osteoarthritis and tendon and ligament injuries. We are proud and delighted to hear the stories of the reduction in pain and improvement in quality of life in so many dogs. Read the rest of this entry »

Sunny is a 15 1/2 year old buff Cocker Spaniel.  Sunny looks young for his years and is active with his owner (Kristi).  Kristi is my daughter and Sunny has been by her side for all these 15 years.  Two weeks ago, Sunny hopped off the couch and became immediately very painful and lame on his right rear leg.  Ouch!!  Not being a small animal veterinarian, I took Sunny to see a veterinary surgeon, a friend attending the CVC West veterinary convention in San Diego. Read the rest of this entry »

Lex did finally get adopted by the family of Corporal Dustin Lee.  The full background of the story can be read at AARP, The Magazine. Lex has had a hard life and his arthritis really became a major problem recently.  Read the rest of this entry »

Grab a box of tissues and read on…. The rocket came in fast, maybe 900 feet per second—too fast for anyone to sound the warning siren, and much too fast for all the troops of the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force to take cover. It was March 21, 2007, when the 73-millimeter insurgent-launched rocket exploded inside their base in the Al Anbar province of Iraq, right next to Corporal Dustin Jerome Lee and his canine partner, Lex Lee, a 20-year-old Mississippi native, was gravely wounded by the blast. Read the rest of this entry »

Just like with a medical drug, stem cells must be collected and handled in the highest quality manner in order to maximize their good effects and safety.  If your dog’s arthritis is the reason you are seeking stem cell therapy, you expect and deserve the very highest quality.  When your Veterinarian collects a small sample of fat, it is done in an operating room with special attention to aseptic technique, meaning they use sterile gloves, instruments, and transport tubes.  The sample is then placed into a specially designed shipping container with a custom refrigeration pack.  The sample is shipped overnight by FedEx Priority Alert to our laboratory in San Diego, CA.  There are dozens of safety and quality checks as the sample makes its way through the aseptic processing by specially trained technicians following detailed written instructions.  Many steps are double checked by a second technician. Read the rest of this entry »