Upon retirement from the police force, Gogo was adopted by his handler, Deputy Letze.  Deputy Letze wanted to ensure that Gogo would be comfortable and enjoy his retirement.  He discussed using stem cells to treat Gogo’s elbow arthritis with his veterinarian.  Gogo’s veterinarian wanted to make sure that he was a good candidate for stem cell therapy for arthritis.  Gogo was referred to a board certified orthopedic specialist, Dr. Adam Gassel, for a thorough lameness evaluation.  Dr. Gassel has performed over 50 stem cell procedures and has seen how stem cells have improved the quality of life for a majority of his patient, making them more mobile and less painful.  Read the rest of this entry »

Last week I had the honor of presenting our Vet-Stem stem cell treatment success data at the First North American Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Meeting.  Sponsored by our partners at UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, it was an incredibly intense and exciting stem cell meeting focused specifically on veterinary medicine.  I presented data on arthritis in horses and arthritis in dogs and how stem cells can reduce the pain and improve quality of life and even performance.  There were over 40 presentations from universities, private practices, and industry.  The amount of sharing and open discussion frankly surprised me.  It is the first of many to come I am sure.  In my upcoming blogs I will provide you with a glimpse into some of the exciting possibilities being researched.  But for now, be proud that the data from your dogs and your horses (those that have used stem cells) was the most solid and clinical proof of how well these cells work in real patients.  I presented data on over 3,500 cases of orthopedic injury and disease including pain from arthritis and how animals can return to a useful and happy life after treatment with stem cells from adipose (fat) by their Vet-Stem trained veterinarian.

Meet Gogo.  Gogo is a Male German Shepherd from the Czech Republic.  He and Deputy Len Letze graduated from the TSA National Explosives Detection K-9 School in March 2003 and Gogo was a diligent partner until he was forced to retire due to the pain from arthritis on July 4^th, 2009.

During his career Gogo helped keep the airport safe for the traveling public by conducting sweeps of aircraft, vehicles, luggage and cargo.  He had the pleasure of serving the citizens of the County of Orange, California, by searching trains and train stations during elevated security times.  Gogo was involved in many search warrant services and searching of hazardous locations identified by Law Enforcement.  He was part of the major security plan for highly publicized events including the World Baseball Series, World Games, Stanley Cups, MLB playoffs and many other events.  Gogo also conducted bomb sweeps for Presidents Carter, Bush Sr., Clinton, G.W. Bush and Obama and many other VIPs including Diplomats and foreign leaders. Read the rest of this entry »

We would like to thank the Olathe Animal Hospital for this incredible video, the journey of Monty, about a mixed breed older dog that was showing signs of aging.  As you will see Monty was experiencing pretty classic symptoms of pain from arthritis.  Note that when Monty’s own stem cells were used to treat his pain from hip dysplasia, he became a “younger” moving dog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqiGvfoG7xg

Guest Blog by Dr. James Gaynor:

Is it hard to tell if your dog hurts?  Sometimes.  A limping dog or a dog not using the leg may be obvious.  Dogs do not bear full weight on a leg for 1 of 3 reasons:  1- it hurts; 2- it is unstable (maybe from a fracture); 3- it has neurologic problems (this may be more likely to be seen as dragging rather than limping).  The problem is that dogs may hurt in many more places than just their legs.  The key to recognizing pain is to realize that any CHANGE in your dog’s BEHAVIOR may indicate a painful condition like arthritis caused by hip or elbow dysplasia.
Read the rest of this entry »

Can you guess which dog has arthritis? 

You may have guessed the Irish wolfhound, and that would be a good guess.  Large breed dogs usually do fall victim to growth problems that can result in pain, limping and ultimately arthritis.  You might have guessed the Labrador retriever, again a good guess.  The Labrador retriever is the most popular breed of dog in the United States.  Their great nature and sporting build also put them at risk for future arthritis due to the high activity level some of them do as a sporting breed.  Read the rest of this entry »

We care so much about the health of our dogs, especially when it comes to weight and sometimes the parallels between human health and dog health are surprising.  Just as people search for low calorie food and often find the labels to be confusing, low calorie dog food labels can be misleading as well.  There is a link between being overweight and arthritis in people AND in our pet buddies!   Read the rest of this entry »

Police dogs, man’s best crime partners, are great assets to any police force. Equipped with great hearing and eyesight, ability to reach speeds of over 30 miles per hour and their stealth demeanor that can track criminals through dark and rough terrain – canine cops are a very valuable part of a police team.  They’re used to catch bad guys, locate drugs and find bombs as well as to search for and rescue victims such as those in 9/11 and Haiti.  These dogs are trained at a young age to become super athletes and super sleuths.

But chasing criminals, climbing in and out of cargo holds and jumping in and out of cars can cause wear and tear resulting in joint pain, arthritis and muscle tears.  At a cost of $10,000 to $20,000, these important dogs are usually quite an investment for a police force.  Keeping them healthy and agile is crucial to the police force.

One of the fastest growing advocates for stem cell therapy is the hard working police dog.  Over the past 2 years stem cells have been used to help those courageous dogs work harder, heal better and keep them on the force.  I will be sharing with you some great success stories that demonstrate how using stem cell therapy to treat joint pain, muscle tears and tendon and ligament conditions can help pet dogs as well as these amazing police dogs.

As all of you know, I am personally dedicated to Vet-Stem and the mission of relieving pain in our animal companions. I am proud of what Vet-Stem has accomplished but I am a veterinarian first and foremost. I often use the Internet and read literature to find new ways that dogs can be treated for arthritis.  In my travels, I see many blogs, stories, YouTube videos, and publications about cell therapy and how it helps treat arthritis in dogs.

As we start a new year, I wanted to share a list of the best sites and stories of 2009 that can provide more information and different perspectives on arthritis and stem cell therapy.  Happy reading!

OzPets.com – Our friends in Australia.

Dog-Care – Suite 101:  A great overall review of therapy.

WebVet.com: Dr. Pamela Schwartz of AMC in New York City.

Buzzle.com: A good summary of natural treatments.

Scoop:  Nice review of natural treatments and weight management.

I recently read a blog post about Jasmine, a five and a half year old Rottweiler that underwent stem cell therapy.  The owner brought Jasmine to see her vet when she noticed her dog wasn’t as agile as she once was. Jasmine’s vet diagnosed her with a partial cruciate ligament tear and recommended stem cell therapy for the dog. Read the rest of this entry »