A common question is “when will this be available for humans?” New therapies do take longer to be allowed in people, but the good news is that Vet-Stem has collected very valuable data from the thousands of dogs and horses that we have helped veterinarians treat for OA and tendon and ligament injuries. The dog is actually a very good model for human osteoarthritis. Dogs are also prone to similar soft tissue injuries such as cruciate ligament ruptures (ACL, knee injury) and tears, conditions that veterinarians have seen great improvement in healing by using stem cells. Read the rest of this entry »

With the advent of the internet the amount of information both accurate and interesting is absolutely amazing. As a veterinarian I am constantly challenged to keep current with all the latest advancements, and with stem cells this can really be a challenge. A common search engine for medical literature is PubMed (use www.pubmed.gov if link does not work). Over the past few years the number of reviewed papers on fat derived stem cells has seen incredible growth. There are advances in what stem cells are being used for and in the knowledge of how stem cells do what they do. Read the rest of this entry »

Owners have sent us some great videos of their dogs that have been treated with their
own stem cells from fat. One video link is below, but more can be found at www.vetstem.
com


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Results do vary, and not all are as dramatic as for Bear. While owner surveys showed
that over 80% of dogs treated did improve, that does mean that 20% had little or no change.

No matter what treatments are used, it is important to note that weight loss, a
personalized rehab and exercise program and good teamwork between you and your
veterinarian will help your pet get the most out of the treatment.

Do you take videos of your dog? This could help you to see if they are showing signs
of arthritis and pain.

• Do they limp?
• Are they less active, sleeping more often, not interested in normal routines?
• Are they reluctant to jump up on the bed or into the car?
• Do they sleep less and circle a lot to get comfortable when lying down?
• Do they have difficulty getting up from a “sit” or a “lie down”?
• Do they have muscle atrophy?
• Stand over your dog looking down on his spine- do you see the front end of your dog well developed while the back end has gotten skinny?
• Do they lick the top of their paws?
• Do they lack stamina on walks? i.e Used to walk a mile every night, now 3 blocks is their limit
• Do you feel and hear crackling and popping in your dog’s joints?

These signs could mean that your dog has arthritis. Your veterinarian can confirm a diagnosis of OA with a good physical examination, a good lameness examination and x-rays. Note I separated out the physical exam from the lameness. The physical exam encompasses the total animal, but the lameness is about their gait, stride, range
of motion, and joint pain tolerance.

Have you discussed options for treating arthritis with your veterinarian?

This next couple of blogs will help you determine if your pet is the ONE out of four dogs that suffers from the pain and immobility caused by arthritis.

Osteoarthritis (OA), also known as degenerative arthritis, degenerative joint disease, or just “wear and tear”, is a condition in which low-grade inflammation results in pain in the joints. The result is pain and wearing of the cartilage that covers the bones of the joints. Read the rest of this entry »

Let’s not forget about cats. Cats too are living longer healthier lives, but what is not
commonly known is that cats also suffer from osteoarthritis. In fact in a retrospective
study conducted at a major veterinary school, radiographs from 100 cats that were
presented to the teaching hospital for illnesses unrelated to arthritis were re-evaluated.
90% of the cats had radiographic evidence of degenerative joint disease. These cats
represented a variety of purebred and mixed breed cats.

How do you know if your cat has arthritis? Read the rest of this entry »

Many of our clients have inquired about pet insurance. Most pet insurance will help cover costs if the condition is arthritis or tendon injuries and not pre-existing or related to a congenital disorder. I have found this independent website helpful at trying to understand all the different pet insurance companies out there and what they have to offer.

Vet-Stem offers another kind of insurance. We can store cells that are not used for the first treatment. These stored cells can be used if your dog needs a ‘tune-up’ or if he has a new injury or disease.

Do you have insurance for your horse or pet?

You will be surprised to find that it is not only possible, but over 2,000 dogs in the US with arthritis and tendon injuries have already been treated with their OWN stem cells from fat. Yes, their own.

Remember the saying “Patient Heal Thyself?” We all, human and animals, carry around a stem cell repair kit that is used every day in helping heal the minor bumps, bruises, cuts and more serious injuries. These stem cells are called “Adult” stem cells and are found throughout the body. They sit there waiting for the signal that they are needed and they rush to the scene of the injury and begin the healing process. When the body can’t heal the injury totally, then scar tissue fills in so that the body can function. Read the rest of this entry »

More exciting news just released from Vet-Stem. We encourage our dog owners to fill out evaluation forms to tell us how their dogs are feeling after a stem cell treatment for arthritis and other  injuries. What became very interesting is that many of them started to write in their own comments like “Rusty is no longer on his pain meds!”

After seeing a trend in the write ins, we re-designed our evaluations to find out if other pet owners were experiencing the same thing. Read the rest of this entry »

Owner Spotlight: Anne Marie & Dasha Ogle

Anne Marie Ogle of Napanoch, the owner of Dasha, a 9 year-old German Shepherd, hoped to find a therapy to improve her pet’s quality of life. Two vets from Rondout Valley Veterinary Associates in Kerhonkson studied up on the process offered by Vet-Stem. The results were miraculous for Dasha.  Anne Marie found just what she was looking for.

Has your veterinarian heard about stem cells for pets?