A few weeks ago we shared a story about a horse that was able to return to barrel racing after receiving VetStem Cell Therapy.  Stem cell therapy can be effective in alleviating potentially career ending injuries in performance animals.  This week, we bring you the story of Bodie, a now 8 year old Springer spaniel, who is a successful bird dog champion.

At just 8 months old, Bodie was diagnosed with hip dysplasia.  He continued to compete and win championships however the arthritis from his hip dysplasia eventually began to slow him down.  At 3 years old, Bodie’s owner had him treated with VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy by Dr. Mitchell Luce.  He received injections of his own stem cells into each hip as well as intravenously.

After treatment, Bodie was able to discontinue his use of Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) and took 3^rd place at the 2013 BDC High River Classic!  His owner reported increased activity and said he stopped “bunny hopping”.  Click here to read the rest of Bodie’s story.

Arthritis.  It’s a term we all know and a diagnosis most of us will receive at some point in our lives.  The same is true of our canine companions.  In fact, according to recent literature, about 1 in 5 dogs in the United States are affected by osteoarthritis.  It is estimated that there are about 90 million pet dogs in the US, which means about 18 million pet dogs will suffer from arthritis.  With such high numbers, it is not surprising that osteoarthritis has been identified as the number two reason why pets are being euthanized.

While there are several treatment options available to help alleviate the symptoms of arthritis, many of them come along with unpleasant side effects and/or begin to lose efficacy after prolonged use.  While not a cure for arthritis, VetStem Cell Therapy is one treatment option that has been shown in studies to be able to provide relief for many dogs without the nasty side effects that may come with certain arthritis medications.  Because stem cell therapy utilizes an animal’s own healing cells, there is a very low risk for rejection or reaction.

But is stem cell therapy right for your dog?  That is a question you should consider asking your veterinarian.  See our recent blog post to help you discuss stem cell therapy at your next vet appointment.

If your dog has been diagnosed with arthritis, contact VetStem to find stem cell providers near you.

This week’s success story is about a beautiful Sheltie, Lady.  Lady suffered from arthritis since she was about two years old.  At eight years old, Lady tore her cruciate ligament and required surgical repair of the ligament.  Her veterinarian, Dr. Jeff Christiansen of Superior Veterinary Surgical Solutions, recommended Lady undergo stem cell therapy to help treat her arthritis and also to expedite healing and reduce scar tissue formation in her surgically repaired knee.  Lady received injections of her own stem cells in both carpi (wrists) along with her left hip and left stifle (knee).

Lady’s owner reported that after stem cell therapy she was able to go for longer walks and is “far more playful than she was before the stem cell treatment.”

To read the rest of Lady’s story, click here.

Does your dog suffer from pain, lameness, or discomfort?  Has your dog been diagnosed with arthritis or injured tendons or ligaments that may be slowing him/her down?  If so, contact VetStem to find VetStem providers in your area.

It is estimated that 1 in 5 dogs in the United States suffers from osteoarthritis (OA).  OA can present itself in many ways including stiffness, lameness, pain, and limited range of motion.  If your dog is exhibiting any symptoms that may be caused by arthritis, it is best to consult with your veterinarian about all of your treatment options, including stem cell therapy.

You may have seen our many success stories from actual VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy patients and wondered, “Would my dog benefit from this treatment?”  Or you may find yourself at the end of the road with supplements, pain medications, and/or diet changes and wondering if there are alternatives to these traditional therapies that may be more effective.  Whatever your situation may be, it is always best to research all of your options before deciding which therapy to proceed with.  In this blog, we will help you discuss stem cell therapy with your veterinarian for your arthritic canine companion.

VetStem cell therapy has been used to treat canine arthritis since 2008.  As a newer, more progressive therapy, it is not often at the forefront of your veterinarian’s mind when it comes to first-line treatments for arthritis.  Why, you might ask?  The answer is that only about 10% of practicing veterinarians have advanced training in regenerative medicine and even recent veterinary graduates have had limited exposure to regenerative stem cell medicine.  While VetStem works diligently to change this statistic, don’t be afraid to bring up VetStem cell therapy to your veterinarian if they don’t suggest it first!  Below you will find some resources to help you speak with your veterinarian about stem cell therapy which can help determine if your dog might benefit from the treatment.

First, you may want to print this letter to bring to your vet appointment, in case your veterinarian is not familiar with VetStem cell therapy.  If your veterinarian asks for evidence to support the use of stem cells for treatment of arthritis, you can reference this study which demonstrated the effectiveness of stem cell therapy in the treatment of canine arthritis of the hip.  We also have a study that evaluated stem cell therapy for the treatment of elbow arthritis in dogs.  If your veterinarian has heard of or has used VetStem cell therapy before, inquire as to whether or not he/she thinks your dog may be a good candidate for the therapy.  You can utilize this checklist to help answer this question.  Lastly, let your veterinarian know that our staff veterinarians are available to help answer any questions about stem cell therapy or about specific patients.  They can simply contact us to learn more.

Best of luck and congratulations for taking the initiative to explore stem cell therapy for your canine companion!

Elsie’s story is one of inspiration. She had a sad beginning, having been bred in a puppy mill to be sold at a pet store. At 8 weeks old, Monica purchased Elsie, unaware of her origin. As many puppy mill stories go, Elsie began having health issues at a very young age. At just 9 months old, Elsie was diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia and was in need of a hip replacement. Though many told her to put Elsie down, Monica didn’t think twice about the procedure and by 11 months of age, Elsie was given an artificial hip that brought her many years of comfort.

It wasn’t until she was about 10 years old that Elsie’s hip arthritis began to cause her back end to give out. She knew she had to do something to help Elsie be more comfortable and mobile so she sought the expert advice of Dr. Charles Bruce at Alta Vista Animal Hospital in Ontario, Canada. In 2015, Elsie received her first round of stem cell injections. Over the next 11 months, Elsie received stem cell therapy every 3-4 months and her owner reported that she was walking better, playing with her toys, swimming, and was once again enjoying life.

To read more about Elsie’s story, click here.

If you think your dog is suffering from pain, discomfort, or lameness, contact VetStem today to see if there is a veterinary stem cell provider in your area.

Stem cells have been and will continue to be a hot news topic.  So what do we know about how they actually work in arthritis?

First, these little cells we call “stem cells” can be found anywhere in the body.  You are alive right now because your own stem cells replace the hundreds of millions of cells you lose every day as a part of normal living.  They are your “spare parts” and are essential.  If your dog has arthritis, stem cells help replace the lost cartilage caused by the disease.  Read the rest of this entry »

I am always thrilled to hear success stories from owners and am excited to be able to share with you Whisper’s story.

“Seven years old and she’s still kicking butt and taking names! Two osteotomies, two surgeries, two stem cell therapies… AMAZING, this little dog!!!”

That’s what Elise recently commented on her now-7-year-old Australian Cattle Dog, on Whisper’s banking renewal form.  Here at Vet-Stem we bank stem cells for future uses.  Whisper was a very special case, done way back in 2009.  She received stem cell therapy, after multiple surgeries and significant pain medications failed to provide relief. This relief lasted for 2 years when she had another treatment using some of her stored stem cells. Read the rest of this entry »

As with all dog lovers there comes a time when you notice your friend slowing down. At that point it is important to really take a look to see what things you can do to help ease any pain from arthritis or other issues. We have a 14 year old Toy Fox Terrier and a 9 year old Aussie who both have been a challenge to keep slim. They love to eat! So we ration their food but we share our celery and broccoli. Read the rest of this entry »

Incredible new results for stem cell therapy were presented at the 3rd North American Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Meeting in Savannah, Georgia last week.  I was privelidged to attend and to present our data.  One presenter showed how stem cells can function to grow new tendons and ligaments.  Another (Dr. Ross Rich, Cave Creek, AZ) presented data on how over 85% of horses with ligament injury return to full performance level after being treated with adipose stem cells.  I was selected to present data on how stem cells can potentially help cats with failing kidneys.   Dr. John Peroni of the University of Georgia presided as the association president and introduced the keynote speaker from Georgia Tech who spoke on stem cells in bone healing.  One spectacular presentation showed how adipose stem cells can heal dogs with serious tendon and ligament injuries sustained in athletic events like agility and flyball.  Wow.   In the coming weeks, I will post on the data presented on dogs with arthritis and horses with arthritis and also laminitis to give you a flavor of the rapid progress in discovering new ways to use these cells!  They even showed how they can use advanced stem cell tracking to see how cells move around the body to do their miraculous healing jobs.  A dawn of the age of Regeneration has reached the veterinary world before human medicine.

Human stem cell therapy succeeds!  As part of providing insights into the world of dog arthritis, I think it is useful for you to see what all is happening in the human stem cell world.  Crohn’s disease is a horrible auto-immune disease where the lower GI tract is being attacked by the person’s own immune system.  A group in Spain has been working for a number of years treating patients with this disease with adipose stem cell therapy.  There is a great report of clinical trial you should all see (link: Crohn’s Trial Results) where more than half of these patients had a great response to being treated with adipose stem cells.  There are so many new trials around the world using stem cell from fat tissue that it is hard to keep up with the literature.  Proudly, I believe that the success with using adipose stem cells to treat dog arthritis, like Tucker’s Story,  has helped generate interest and to show the safety of this type of therapy.