Koda was about 9 years old when his owners noticed he was limping and his left elbow was swollen.  X-rays revealed that Koda had arthritis as a result of elbow dysplasia.  Dr. Douglas Stramel at Advanced Care Veterinary Services recommended VetStem Cell Therapy and Koda received an injection of his own stem cells into his problematic elbow as well as intravenously.

In addition to stem cell therapy, Koda also received physical therapy, acupuncture, and chiropractic care and the combination of therapies led to an improved quality of life.  According to his owner, Koda became happier and more playful.  She noted, “Koda can now go up and down the stairs when he wants to and not struggle. He had been hesitant to go on walks for a period of time prior to the stem cell therapy but now there is no hesitation.”

You can read the rest of Koda’s story here.

If your dog has been diagnosed with arthritis, stem cell therapy may provide some relief.  Consult with your veterinarian or  to find a veterinary stem cell provider in your area.

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!

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 »

Ready for a little more detail on how stem cells can work?  Great!

Stem cells are kind of multi-purpose, so how they work depends on the particular need.  Ben has volunteered as our example.  Let’s say Ben, being a Border Collie, is so focused on chasing a frisbie that he fails to see the fence in his pathway.  He crashes into the fence Read the rest of this entry »

I am back!  Sorry for the absence.  I needed a break from blogging to be able to finish a couple of book chapters on stem cell therapy and to help out our human stem cell therapy friends with our great data from dog, cat, and horse stem cell cases.  But now I am back and ready to start talking with you all again about stem cells for pets, and how we can give them the best quality of life.

I have a new furry buddy since last we talked.  His name is Ben; a Type A red Border Collie.  Ben goes nearly everywhere with me, including to talks I give at dog clubs and stables, and he loves to hang out all day at the office.

I gave an almost two hour educational lecture to the Cavalier King Charles pet owners group, Cavelier Circle San Diego, recently and it was clear from all the many questions asked that there is a real interest in stem cell therapy and how it can be used to treat various conditions in our companion animals.  So I will re-start this blog with discussion about the basics of stem cells.

Ben will be along as your guide and he will try to keep me focused on the topic!  He proofreads for me.

Since the mainstream media focuses on sensationalism in reporting, I want to give you all an honest and straightforward foundation in the basics of stem cell therapy so that you can decide for your pets, and also maybe for yourself soon, what is the right type of treatment when considering regenerative medicine.

We will talk over the coming weeks about what stem cells really are, how they work, and the practical aspects of how cells are collected and used to treat arthritis and other diseases.  We will cover costs, insurance, and how to choose a veterinarian for your pet’s stem cell procedure.

Stay tuned for the first in this series titled “What are Stem Cells?”

See you then!

Dr. Harman

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 »

I am guessing that you might have heard about the exciting data about dogs with damaged spinal cords that were treated with regenerative medicine. As with all science, the devil is in the details.  Cure is a BIG concept.  The group in England presented data in the journal  Brain showing that a stem-like cell from the nervous tissue in the nose could be injected in the damaged spinal cord of dogs.  These cells apparently helped make connections between the rear and front feet to allow a more coordinated walking movement.  It is difficult to see from the single video (this might have been the best one) to tell how much the dogs were helped.  They do state that the dogs did not regain bowel or bladder control. This study was for the purpose of deciding if this therapy could some day help humans. For us, we are excited because it may help our four legged friends.

The dog in the video improved over six months to be able to walk with the hind legs mostly following the front.  It is a major advance, but far from a cure for paralysis.  The authors are realistic in stating: “..this intervention alone is unlikely to have appreciable benefits in the treatment of human spinal cord injury…”  The therapy helps the rear legs follow the front legs without re-connecting to the brain.  It would not likely help with the more complicated activities such as bladder control, hand motion, or sexual function.

Another interesting possibility presented by the authors is that “the precise type of cells in the transplant is not critical to the success of mucosal-derived transplants.”  Vet-Stem is exploring with the authors whether adipose stem cells might provide a similar benefit, as was shown in an article by Dr. Ryu (click here for link).

Science always brings hope, but it is important to realize the time lag of translating clinical trial data into real therapy for affected animals or humans.  We will update you as we determine if this method might be useful to our dog buddies in the near term.