Archive for the ‘Inflammatory Bowel Disease’ Category

Jul 19, 2024

VetStem Cell Therapy Helps Collie with IBD

July 21st is World Collie Day so we thought it fitting to share Casey’s VetStem success story. Casey is a Rough Collie who began experiencing symptoms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease when he was around 4 months old. At first, he was not eating regularly. This was followed by frequent bouts of diarrhea and vomiting. After trying multiple diets and medications with no success, numerous diagnostics including X-rays, bloodwork, ultrasound, and biopsies of his GI tract led to a diagnosis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

IBD is a gastrointestinal disease that can affect both dogs and cats. It is characterized by inflammation of the intestines and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, reduced appetite, and weight loss. IBD can be a frustrating disease because a definitive diagnosis can be time-consuming and costly, traditional treatments are life-long and can be complex, and the animal often continues to experience symptoms of the disease despite treatment.

Though Casey was on a special diet and multiple medications, his symptoms were minimally controlled. This went on for about three years until his bloodwork revealed elevated liver enzymes, which was a result of his steroid medication. It was at this time that his veterinarian recommended treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy.

Stem cells have demonstrated the ability to down regulate inflammation, modulate the immune system, and repair damaged tissue. Multiple animals have been treated with stem cell therapy for IBD and experienced a relief in symptoms and an improved quality of life. After some research, Casey’s owners agreed to move forward with VetStem Cell Therapy.

To begin the process, Casey had fat collected from his abdomen in a minimally invasive anesthetic procedure. The fat was aseptically packaged and shipped to the VetStem processing laboratory. Lab technicians processed the fat to isolate and concentrate the stem and regenerative cells contained therein. Therapeutic doses were then prepared for treatment.

Over the course of 10 months, Casey received 5 separate intravenous doses of his own stem cells. According to his owner, his symptoms improved greatly. He began interacting more and playing with his family and other dogs. He started rolling over for belly rubs, which he had not done in the first 3 years of his life. His appetite improved and he was able to get off all but one of his medications, including being completely off steroids. He has occasional IBD flare ups but nothing to the degree he experienced previously.

Approximately 15 months after his 5th stem cell treatment, Casey received a 6th intravenous dose (along with intra-articular doses to treat a few arthritic joints) and hasn’t required additional treatments for over year now. He does, however, have numerous doses left in his stem cell bank, should he ever require future treatments.

If your pet has Inflammatory Bowel Disease, speak to your veterinarian or contact us to find a VetStem provider near you.

Casey

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Oct 27, 2023

VetStem Cell Therapy for Cats: Three Common Uses

National Cat Day is fast approaching, and we never miss an opportunity to talk about VetStem Cell Therapy for cats. While stem cells are primarily used for orthopedic conditions, many veterinarians have used VetStem Cell Therapy to help treat and control symptoms associated with diseases such as kidney disease, gingivostomatitis, and inflammatory bowel disease.
All three of these diseases are prevalent in cats and have limited treatment options.

Stem Cells for Kidney Disease

Kidney disease is one of the most common causes of sickness and death in cats. Common symptoms can include weight loss, lethargy, variable appetite, and poor coat quality. Some cats may also drink and urinate more, vomit, or have diarrhea.Unfortunately, treatment options for cats with kidney disease are limited and can be costly.

The good news is, based upon our own data as well as the data of others, we believe that stem cells may help improve the symptoms and quality of life in some cats with kidney disease. In fact, a review of a small number of feline patients treated with VetStem Cell Therapy showed that blood kidney values were slightly to moderately improved after treatment. Owners and veterinarians have also reported improved appetites, weight gain, and increased energy in cats treated with VetStem Cell Therapy.

Stem Cells for Gingivostomatitis

Gingivostomatitis is another debilitating condition found in cats. It is characterized by chronic inflammation of the gums, which can lead to inappetence, reduce grooming, and weight loss. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease. Common treatments include lifelong medical management with antibiotics, steroids, and pain medications and/or full mouth teeth extractions.

A recent clinical study demonstrated that intravenous administration of adipose (fat) derived stem cells could ameliorate the clinical signs of gingivostomatitis. Additionally, veterinarians and cat owners have reported an improvement in symptoms and quality of life in cats treated with VetStem Cell Therapy.

Stem Cells for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is an intestinal disorder that affects both cats and dogs. It is characterized by inflammation of the intestines and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, reduced appetite, and weight loss. It is important to note however, that these symptoms can be indicative of several conditions including feline lymphoma. Since VetStem Cell Therapy is contraindicated in pets with cancer, it is essential to rule this out before pursuing treatment with stem cells.

Multiple cats have received VetStem Cell Therapy for IBD (dogs too!). And we have had reports from veterinarians and owners regarding the improvement of their patients and pets after treatment with stem cells. Additionally, in a recently published paper, 5 out of 7 IBD cats that were treated with stem cells significantly improved or had complete resolution of symptoms, whereas the 4 control cats had no improvement.

If you think your cat may benefit from treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy, speak to your veterinarian or contact us to receive a list of VetStem providers near you.

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Apr 28, 2023

Guest Blog: VetStem Cell Therapy for My Cat with IBD

Hi all! Veronika here, VetStem’s Customer Service Manager. I’m taking over the blog this week to tell you the story of Gryffin, my cat who received VetStem Cell Therapy for inflammatory bowel disease. Gryffin is an eleven-year-old Ragdoll who rules our house! He has many nicknames including Gryffindorable and the Handsomest of Handsomes! If you haven’t guessed, he has me wrapped around his little fluffy paw.

Gryffin

But recently, he has been experiencing some symptoms that warranted a trip to the vet. My normally floofy boy lost a lot of his beautiful coat. He was vomiting 2-3 times a week, had a reduced appetite and weight loss. Though normally full of catitude, he was acting lethargic and not playing or engaging much with the family or my crazy Frenchie, Darby, and was often isolating.

Gryffin was diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). IBD is a gastrointestinal disease that can affect both cats and dogs. It is characterized by inflammation of the intestines and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, reduced appetite, and weight loss. Numerous cats have received VetStem Cell Therapy for IBD and I’ve heard great results firsthand from some of their owners so I knew exactly what I needed to do.

Gryffin received his first stem cell treatment in February. About a week after that first intravenous injection, I noticed small positive changes. His appetite increased and he was generally a little more upbeat. He was coming out of his shell a little bit and even started climbing to the top of his cat tree again.

Gryffin back on top!

He received a second intravenous stem cell treatment in early March, three weeks after his first treatment. That is when I began to notice more obvious improvements. He now voluntarily plays (by himself or with us). He’s also begun doing “racetrack” around the house again and annoying Darby. His stools have firmed up and he has not vomited in probably a month or more. I even bought him $30 worth of cat toys because I was so excited he wants to play again! His coat has started to come back and he has gained some weight.

I know without a doubt that stem cells helped my sweet boy feel better. I’m so fortunate to work for VetStem and to know about this amazing technology. I want to spread the word to all pet owners who are dealing with IBD, which can be such a frustrating and debilitating disease. If you think VetStem might help your furry friend, don’t hesitate to reach out! You can bring it up to your veterinarian (print out this blog if you want!) or use our Locate a Vet page to find a VetStem vet near you: https://vetstem.com/locatevet.php.  

Check out a video of Gryffin playing with his toy mouse now that he’s feeling better:

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Feb 17, 2023

Inflammatory Bowel Disease: Casey’s Stem Cell Story

Nickie has always been an animal lover so when she found her home without a dog, she went in search of a new companion to join her family. She soon found Casey, an 8-week-old Rough Collie, and this adorable ball of fluff joined their family.

Unfortunately, the joy of the puppy days was short lived. At just four months old, Casey began to not eat regularly. Nickie diligently tried every recommendation her veterinarian made and not only did Casey’s appetite not improve, but he began to have frequent bouts of diarrhea and vomiting. She tried a variety of commercial, homemade, and prescription diets with no relief. In conjunction with the diets, Casey’s veterinarian prescribed numerous medications, including a steroid called prednisone.

After a variety of diagnostics including X-rays, bloodwork, ultrasound, and biopsies of his GI tract, Casey was diagnosed with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). As indicated by the name, the intestines of a pet with IBD are chronically inflamed, resulting in symptoms such as diarrhea, vomiting, inappetence, and weight loss. Currently, the primary treatments are medical management via diet and steroids +/- additional supportive medications.

Casey continued his regimen of 7 different medications and a prescription diet with minimal control of his symptoms for nearly 3 years until routine bloodwork revealed that his liver enzymes were elevated. He had another ultrasound with biopsies of his liver that revealed the steroids were damaging his liver. He still struggled with frequent watery diarrhea, vomiting, and weight loss as well as hair loss and red, inflamed skin. Nickie was distraught and questioned if the time had come to let Casey go.

At this time, Casey’s veterinarian suggested trying VetStem Cell Therapy. VetStem, a veterinary regenerative medicine company located in California, is currently researching the use of stem cells for the treatment of IBD. Stem cells have demonstrated the ability to down-regulate inflammation, modulate the immune system, and repair damaged tissue. Additionally, multiple clinical studies have demonstrated that stem cells can improve the symptoms of IBD.

Nickie and her husband were skeptical at first, wondering if this was snake oil or just another dead end in Casey’s treatment. After discussion and research, they decided to pursue stem cell treatment as a last resort. Casey had fat collected from his abdomen in a minimally invasive anesthetic procedure. The fat was aseptically packaged and shipped to the VetStem processing laboratory. Lab technicians processed the fat to isolate and concentrate the stem and regenerative cells contained therein. Therapeutic doses were then prepared for treatment.

Casey

Over the course of 10 months, Casey received 5 separate intravenous doses of his own stem cells. According to his owner, his symptoms have improved greatly and Nickie feels like she is finally getting to meet the real Casey. He now interacts with his family and even plays with them. He has made a best friend at the park that he loves to play with and takes long naps on the porch in the sun. He rolls over for belly rubs, which he had not done in the first 3 years of his life. 

Today, Casey eats well and is off all but one of his medications, including being completely off steroids. He has occasional IBD flare ups but nothing to the degree he experienced previously. He has grown back a full, thick Collie coat and loves to “talk” to Nickie and announce all the goings-on in his neighborhood. Nickie says that she has the wonderful problem that Casey is now slightly overweight, something she never thought she would see! Nickie says that without the excellent care of her veterinary team and VetStem Cell Therapy, Casey would not be here today.

Veterinary stem cell therapy, though not new, has gained significant traction in the last 10 years. Through ongoing research and treatment data, we continuously learn more about the many functions of stem cells and what diseases can be treated. VetStem has a variety of research programs, including the IBD program, to collect data and better understand how we can help pets. There is still much left to learn, and it is important to note that each animal responds differently to treatment.

If you think your pet may benefit from VetStem Cell Therapy, speak to your veterinarian or contact us to receive a list of VetStem providers near you.

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Mar 11, 2022

VetStem Cell Therapy in Dog with Inflammatory Bowel Disease

It happens occasionally that a pet is treated with VetStem Cell Therapy for one condition, such as osteoarthritis, but the owners notice that a separate condition improves as a result of the therapy. That was the case with Finn, a German Shepherd who is owned by Dr. Lesley Gonzales of Gruda Veterinary Hospital.

Finn was adopted as an adult after he was found in the desert of Yuma, AZ. Thus, nothing was known about his previous medical history. From the get-go, he experienced gastrointestinal issues including chronic diarrhea, intermittent vomiting, and difficulty gaining and maintaining weight. After multiple tests ruled out infectious diseases, his veterinarian mom put him on a strict limited-ingredient diet, which helped to somewhat improve his symptoms but not entirely.

Finn

Then, in 2020, Finn partially tore his cruciate ligament. Due to his gastrointestinal issues, Finn was extremely limited on what medication he could take to help control his inflammation and pain. Thus, Dr. Gonzales decided to treat his knee with VetStem Cell Therapy. When she collected a sample of his abdominal fat for stem cell processing, she also took biopsies of his intestines, which allowed her to officially diagnose him with Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

For his initial stem cell treatment, Finn received one dose of his own stem cells into his injured knee. He also received an intravenous dose. Stem cells have demonstrated the ability to home, or migrate, to areas of inflammation. Thus, we can assume that, when given intravenously, the stem cells would migrate to his knee and/or other areas that may have been inflamed. Within two weeks, Finn was noticeably more comfortable. His pain and lameness were much improved.

Approximately six weeks after his initial treatment, Dr. Gonzales noticed that Finn’s intestinal symptoms had also improved. According to Dr. Gonzales, his diarrhea resolved completely, and he was finally able to reach his ideal body weight. She also noticed improvements in his blood parameters.

Dr. Gonzales treated Finn with another dose of IV stem cells, this time specifically for IBD, approximately six months after his first treatment. She gave him a third IV dose approximately five months after his second. Finn has since experienced sustained control of his symptoms, he has maintained an ideal body weight, and he is now able to tolerate a greater variety of food ingredients without them upsetting his stomach.

IBD can be a frustrating disease. A definitive diagnosis can be time-consuming and costly, traditional treatments are life-long and can be complex, and the animal often continues to experience symptoms of the disease. Several dogs and cats have received VetStem Cell Therapy for IBD and have experienced an improvement in symptoms. Stem cells have shown to down-regulate inflammation, modulate the immune system, and repair damaged tissue, all of which can contribute to healing inflamed and diseased intestines. If your pet has IBD, speak to your veterinarian about the possibility of treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy. Or contact us to receive a list of VetStem providers near you.

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Dec 3, 2021

VetStem Cell Therapy for Cats

It’s that time of year again: National Cat Lovers’ Month! And as always, we’re going to take this opportunity to tell you all about VetStem Cell Therapy for cats. While dogs and horses are most commonly treated for orthopedic conditions such as osteoarthritis or injured tendons and ligaments, cats more often than not receive VetStem Cell Therapy for other diseases.

Feline Renal Disease

Nearly 200 cats have received VetStem Cell Therapy for kidney disease. A common disease in cats, chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a frequent cause of sickness and death in cats. In fact, some reviews suggest that CKD may be the number one cause of sickness and death in older cats. Unfortunately, treatment options are limited and can be costly.

Based upon data from the numerous cats treated with VetStem Cell Therapy, we believe that stem cells may help improve the symptoms and quality of life in some cats with CKD. In fact, a review of a small number of feline patients treated with VetStem Cell Therapy showed that blood kidney values were slightly to moderately improved after treatment. More data is necessary however and we continue to research stem cell therapy for this disease as part of our clinical research department.

Gingivostomatitis

Another potentially debilitating condition is gingivostomatitis. This disease is characterized by chronic inflammation of the affected cat’s gums. It can be very painful and lead to inappetence, reduce grooming, and weight loss. Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease. Common treatments include lifelong medical management with antibiotics, steroids, and pain medications and/or full mouth teeth extractions.

Current literature supports the notion that gingivostomatitis is an autoimmune disease. Mesenchymal stem cells have demonstrated the ability to migrate to areas of inflammation, down-regulate inflammation, modulate the immune system, and repair damaged tissue. Additionally, a recent clinical study demonstrated that intravenous administration of adipose (fat) derived stem cells could ameliorate the clinical signs of gingivostomatitis. While more research is needed, preliminary results suggest that VetStem Cell Therapy can improve the symptoms of some cats with gingivostomatitis.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a gastrointestinal disease that can affect both cats and dogs. It is characterized by inflammation of the intestines and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, reduced appetite, and weight loss. It is important to note however, that these symptoms can be indicative of several conditions including feline lymphoma. Since VetStem Cell Therapy is contraindicated in pets with cancer, it is essential to rule this out before pursuing treatment with stem cells.

Multiple cats have received VetStem Cell Therapy for IBD (dogs too!). And we have had reports from veterinarians and owners regarding the improvement of their patients and pets after treatment with stem cells. As stated above, stem cells migrate to areas of inflammation, down-regulate inflammation, modulate the immune system, and repair damaged tissue, all of which can contribute to healing inflamed and diseased intestines. Additionally, in a recently published paper, 5 out of 7 IBD cats that were treated with stem cells significantly improved or had complete resolution of symptoms, whereas the 4 control cats had no improvement.

Orthopedic Conditions

Let’s not forget that cats can get arthritis too! Osteoarthritis (OA) in cats is a lot more common than you may think. It is estimated that 45% of all cats and 90% of cats over age 10 are affected by arthritis in some way. Unfortunately, cats can be masters at hiding their pain and thus, feline arthritis tends to go undiagnosed.

Though most of our osteoarthritis data is from dogs, cats have experienced similar results when treated with VetStem Cell Therapy. Stem cells may reduce pain and inflammation associated with osteoarthritis and may lead to the regeneration of damaged joint tissues. This can result in increased mobility and a better quality of life for your kitty.

So, there you have it: VetStem Cell Therapy for cats in a nutshell. It’s important to remember that kidney disease, gingivostomatitis, and inflammatory bowel disease are still in the investigational stages. And as with any medical treatment, not all cats will respond positively. That being said, if you think your cat may benefit from VetStem Cell Therapy, contact us to receive a list of VetStem providers in your area.

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Aug 6, 2021

VetStem Cell Therapy for Diseases in Cats

This coming Sunday, August 8th, is International Cat Day! We thought this would be the perfect opportunity to discuss the use of stem cells for various diseases in cats. Like dogs and horses, VetStem Cell Therapy can be used in cats to treat orthopedic conditions such as osteoarthritis and injured tendons and ligaments. But there are several other diseases for which VetStem Cell Therapy may be helpful.

Chronic Kidney Disease

A common disease in cats is kidney disease. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) is a common cause of sickness and death in cats. In fact, some reviews suggest that CKD may be the number one cause of sickness and death in older cats. Unfortunately, treatment options are limited and can be costly.

One potential treatment option is VetStem Cell Therapy. Nearly 200 cats have received VetStem Cell Therapy for CKD and veterinarians have seen some promising results. Based upon data from a small number of feline patients treated with VetStem Cell Therapy, blood kidney values were slightly to moderately improved after treatment. While more evaluation is necessary, these results suggest VetStem Cell Therapy may be a viable treatment option for cats with CKD.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) is a gastrointestinal disease that can affect both cats and dogs. It is characterized by inflammation of the intestines and can cause vomiting, diarrhea, reduced appetite, and weight loss. It is important to note however, that these symptoms can be indicative of several conditions including feline lymphoma. Since VetStem Cell Therapy is contraindicated in pets with cancer, it is essential to rule this out before pursuing treatment with stem cells.

Several cats have received VetStem Cell Therapy for IBD. In fact, one of our veterinary clients, Dr. Joel Stone, wrote a guest blog about one of his feline patients who experienced relief from IBD after treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy. In one of our own case studies, a 4-year-old Himalayan cat developed IBD and treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy quickly resolved the cat’s diarrhea and vomiting and led to an increased appetite with no recurrence. To add to that, in a recently published paper, 5 out of 7 IBD cats that were treated with stem cells were significantly improved or had complete resolution of symptoms, whereas the 4 control cats had no improvement.

Gingivostomatitis

Another unfortunate disease that affects cats is gingivostomatitis. Gingivostomatitis affects the mouths of felines and causes oral pain which leads to other symptoms such as decreased appetite, reduced grooming, and weight loss. The most common treatment is extracting all the cat’s chewing teeth, however only about 70% of cats will respond to this treatment. The remaining 30% of cats that do not respond will require lifelong treatment with medications.

Fewer cats have received VetStem Cell Therapy for gingivostomatitis than CKD, however veterinarians have seen favorable results none the less. In addition to our own data, two small studies conducted at the University of California Davis showed that when fat-derived stem cell therapy was utilized in addition to teeth extractions, there was improvement or remission in the majority of cats treated. VetStem believes that fat-derived stem cell therapy without full extractions may be beneficial.

As you can see, VetStem Cell Therapy may be useful for a number of disease processes. Though the above conditions are still in the investigative stages, the preliminary results look very promising! If you think your cat may benefit from VetStem Cell Therapy, speak to your veterinarian or contact us for a list of VetStem providers near you.

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Dec 13, 2019

December is National Cat Lovers Month!

It’s December and while most are excited about the holiday season, we at VetStem are excited about cats!  We have more than a few cat lovers at VetStem, Sue and Kristi, to name a few.  We figured, what better month than this to share new and exciting information about regenerative medicine for felines?!

You may remember some of our previous blogs about stem cell therapy for felines.  If you need a refresher, check out this recent post: Stem Cells for Cats: An Overview.  To summarize, veterinarians are using VetStem Cell Therapy to treat a number of conditions in cats.  In addition to osteoarthritis, the most commonly treated diseases include chronic kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and gingivostomatitis.

VetStem Patients Wilma and Flint

Veterinarians have also used our small animal platelet therapy kit for orthopedic conditions in cats.  Veterinary Platelet Enhancement Therapy (V-PET™) is used by veterinarians to collect and concentrate a patient’s platelets.  The platelet concentrate can be injected into joints, injured tendons and ligaments, as well as chronic wounds. 

One of our frequent users, Dr. Jeff Christiansen, recently treated a cat who had an FHO (surgery to remove the ”ball” of the hip ball-and-socket joint) utilizing V-PET™.  The cat suffered a fracture in his hip and platelet concentrate was injected into the joint after surgery.  Typically, cats will show signs of complete recovery from an FHO procedure at approximately six weeks post-surgery. In this cat’s case, he was comfortable and walking around with good range of motion at four weeks post-op. While the injury required surgical intervention, the addition of V-PET™ into the surgical site may have led to expedited healing.

Keke, Dr. Christiansen’s patient who received V-PET

Some more exciting news about cats is actually about cheetahs!  Dr. Matt Kinney of the San Diego Zoo Safari Park recently presented information at the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians conference regarding working with VetStem to treat a couple of cheetahs.  We hope to share more about this soon!  This is not the first time that VetStem has provided cell services and on-site consultation for the treatment of exotic animals.  A Sun Bear named Francis was another recipient of such services.

Follow our blog to keep up with new research and developments.

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Apr 12, 2019

Guest Blog: Stem Cells for Inflammatory Bowel Disease

This week, we would like to share a guest blog from one of our veterinary clients, Dr. Joel Stone.  Dr. Stone is a feline practitioner at All Cat Clinic in Englewood, CO.  He received his DVM from Colorado State University in 1990 followed by his PhD from the University of California, Davis in 1995.  Dr. Stone has been credentialed to perform VetStem Cell Therapy since 2010.  Below he describes his experience with one of his stem cell patients, a cat named Adobe.  Adobe was treated under one of VetStem’s clinical research programs for Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD).

When I was in High School, I had an awesome teacher named Craig Cogswell.  One of the discussions his students would have every week, was to tell the class if anything “Good and New” had happened in the life of his students in the prior week.  I am not sure why this has stuck with me for all these years (I am not sure I can tell you about anything else I learned in the class), but I have always tried to appreciate anything in my life that is “good and new.” As a veterinarian, you learn new things almost every day.  I want to tell you about a case that I would describe as good and new.

Adobe is an 8-year-old, female neutered domestic medium hair cat that I had initially seen on June 14th, 2016 (when she was 5 years old).  Adobe and her owners, Pam and Paul, had come to the All Cat Clinic to get a second opinion on why Adobe would vomit nearly every day.  She had been on prednisolone once a day for the previous 2 years to treat inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), but Adobe still was vomiting nearly every day.   To be honest with you, this is not necessarily an unusual case.  Cats can vomit for many different reasons. After ruling out bacterial, viral and parasitic reasons for vomiting, I started by trying to determine if she had a food allergy that was making her vomit.  I asked her owners to feed a sample of a diet called Z/D, gave an anti-inflammatory injection that lasts about 7 days and asked the owners to get back with me in about a week.  Her owners said that she did great for about 2 weeks without vomiting but would not eat the Z/D diet.  Adobe’s owners are retired and travel frequently so they asked if I could give a similar medication that lasted longer.  After performing blood work and a urine analysis to rule out reasons for vomiting that are not related to IBD, I agreed to give an injection of a drug called Depo-Medrol (methylprednisolone).  I also suggested another hypo-allergenic diet called the HP diet.  After a few weeks, the owners were happy to report that Adobe liked the HP diet and felt it reduced vomiting and along with the Depo-Medrol injection eliminated vomiting for about 1 month.

From a veterinarian perspective, this is good and bad.  It is good that Adobe finally had some relief from persistent vomiting, but it is bad that this is a treatment that can cause harm, particularly when given repeatedly.  It is known to cause diabetes and a heart condition called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, that I wanted to avoid.  Therefore, I started recommending alternative drugs that reduced this risk, but still relieved the vomiting.  The problem I faced was that Adobe does not like to take oral medications.  After attempting several alternative medications, we were forced to fall back to giving the injectable drug Depo-Medrol, which we did monthly for about 2 years.  Adobe started showing clinical signs of diabetes after receiving steroidal medication for 4 years – 2 years on prednisolone daily and 2 years on Depo-Medrol monthly.  Her blood glucose was moderately elevated, and she started having glucose in her urine.  Clearly, we needed to do something different.

I had read about a newer treatment involving the use of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) to treat inflammatory bowel disease that had shown promise.  A published paper had shown that 5/7 cats with IBD were significantly improved or had complete resolution of clinical signs whereas the controls had no improvement (1).  A canine IBD study reported 9/11 dogs had clinical remission (2).  These data support the idea that adult stem cells could provide the immunoregulation necessary to control IBD in cats and dogs.

I discussed this option with Pam and Paul who agreed to let me surgically collect 94.5 grams of adipose tissue from the abdomen and ship the fat to San Diego to process this fat tissue at a company called VetStem.  They isolated 25.4 million mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) from the fat I had sent them, then sent these cells a day later to the All Cat Clinic in Colorado to slowly inject the cells intravenously into Adobe.  The procedure corresponded with the time that Adobe would have received the Depo-Medrol, which we did not give.

The owners reported that the week following the MSC injection, Adobe’s attitude was much improved.  Being the week beyond the time that Adobe usually received the Depo-Medrol, the improvement seen in Adobe’s behavior is significant.  Adobe was not acting “sickly”, wasn’t cowering, wanted to be petted by the owners and had a good appetite. Adobe had 3 episodes of vomiting the 1st week following the MSC injection, but these episodes included small amounts of whole food instead of large digested kibble.  Starting the second week post-MSC injection, Adobe started showing signs of lethargy, was quiet, and eating less food.  On Nov. 14th, a repeat blood panel and urine analysis was performed which was normal, except for mild renal insufficiency.  The hyperglycemia and glucosuria was resolved.  Subcutaneous fluids, along with famotidine, mirtazapine and Cerenia were given.  Adobe was also treated for mild/moderate ear infection and mild conjunctivitis.  Adobe responded well to the appetite stimulants, anti-nausea, ear, eye and fluid therapy treatments and a second MSC injection was scheduled.

On Nov. 28th, a second MSC injection was given.  Following this injection, Adobe improved significantly.  Owner stated that Adobe was acting like a younger version of herself, no vomiting was seen and had a good appetite.  Two weeks following the 2nd injection of MSC and 3 months since the last Depo-Medrol injection, Adobe was reported to be doing extremely well.  The only major concern was that Adobe’s hair appeared to be thinning.  The literature reveals the opposite effect with hair growth usually occurring after MSC injections.  It is possible that after such a long period of steroid treatment that hair loss might be a response to withdrawal and subsequent cellular “normalizing” prior to hair regrowth.

Currently Adobe is doing very well.  She has not been vomiting for about 4 months.  We haven’t needed to treat the chronic vomiting with methylprednisolone (Depo-Medrol) since starting the MSC therapy.  Adobe had alopecia/hair thinning for about 2 months after the MSC therapy, but most recently, has regained her normal hair coat.

From my perspective, this treatment can be categorized as “new and good.”  It is a little early to know just how good this new treatment modality will be in clinical practice, but as new cases present themselves and we gather more information, my hope is that we will be able to say that MSC treatment is “new and very good!”

 

1)  Webb, TL and Webb, CB.  Stem cell therapy in cats with chronic enteropathy:  a proof-of-concept study.  J Fel Med and Surg (2015) 17 (10):901-908.

2)  Perez-Merino E.M., Uson-Casaus J.M., Zaragoza-Bayle C., Duque-Carrasco J., Marinas-Pardo L., Hermida-Prieto M., et al.  Safety and efficacy of allogeneic adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells for treatment of dogs with inflammatory bowel disease:  Clinical and laboratory outcomes.  Vet J (2015) 206(3), 385-390.

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