We have a special veterinarian highlight this week. This will actually be a two-part blog series in which we will learn about Dr. John Hutchens of Westmoreland and Slappey Animal Hospital this week and his patient, Holly, next week.

According to his bio on the hospital website, Dr. John Hutchens received his Bachelor of Science degree in Animal Science from the University of Georgia and his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine from the University of Georgia, College of Veterinary Medicine. He has been utilizing VetStem Cell Therapy since 2013. We recently caught up with Dr. Hutchens to ask him some questions about his use of stem cells.

Why do you find VetStem Cell Therapy to be a valuable addition to your practice?

VetStem Cell Therapy adds value to my practice by significantly improving my patient’s quality of life. Each of my patients have a special relationship with their human counterparts. That relationship can be greatly impacted by the pain associated with degenerative joint disease, arthritis, or injury. VetStem Cell Therapy helps to restore my patient’s ability to move comfortably, restoring their ability to enjoy life and interact with the family they love. There is HUGE value in providing relief of pain and suffering. You cannot put a monetary value on improving a pet’s quality of life and the relationship they have with their family. PRICELESS. 

What injuries/ailments do you typically treat with VetStem Cell Therapy?

I have used VetStem Cell Therapy to treat dogs with hip dysplasia and chronic arthritis of the knees and hips. I have treated the average family pet that couldn’t get up the stairs due to severe hip pain. I have also treated the working dog that was diagnosed with hip dysplasia whose human was told by a veterinarian he would no longer be able to do the job he loved. Guess what, after stem cell therapy he continued doing what he loved to do with comfort.

Please describe your ideal stem cell patient- what criteria must they meet in order to recommend stem cell therapy?

My ideal stem cell patient is a dog whose mind is ready and willing to go, but their joints tell them “NO”. This is a patient that wants to interact with the world around them, but because of pain, they just lie around watching the world go by. These are the patients that wag their tail when you walk in the door, but don’t get up because it just hurts too bad to move.

The things I want to know before deciding if a patient is a good candidate for stem cell therapy:

#1 Does the patient have cancer or a history of cancer?

#2 What therapeutics have they tried prior to stem cell therapy and what were the results?

#3 Are the clients willing to bring the patient back for follow up visits to assess progress?

What advice can you offer pet owners considering stem cell therapy for their pet?

Stem cell therapy sounds too good to be true, but in reality, it works! Stem cell therapy is safe, it’s effective, and it’s life changing. With stem cell therapy, you are utilizing your dog’s own naturally occurring healing properties, stem cells, to provide relief from joint pain. It’s not magic, it’s biology and amazing medical advancement.

We hear your patient, Holly, had a great response to treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy. Can you tell us a bit about her treatment and outcome?

I’ve seen Holly many times over the years and watched as her body began to suffer from the impact of degenerative joint disease. She is one of the absolute sweetest patients I see, but because of joint pain, Holly could not comfortably get up to greet me when I walked into the room. Holly had previously been prescribed Rimadyl, Gabapentin, and Adequan at different times to treat her pain and inflammation with mixed results. Ultimately, the discomfort seemed to overwhelm the therapeutics. During one of Holly’s appointments, I discussed the success I had with other patients, similar to Holly, that had experienced dramatic improvement using stem cell therapy. It didn’t take much to convince the Cooks that Holly needed stem cell therapy.

The VetStem Process

We obtained the fat necessary to harvest Holly’s stem cells from a small incision in her abdomen. Holly did fantastic through the collection procedure! The collected fat was then shipped overnight to VetStem for processing. Within 48 hours I was holding the healing power of Holly’s stem cells in my hands! AMAZING!

Holly was brought back into the office to receive her stem cell therapy two days after the collection procedure. Holly’s stem cells were injected in both of her hips, both knees, and given to her intravenously. She was sent home the same day for monitoring and recovery.

Holly returned seven days later to have the sutures from her abdominal incision removed. The response to treatment was AMAZING. I knew that stem cell therapy was effective, but what I saw that day was miraculous. Holly, the dog that could barely get up without help, was bouncing around the exam room like a brand new dog. I watched as a previously lame dog walked without assistance. Seeing her improvement brought tears to my eyes and a HUGE smile to my face.  I would say Holly is a tremendous stem cell success story.

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We would like to thank Dr. Hutchens for taking the time out of his very busy schedule to answer all of our questions. Hopefully his answers help you to make informed decisions about potentially treating your pet with stem cell therapy. Or, if you are in the Perry, GA area and are curious about VetStem Cell Therapy for your pet, Dr. Hutchens is a great resource. Also, follow him on Instagram @johnhutchensdvm for super cute and educational veterinary content!

Tomorrow is National Cat Day and what perfect timing since our sales and marketing team is currently at the annual American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) conference! For the past few years, VetStem has been a bronze sponsor at this conference and has delivered a talk on the topic of VetStem Cell Therapy for cats to veterinarians and veterinary technicians.

This year, VetStem’s very own Dr. Anne Hale will be delivering a talk entitled Evidence Based Medicine Supporting Stem Cell Therapy in the Feline Patient. In her talk, Dr. Hale will discuss the potential uses of VetStem Cell Therapy in cats. As many of you know, veterinarians have used stem cells to treat renal disease, both acute and chronic, inflammatory bowel disease, gingivostomatitis, and more in cats. This year, Dr. Hale will also introduce a few feline clinical trials that VetStem will be enrolling for soon.

We find AAFP to be one of our favorite shows. From the attendees to the educational offerings, this show has a lot to offer. Feline medicine is unique in the field of veterinary medicine. For a long time, cats were often treated like small dogs. However, there are several physical and physiological differences between cats and dogs that are important to understand from a caregiving standpoint.

One major difference is that cats metabolize drugs very differently than dogs. This is why there are limited treatment options when it comes to pain in cats. While dogs tend to tolerate NSAIDs and other pain medications relatively well, cats do not. There are some NSAIDs approved for short-term post-operative use in cats, but there are currently no veterinary NSAIDs approved for safe, long-term use to control osteoarthritis pain in cats.

This is one of the reasons that technologies such as VetStem Cell Therapy are so important in feline medicine. Stem cells can help control pain and inflammation, can regulate the immune system, and can help regenerate damaged tissues. This makes stem cell therapy a potential treatment option for a wide array of diseases that are lacking effective treatment protocols in cats.

If you think your cat may benefit from VetStem Cell Therapy, speak to your veterinarian or contact us to find a VetStem provider near you.

Though we frequently talk about VetStem Cell Therapy for dogs and cats on this blog, the first patient to receive VetStem Cell Therapy was actually a horse way back in 2004. This horse was treated for a tendon injury that would have normally been career-ending. By 2007, the number of horses treated reached 2,000, with a high return to performance rate.

One of VetStem’s earliest providers, Dr. Martin Gardner, began providing VetStem Cell Therapy to his equine patients back in 2005. Dr. Gardner is a well-known equine lameness practitioner and VetStem Cell Therapy proponent. He is the owner of Western Performance Equine based in Ione, California, where he works with associate veterinarians Dr. Dylan Costello and Dr. Colton Ramstrom.

As one of VetStem’s most dedicated proponents, Dr. Gardner recently reached 500 VetStem cases. This is a major milestone that only one other vet has reached thus far. The majority of his patients are performance horses that receive stem cell therapy for orthopedic injuries. His use of VetStem’s adipose derived stem cells has been primarily in soft tissue injuries (ligament and tendon issues) and, according to Dr. Gardner, has resulted in a higher than average return to full/previous exercise levels for the horses treated.

Numerous horse owners have reported that VetStem Cell Therapy helped get their horse back to work. In fact, based on survey results from horse owners, 76% of horses returned to full work at their prior level after treatment for suspensory ligament injuries, 77% returned to full work after treatment for tendon injuries, and 57% returned to full work after treatment for joint disease.

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

Welcome to the final week of Animal Pain Awareness Month and our pain themed blogs. This week, we’d like to introduce you to a veterinary pain specialist and VetStem user, Dr. Douglas Stramel. But first, meet his patient, Koda.

Koda, a Labrador retriever, was approximately nine years old when he began to show signs of slowing down. His owners reported that he was limping and seemed unhappy. His left elbow became swollen and x-rays revealed that he had elbow osteoarthritis. His veterinarian at the time drained his elbow and administered a steroid injection. This same procedure was performed twice in three months with minimal improvement.

Fortunately for Koda, his owners sought out Dr. Douglas Stramel, a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner. This certification is offered through the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM) for both veterinarians and veterinary technicians. According to Dr. Stramel, “This certification indicates that someone successfully completed advanced training in pain management. Certification holders demonstrate an advanced knowledge in assessing, diagnosing, and treating painful conditions in animals.”

Often, the most effective pain management requires a multimodal approach. For instance, Dr. Stramel’s practice, Advanced Care Veterinary Services, offers numerous services aimed at controlling and correcting pain in pets including surgery, acupuncture, laser therapy, rehabilitation, and regenerative medicine. In Koda’s case, Dr. Stramel utilized medication, shockwave therapy, hyaluronic acid injections, and also recommended treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy.

Dr. Stramel has been providing VetStem Cell Therapy for his patients since 2008 and has even treated his own dog. Stem cells are regenerative cells that can differentiate into many tissue types and have demonstrated the ability to reduce pain and inflammation, help to restore range of motion, and stimulate regeneration of tendon, ligament, and joint tissues. In a peer-reviewed study of dogs with chronic osteoarthritis of the elbow it was found that stem cells reduced lameness and pain.

To being the process, Dr. Stramel collected fat tissue from Koda’s abdomen in a minimally invasive anesthetic procedure. The fat was aseptically packaged and shipped to the VetStem processing laboratory in Poway, California. Lab technicians processed the fat to extract and concentrate the stem and regenerative cells contained therein. The cells were divided into doses, and two injectable doses were shipped to Dr. Stramel for treatment. Approximately 48 hours after the initial fat collection procedure, Koda received one dose of his own stem cells into his elbow and one dose intravenously.

Koda’s owners were very pleased with the results of his stem cell therapy. His mom stated, “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. Koda’s spirit is uplifted and he seems very cheerful and comfortable.” After Koda’s great response, his owner stated that she would recommend stem cell therapy to other dog owners.

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That concludes VetStem’s pain-themed blogs for Animal Pain Awareness Month. We hope you enjoyed this blog series and learned a bit about pain in pets. If you think your pet may be in pain or if you think your pet may benefit from treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy, speak to your veterinarian or contact us to receive a list of VetStem providers near you.

Animal Pain Awareness Month continues and this week we are discussing stem cell therapy for pain management in pets. As most of our readers know, thousands of animals have experienced an improved quality of life as a result of treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy. While stem cells have many mechanisms of action including the ability to differentiate into many tissue types and stimulate the regeneration of tendon, ligament, and joint tissues, they also have the ability to reduce pain and inflammation.

Stem Cells Can Reduce Inflammation

The ability of stem cells to regulate inflammation is important when it comes to pain management. Through cellular communication, stem cells are able to limit inflammatory responses and actually shift from a pro-inflammatory environment to an anti-inflammatory environment. By reducing inflammation, stem cells promote healing and increased comfort.

Stem Cells Directly Modulate Pain

While a reduction in inflammation can lead to increased comfort, current literature supports that stem cells also have the ability to address both acute and chronic pain directly. Initial impressions about the functions of stem cell therapy have focused on healing, regeneration, and reduced inflammation, while more recent studies have looked at the ability of stem cells to directly modulate pain. The recent literature demonstrates that stem cells secrete pain blocking cytokines (small proteins), which can have opioid-like effects. Interestingly enough, these effects can actually be reversed by Naloxone, an opioid antagonist.

VetStem Cell Therapy for Pain Management

Veterinarians see and treat pain in their patients every day. There are numerous treatment options available including medications, devices, and surgery. Stem cells are another tool veterinarians can employ to treat pain in pets. VetStem Cell Therapy has the advantage of being a readily available, natural source of anti-inflammatory and pain blocking cells. This can be especially beneficial for cats and some dogs who do not tolerate anti-inflammatories well.

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.

Did you know that cruciate ligament rupture is one of the most common reasons for hind limb lameness, pain, and subsequent knee arthritis in dogs? While there are multiple treatment options available, both surgical and non-surgical, treatment with stem cells may accelerate and improve healing within the joint. Numerous dogs have received VetStem Cell Therapy for cruciate ligament injuries. Generally speaking, stem cells are more effective when the ligament is only partially torn. In many cases, a full tear will still require surgery.

Leo’s Stem Cell Story

Leo is a 92-pound German Shepherd. One day, after jumping out of his owner’s SUV, he yelped and held his right rear leg up. Two veterinarians confirmed that Leo had partially torn his cruciate ligament in his right knee. While dogs of any size can be affected by this injury, large breed dogs tend to be more at risk.

Initially, Leo’s owners took a conservative approach to manage his condition. Non-surgical treatment usually involves some combination of anti-inflammatory and pain medications, exercise modifications, joint supplements, rehabilitation, and possibly braces/supports. Unfortunately, conservative medical management is not always successful, and after months of leash walks only, Leo’s symptoms worsened.

VetStem Cell Therapy for Cruciate Ligament Tear

After months of research, Leo’s owners elected to try VetStem Cell Therapy as opposed to surgical repair of the injured ligament. Stem cells are regenerative cells that can reduce pain and inflammation, reduce the formation of scar tissue, help to restore range of motion, and stimulate regeneration of tendon, ligament, and joint tissues. Additionally, according to surveys answered by owners and veterinarians, greater than 80% of dogs showed an improved quality of life after receiving VetStem Cell Therapy for orthopedic conditions.

To begin the process, Leo’s veterinarian, Dr. Chris Forstall of SouthShore Animal Hospital, collected fat tissue from his abdomen during a minimally-invasive anesthetic procedure. The cells were 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. These cells were packaged into separate stem cell doses, two of which were shipped to Leo’s veterinarian for treatment, while the rest were put into cryopreservation for potential future use.

Approximately 48 hours after the initial fat collection, Leo received one injection of his own stem cells into each knee. You may be wondering why Leo’s veterinarian injected both knees, as opposed to just his injured knee. According to the American College of Veterinary Surgeons, 40-60% of dogs who injure one cruciate ligament will go on to injure the other cruciate ligament in the future. Because of this, many veterinarians choose to treat both knees with stem cells, even when there is only one injured knee. This prophylactic approach may reduce or delay the possibility of injuring the second knee.

Leo Improves after VetStem Cell Therapy

According to his owner, Leo showed improvement just one month after treatment. His owner stated, “Leo is improving every day. We are thrilled that VetStem banked Leo’s stem cells for future use. I’m looking forward to him improving even more. Thank you for offering this cutting-edge therapy!”

Leo’s initial stem cell process yielded several additional doses that are currently cryopreserved. Cryopreservation of stem cells allows them to maintain their functional properties so that they can be used in the future should Leo require them.

If your dog has suffered from a partial cruciate ligament tear, speak to your veterinarian about the possibility of treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy. Or contact us to find a VetStem provider near you.

Recently, an article was published that described a new bill that was signed into law in Florida. Bill 226 established the Care for Retired Police Dogs program to create a $300,000 recurring funds program under the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to provide subsidized veterinary care for retired law enforcement dogs.

Police dogs are often worked hard and can occasionally become injured on the job. According to the article, “The Care for Retired Police Dogs Program will provide a reimbursement of up to $1,500 of the annual veterinary costs associated with caring for a retired police dog. This includes annual wellness checks, vaccinations, parasite prevention treatments, medications, and emergency care for the animals.”

At VetStem, we have a tender spot for police dogs. We have actually provided cell therapy services for a number of police dogs throughout the years. One common injury among working dogs occurs in the semitendinosus muscle, which is part of the hamstring muscle group. Injury to this muscle can result in a buildup of fibrosis, or scar tissue, which causes the muscle to contract and shorten. This contracture leads to lameness and an abnormal gait in the affected dog.

This condition, known as semitendinosus myopathy, can be career-ending for working dogs. Traditional treatments include rest, medication, rehabilitation, and surgery. Unfortunately, none of these methods have been fully successful, and many dogs do not return to their full activity.

That’s where VetStem comes in! We contributed to a study to evaluate the use of stem cells to treat semitendinosus myopathy and the results were incredibly promising. The study included eight working police K-9s that were diagnosed with semitendinosus myopathy. Each dog was treated with VetStem Cell Therapy and all eight dogs returned to active police work. In addition, each dog’s gait returned to normal.

We recognize the importance of the work that these dogs do, and the fact that many of them risk injury and even put their lives on the line. The new bill in Florida is just a small step to show our gratitude for the sacrifices these hard-working dogs make. At VetStem, we are pleased to contribute what we can to help keep police and other working dogs happy and healthy long into their retirement years.

Much of our blog is dedicated to the various disease processes that can potentially be treated with VetStem Cell Therapy. But it’s been a while since we’ve discussed the basics of stem cells. What are stem cells? What purpose do they serve? We will answer these questions and more in this week’s blog.

What are stem cells?

Stem cells are specialized cells that have the ability to differentiate into over 200 types of known cells in the human body. Some of these cells include tendon, ligament, bone, cartilage, cardiac, nerve, muscle, blood vessels, fat, and liver tissue. Because of this, some have referred to stem cells as “the building blocks of life.”

When we think of stem cells as building blocks, we are most likely thinking of embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells exist only at the earliest stages of development. They are pluripotent, meaning they can differentiate into any cell type. The function of embryonic stem cells is to form whole organs and organisms.

Alternatively, adult stem cells include multiple types of stem cells that are present in almost all tissues of the adult body. They can be multipotent or unipotent, meaning they can only differentiate into one type of cell. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are multipotent adult stem cells that have demonstrated the ability to differentiate into multiple cell types. When used for VetStem Cell Therapy, adult MSCs are extracted from fat tissue, one of the richest sources of MSCs in the body.

What purpose do stem cells serve?

As mentioned above, embryonic stem cells serve one purpose: to form whole organs and organisms. Adult stem cells on the other hand, are utilized by the body to replenish dying cells and to repair damaged tissues. This discovery is what led to multiple studies to help determine the full therapeutic benefits of adult stem cells.

VetStem Cell Therapy: A Therapeutic Application of Stem Cells

VetStem uses adult MSCs in an effort to repair damaged tissues in animals with various injuries and diseases. But this is not the only mechanism of action that stem cells utilize in the healing process. Stem cells have also been shown to down-regulate inflammation, reduce pain, and modulate the immune system. All of these mechanisms, and more that we’re still learning about, make stem cell therapy a multimodal approach to healing.

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 in your area.

VetStem Cell Therapy is primarily used for the treatment of orthopedic conditions in dogs and horses. It is also used, with some frequency, for non-standard indications in cats such as chronic kidney disease and gingivostomatitis. Another non-standard indication that is treated in both dogs and cats, as you may remember from this previous blog, is inflammatory bowel disease.

These and other non-standard indications fall under VetStem’s clinical research department. This means that there are minimal published studies demonstrating effectiveness of stem cell therapy in the treatment of these diseases and VetStem is conducting their own research to help determine if stem cells are a viable treatment option. Clinical research cases are approved on a case-by-case basis, as stem cells are not appropriate for all disease processes.

Stem Cells Have Immunomodulatory Functions

The truth is, we don’t yet fully understand the entirety of what stem cells are capable of. That is one of the reasons why stem cell research for the treatment of various diseases is so important. While the research is ongoing, there is some evidence to suggest that stem cells have multiple immunomodulatory functions. That is, they have the ability to modulate the immune system. Thus, it makes sense that they may be helpful in controlling immune-mediated diseases.

VetStem Cell Therapy for Immune-Mediated Disease

Veterinarians have utilized VetStem Cell Therapy for a number of immune-mediated diseases. We mentioned a few of them earlier: gingivostomatitis and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). That’s right, the literature suggests that both gingivostomatitis and IBD are immune-mediated diseases. Additional immune-mediated diseases that have been treated with VetStem Cell Therapy with some success include keratoconjunctivitis sicca (KCS, or dry eye), immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA), and immune-mediate polyarthritis (IMPA).

As we mentioned above, the research is ongoing so we can’t say with certainty that stem cell therapy will help in every case. Additionally, diseases present differently from patient to patient. Thus, treatment outcomes will also vary. Stem cell therapy is not a miracle cure-all treatment option. But it is a natural alternative to the potentially damaging immunosuppressive medications that are commonly used to treat immune-mediated diseases.

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 in your area.

We recently shared information about our work with elephants in this blog. But elephants are not the only exotic animals that VetStem has worked with. We have provided cell therapy services for a number of exotic species including, but not limited to, large cats, bears, rhinos, giraffes, and several aquatic animals as well. Recently, VetStem CEO, Dr. Bob Harman, presented regenerative medicine innovations at an aquatic animal medicine conference.

Aquatic Animal Medicine

The International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine (IAAAM) conference took place virtually over two weeks. Experts in the field gave lectures on various aquatic animal medicine topics including VetStem CEO, Dr. Bob Harman. Dr. Harman presented information about the use of regenerative medicine, particularly VetStem Cell Therapy, in aquatic animals.

VetStem Cell Therapy for Aquatic Animals

VetStem has worked with various exotic animal organizations across the United States to provide stem cell therapy for several species of aquatic animals. We have provided cell therapy services for dolphins, penguins, sea lions, sea turtles, and more. Aquatic animals have received stem cells for various conditions including arthritis, corneal conditions, and acute injuries such as a sea turtle who was injured by a propeller.

Stem Cell Use in Exotic Animal Medicine

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are regenerative cells with numerous mechanisms of action and can be applied in a wide variety of traumatic and developmental diseases. MSCs can differentiate into many tissue types, reduce pain and inflammation, induce repair and regeneration, and stimulate the formation of new blood vessels. MSCs also secrete anti-microbial molecules and have been used to treat several viral diseases including COVID-19 in people.

As leaders in the field of regenerative veterinary medicine, we take our job very seriously when it comes to the research and development of innovative regenerative medicine treatments for animals and diseases that have minimal treatment options. Maintaining the health and well-being of endangered exotic animals is particularly crucial and has become a community effort, bringing together veterinarians, scientists, and those in the animal health field across the globe. We are happy to contribute to the mission and will continue our own research to develop potentially life-saving stem cell treatments for these animals.