Archive for the ‘uncategorized’ Category

Apr 19, 2024

Dr. Jeff Christiansen Surpasses 300 VetStem Cases

Posted by Bob under uncategorized

We are happy to announce that another small animal veterinarian has surpassed 300 VetStem Cell Therapy cases! Dr. Jeff Christiansen of Superior Veterinary Surgical Solutions is a board-certified veterinary surgeon based in Florida. He has been providing VetStem services to his patients since 2012. He is one of just two small animal veterinarians who have provided VetStem services to over 300 patients.

Dr. Jeff Christiansen

Dr. Christiansen integrates regenerative medicine seamlessly into his surgical practice by using it both in conjunction with and in lieu of surgery, depending on the type and severity of injury. While Dr. Christiansen frequently addresses common ailments such as osteoarthritis and cruciate ligament tears, his stem cell expertise extends to a diverse range of injuries and diseases including patella luxation, fractures, spinal conditions, kidney disease, and more. Additionally, Dr. Christiansen has utilized VetStem services for exotic species. In collaboration with a local zoo, he delivered VetStem Cell Therapy to alleviate arthritis in a black bear.

Dr. Christiansen is also an avid user of VetStem’s platelet-rich plasma (PRP) products. While he primarily utilizes PRP for small animal orthopedics and wound healing, Dr. Christiansen has also used PRP to treat various unconventional cases. From treating a fractured limb in a kangaroo to expediting healing after tumor removal in an ostrich, his extensive experience spans a multitude of species and ailments.

We have shared the stem cell success stories of several of Dr. Christiansen’s patients including Max, a trained companion for a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant and purple heart recipient, who received VetStem Cell Therapy for torn cruciate ligaments. Another one of Dr. Christiansen’s patients, an explosive detection K9, was able to get back to work after receiving VetStem Cell Therapy for hip dysplasia and arthritis. Dr. Christiansen’s dedication to integrating regenerative medicine into his surgical practice has not only transformed the lives of hundreds of furry patients but also underscored the vast potential of VetStem Cell Therapy across a spectrum of species and conditions.

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Feb 7, 2020

Stem Cell Therapy with Rehabilitation for Pets

Patients with compromised mobility due to osteoarthritis or acute orthopedic injuries are often prescribed physical rehabilitation.  Physical rehabilitation or physical therapy (PT) refers to a number of non-invasive techniques including but not limited to exercise, manipulation, cold therapy, heat therapy and electrotherapy.  The goal of PT is to reduce pain and improve strength and mobility and thereby, improve a pet’s quality of life.

Physical therapy can also be a great way to help a pet recover from surgery.  When used postoperatively, the goal is to decrease pain, inflammation, and recovery time.  When applied appropriately, these treatments may have both immediate and long-term effects.  For these reasons, VetStem recommends that pets follow some basic rehabilitation guidelines after receiving intra-articular (into the joint) or intra-lesional (into the injured tissue) stem cell injections.

Though the optimal post-stem cell injection rehabilitation protocol is unknown, your veterinarian can help you craft a rehab routine that is based on your pet’s specific condition and needs.  Some factors that may affect your pet’s rehabilitation protocol include severity of the condition, number of joints/lesions that are affected and/or injected, as well as other medical conditions your pet may have. In general, VetStem recommends starting with very light rehabilitative exercises for the first several weeks following stem cell therapy.  For dogs and cats, this may include passive range of motion and stretching as well as slow leash walks.  For horses this may include limited or short hand walks or stall rest with hand grazing, depending on the condition being treated.  We understand keeping a pet quiet can be challenging for many owners.  We believe however that it is very important to follow good rehabilitation practices to help your pet heal in the most optimal way. Patience and good nursing care can help your pet’s healing process in both the short and long term.        

VetStem patient, Koda, getting his PT in an underwater treadmill.
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Jun 7, 2019

Meet Kristi, VetStem’s Director of Commercial Operations

Posted by Bob under uncategorized

This week, we’d like to introduce our readers to an integral part of the VetStem team: our Director of Commercial Operations.  Kristi has been with VetStem for nearly 11.5 years.  She started out as a Customer Service Representative and was quickly promoted to Customer Service Manager where she managed a small team of professionals and oversaw the day-to-day administrative operations.  After nearly seven years, she was promoted to Marketing Operations Manager where she managed all print and digital marketing as well as the coordination of trade shows and other events.  After just over a year, she took on additional sales responsibilities and began visiting local veterinary offices to coordinate with current clients and establish new clients.  Just under a year and a half later, Kristi was promoted to Director of Commercial Operations.

As the Director of Commercial Operations, Kristi oversees the Customer Service, Marketing, and Sales teams and works closely with VetStem CEO, Dr. Bob Harman, to manage the compassionate use (non-standard) stem cell cases.  As you may have guessed, Kristi is an essential part of the VetStem team, ensuring the day-to-day commercial operations are completed in an accurate and timely manner and that everything runs smoothly.  You may catch Kristi on the phone or via email, should you have questions regarding the use of stem cells for non-standard indications.

Prior to joining VetStem, Kristi worked in the veterinary field for nearly 11 years.  She has worked for a veterinary laboratory, a veterinary insurance company, and also as a practice manager in an all cat clinic.  From that clinic, Kristi adopted one of her cats, Pyewacket, an orange tabby who was a blood donor for sick cats at the clinic.

Kristi and her husband Josh share two children: Riley who is 15 and Elia Grace who is 7.  In addition to Pyewacket, who is now 19 years old, Kristi also has Phini and Scarf, two Oriental Short Hairs, who are fun and feisty.  Scarf, the baby of the three, loves his brother Pyewacket and likes to eat socks or any type of cloth.

 

Kristi and her family

Pyewacket and Scarf

Phini

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Sep 14, 2018

Regenerative Medicine Experts Meet at NAVRMA Conference

Last week I attended a veterinary regenerative medicine conference in Sacramento, California.  The North American Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Association (NAVRMA) was founded in 2010 to bring together the best minds in the stem cell world to discuss research findings and share perspectives on how stem cells can provide treatment options for animals.  Over 100 of the key veterinary stem cell scientists and practitioners met and were educated by the academic and scientific leaders of stem cell research.  I was an invited speaker and was also asked to lead a workshop focused on the education of veterinarians about being a clinical study investigator.  On Sunday, September 9th, I presented ground-breaking stem cell safety data from the VetStem Research and Development program as part of our FDA product development.

Lectures ranged from clinical applications to basic science and discovery of how stem cells work and how they can best be applied to solve veterinary disease challenges.  Included in the program were talks on kidney disease, arthritis and lameness, and many immune-mediated diseases.  The keynote lecture by human doctor Farshid Guilak from Washington University focused on new discoveries of how we can modify stem cells for even better disease-fighting power.  Very cutting-edge work!

VetStem is proud to be in the forefront in bringing cell therapy into the hands of the practicing veterinarian and we are grateful to the many horse and pet owners that have trusted stem cell therapy for the care of their beloved animals.  I have been a regular speaker at the NAVRMA meetings and this meeting, as in the past, has provided opportunities to collaborate with stem cell enthusiasts around the world with the goal of bringing the healing power of regenerative medicine to our animals in the most rapid manner.

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Nov 9, 2012

Pets Best Insurance covers Vet-Stem Cell Therapy

Posted by Bob under uncategorized

POWAY, Calif. – November 1, 2012 – Vet-Stem, the world’s leading Regenerative Veterinary Medicine™ company, is pleased to announce that Pets Best Insurance plans provide coverage for our Regenerative Stem Cell Therapy.

Vet-Stem first offered stem cell therapy for dogs and cats in 2007 and is honored that so many pet owners and veterinarians have placed their trust in Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy to treat osteoarthritis, muscle, tendon and ligament injuries. Vet-Stem is proud and delighted to hear the stories of the reduction in pain, and improvement in quality of life, in so many dogs.

One of those stories is about Jetta, a member of the Pets Best Insurance family who was treated with Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy in 2011. “Our CEO had a wonderful experience utilizing Vet-Stem therapy in his twelve year old lab.  He loved throwing, and she loved chasing, a ball every evening. But as she aged, she just could not do it due to severe arthritis.  Surgery was not a viable alternative and he asked me about stem cell therapy.  I told him we had seen claims with the treatment and it was covered with our insurance.  He had it done, her condition very much improved and she was able to chase the ball again.  Pets Best Insurance provides full coverage for Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy, in fact we were early adopters of providing coverage and paying for the therapy. Any procedure performed by practicing veterinarians that helps pets, we are in favor of” said, Jack L. Stephens DVM, President/Founder of Pets Best Insurance

“We are proud that so many dog owners and veterinarians have placed their trust in Vet-Stem Cell therapy.  We feel a great sense of accomplishment knowing that there are thousands of dogs and dog owners who have experienced the benefit of stem cell technology.  This practical and beneficial application of technology puts stem cell therapy into the present day instead of a future theoretical concept. The fact that Pets Best provides coverage for our therapy is an added plus and makes this a viable treatment option for many more pet owners”, said Bob Harman, DVM, MPVM, Founder and CEO of Vet-Stem.

 

More information about Vet-Stem can be found at www.Vet-Stem.com

More information about Pet’s Best can be found at www.petsbest.com

 

About Vet-Stem, Inc.

Vet-Stem, Inc. was formed in 2002 to bring regenerative medicine to the veterinary profession. In January of 2004, Vet-Stem introduced the first veterinary stem cell service in the United States. The privately held company is working to develop therapies in veterinary medicine that apply regenerative technologies while utilizing the natural healing properties inherent in all animals.  Vet-Stem has exclusive licenses to over 50 patents including world wide veterinary rights for use of adipose derived stem cells.

 

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Mar 26, 2012

StemInsure Gives Me Peace of Mind

Of course you already know about how you can store stem cells when your baby is born, right? Well cord stem cell collection in the dog is not really possible, but is there another opportunity, like maybe at the time of a spay or neuter or other elective surgery?  Yes, now there is such an opportunity.

I want to introduce Nancy Sapper.  She is a dog, cat and horse owner and is also the Marketing Manager at Vet-Stem.  Her story is amazing!

Hi All,

I am Nancy, the new Marketing Manager at Vet-Stem (I am the old Industry Relations Manager, but that’s a whole different blog!).  I grabbed the blogger keyboard from Dr. Bob today to tell you about my family’s personal experience with Vet-Stem’s newest service, StemInsure.

I cannot express how excited I personally am about this new service.  As many of you who regularly follow us on Facebook and Twitter know, Boomer, the mini Australian Shepherd, has been featured there frequently.  Boomer is my daughter’s dog.

Boomer was a gift to our family but forged a special bond with then 11 year old Kaley.  Read the rest of this entry »

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Apr 19, 2010

Sam’s Story – Stem cells even help old dogs with arthritis!

Sam Szabo - Forever Remembered

GUEST BLOGGER: Ms. Julia Szabo – New York City.  In 2008, my pit bull Sam had a tremendously successful experience with Vet-Stem: The brilliant Dr. Bob Harman and his team basically “Benjamin Buttoned” my beloved dog.

Sam’s stem-cell saga started two years ago, in April of 2008, when he collapsed on the sidewalk during a routine outing. He’d had mild arthritis since his ACL surgery several years before, but his joints grew progressively more stiff. Eventually, both of Sam’s hind legs gave out and he collapsed on the sidewalk in a humiliated heap. I got him home and immediately began researching Sam’s options.

That’s when I learned about the high-tech hope for dogs with arthritis (and horses and cats): Vet-Stem, the incredible therapy pioneered by Dr. Bob Harman of San Diego. I brought Sam to the vet for an exam, which determined that he was OK to undergo anesthesia even at his advanced age (14 years). It was a risk, but it was one well worth taking. My dog seemed depressed. He used to urinate by lifting his leg with an extension to rival the young Baryshnikov’s – but his limbs were now so weakened that he was relieving himself with all four feet on the ground, looking resigned and sad. Sam was not living; he was existing. Read the rest of this entry »

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