Archive for the ‘VetStem’ Category

Aug 23, 2024

VetStem Sponsors Fetch DVM360 Veterinary Conference

Posted by Bob under VetStem

This week, we are sponsoring, speaking, and exhibiting at the annual Fetch DVM360 Veterinary Conference in Kansas City, MO. This is our second time sponsoring this show in recent years. Veterinary conferences are a great way for us to get in front of our colleagues in the field to educate and further develop those relationships.

This year, Dr. Bob Harman will deliver two lectures at the conference. The first is about the many uses of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) in veterinary medicine. PRP is a cell-based therapy that has been used in veterinary medicine for healing in orthopedics, wounds, corneal ulcers, and more. Dr. Harman will examine the literature and present a few case studies to evaluate the safety and efficacy of PRP. He will also do a deep dive into our latest product, an off-the-shelf freeze-dried PRP, PrecisePRP™.

His second talk will delve into the world of stem cell therapy. Most of us know that stem cells are primarily used in orthopedics for things such as osteoarthritis and injured tendons/ligaments. But in recent years, stem cells have shown great promise in treating some complicated diseases such as kidney failure, inflammatory bowel disease, and gingivostomatitis. Numerous patients have benefited from treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy for these conditions.

If you happen to be at the show, come visit the VetStem team at booth #1200!

Share
Apr 26, 2024

VetStem Sponsors Lab at IVAPM Pain Management Forum

Posted by Bob under VetStem

The VetStem sales and marketing team just returned from the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management (IVAPM) Pain Management Forum in Indianapolis, IN. For the past few years, VetStem has sponsored a lab at the forum. This year, we sponsored a lab focusing on local blocks and joint injections. It was taught by several instructors including VetStem proponents and pain specialists Dr. Douglas Stramel and Dr. Jamie Gaynor.

Founded in 2001 by a group of veterinarians, the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management unites veterinary professionals across all disciplines from around the world to advocate for best practices in the treatment of pain in animals. The organization is committed to encouraging pain management for all animal species through education and advocacy. They also encourage various veterinary organizations to raise public awareness about pain and pain management as it pertains to veterinary patients.

IVAPM is the leading forum and educational resource for veterinary professionals and pet owners interested in animal pain prevention, management, and treatment. One of the primary goals of IVAPM is to educate the veterinary community to recognize and treat pain in all species of animals. In addition to offering continuing education, they also provide the only interdisciplinary pain management certification program for veterinary professionals.

The Pain Management Forum brings together hundreds of veterinary professionals all advocating for the best practices in the treatment of animals in pain. This year marked the third annual Pain Management Forum. We enjoy attending and supporting the IVAPM Pain Management Forum and look forward to supporting their cause in the coming years!

Share
Apr 5, 2024

What happens to my pet’s fat at VetStem?

Posted by Bob under VetStem

Have you ever wondered what happens after your pet has fat collected for treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy? If so, we have some good news for you: we’re going to break down the steps in between fat extraction and stem cell injection in this week’s blog!

VetStem Cell Therapy begins the same for every pet. First, your pet must have fat extracted during a minimally invasive anesthetic procedure. For dogs and cats, the fat tissue is most commonly taken from their abdomen while horses tend to have fat taken from their tailhead. Once extracted, the fat is aseptically packaged by your pet’s veterinary team and shipped overnight to VetStem in a temperature-controlled container.

Once VetStem receives the fat tissue, our laboratory team processes the package to ensure there are no potential sterility issues and that the temperature is at or below the maximum acceptable temperature. They also confirm that the pet’s name matches what we have in our database to ensure patient identity. If there are any issues with identity or sterility, processes are delayed until we can rectify the issues.

The fat then goes into process in our laboratory. Lab technicians follow strict protocols using VetStem’s patented technology to process each pet’s fat in sterile hoods in our GMP compliant facility. Stem cells are extracted from each sample and counted using an extremely accurate cell counter so we know exactly how many stem cells we get from each fat sample we process. We also confirm the viability of the cells. This allows us to ensure we provide what are considered to be therapeutic doses.

Meanwhile, our customer service team is busy on the administrative side entering data for each pet who is having fat processed that day. We record everything from breed, sex, age of the pet to injury/condition being treated, concurrent treatments, fat collection site and so much more. Customer Service also generates shipping labels so that doses for each patient can be shipped back to your veterinary team via priority overnight.

Stem cell doses are prepared for your pet based on the specific injection requests from your veterinarian. These doses, like the fat tissue, are packaged carefully in a temperature-controlled container and shipped out the same day for receipt at your veterinary clinic the following morning. Most of the time, your pet will receive their stem cell injections the day the doses are received at the clinic, which is approximately 48 hours after the initial fat collection procedure.

But the fun doesn’t end there! Our lab technicians also store any remaining cells for your pet, which are carefully labeled in one of several cryotanks. The storage location of extra cells is noted in your pet’s file so we can easily locate them for future stem cell recoveries. This means your pet can receive future stem cell treatments as needed without having to undergo another fat collection procedure.

And there you have it: a day in the life of a fat tissue sample at VetStem. If you’re curious about VetStem Cell Therapy, visit our FAQs page for more information.

Share
Mar 29, 2024

VetStem Celebrates Stem Cell Milestone: Over 16,000 Samples

Posted by Bob under VetStem

We’re back with some big VetStem news! We recently reached an industry leading milestone: VetStem has processed over 16,000 patient samples resulting in over 38,000 stem cell treatments for animals across the U.S. and Canada. That makes for a lot of happy pets and owners!

For over two decades, VetStem has been leading the charge in regenerative veterinary medicine. With our patented technology, we help veterinarians tackle orthopedic and other degenerative conditions. From arthritic joints, injured tendons and ligaments, and even organ failure like kidney disease, VetStem has treated over 40 disease processes in 60 species (including people through our sister company, Personalized Stem Cells).

As you may already know, VetStem is not just helping dogs, cats, and horses. We have also teamed up with numerous exotic animal organizations to provide stem cell therapy for multiple exotic species. Like domestic animals, exotic animals have received stem cell therapy for everything from orthopedic conditions to viral diseases to organ failure to traumatic injuries and more. 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. Just last year, we sponsored a first of its kind stem cell workshop supporting wildlife conservation.

This latest milestone is a testament to the trust that veterinarians and pet owners place in VetStem’s regenerative therapies. And for that, we are incredibly grateful. As we celebrate this achievement and our 20th year providing lifesaving stem cell treatments, we continue to remain committed to ongoing research and development to further expand the applications of regenerative therapeutics.

Share
Mar 1, 2024

VetStem at Western Veterinary Conference

Posted by Bob under VetStem

We are back from another trip to Las Vegas for the annual Western Veterinary Conference (WVC). WVC is one of the largest veterinary conferences in the field and VetStem has exhibited at this show for nearly 20 years.

Trade shows like WVC provide us with a platform to engage with and inform veterinarians and veterinary technicians from all over the country about the benefits of VetStem Cell Therapy and how to integrate it into their clinical practice. These events offer an excellent opportunity to connect with both current and prospective clients to discuss all things regenerative medicine.

The attendance this year was record breaking at over 20,000 people. We thoroughly enjoyed engaging in conversations with our colleagues and fellow animal lovers. And of course we loved getting to meet all sorts of cute animals! Enjoy some pictures from the show below.

Share
Dec 15, 2023

VetStem’s 2023 Year in Review

Posted by Bob under VetStem

We can hardly believe 2023 is coming to an end! This was an exciting year for VetStem. We launched a new product and spent much of the year promoting that product at numerous trade shows across the United States. As our final blog of the year, we wanted to share some highlights from the last 12 months at VetStem. So, without further ado, here is VetStem’s 2023 year in review!

  • In late 2022, we began developing our newest product: PrecisePRP, a donor-derived off-the-shelf platelet-rich plasma for dogs and horses. We spent much of early 2023 finalizing the details of manufacturing, marketing, and all of the many pieces that come with developing a novel product such as this.
  • In February, we attended our first of many veterinary conferences in Las Vegas, NV. Western Vet Conference is one of the largest shows in the industry and it was the first time we began previewing the upcoming PrecisePRP.
  • In March, we announced a major expansion of our manufacturing and R&D facilities. We spent much of the year developing these facilities which are comprised of 13,765 square feet of class A biotech space. These facilities have been/will be used for internal VetStem projects, manufacturing for our sister company, Personalized Stem Cells, and for contract manufacturing of new veterinary biologics.
  • In April, VetStem sponsored a dry lab at the annual IVAPM Pain Management Forum for the second year in a row. Veterinarians at this forum have a particular interest in multi-modal pain management and were excited to learn about the upcoming PrecisePRP.
  • In July, VetStem CEO, Dr. Bob Harman, was featured on the Fuzzybutts and Friends podcast to discuss all things stem cell therapy for pets.
  • In August, we announced the soft launch of PrecisePRP, which is currently still undergoing the FDA review process but is available at a discounted price in exchange for outcome data.

    PrecisePRP Canine and PrecisePRP Equine

  • August also saw the VetStem Sales and Marketing team in Kansas City, MO for the annual Fetch DVM360 conference. We sponsored three of the Fetch shows this year and spoke about platelet-rich plasma options at each show.
  • In September, VetStem sponsored a first of its kind stem cell workshop supporting wildlife conservation. The Stem Cell Technology for Genetic Rescue Workshop was held on September 17-20 in La Jolla, CA. Dr. Harman was among 45 global leaders in stem cell science, brought together to share their experience and expertise and to discuss how stem cell technology can further wildlife conservation efforts.
  • Shortly after the workshop, Dr. Harman attended the annual North American Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Association (NAVRMA) conference in Kona, HI. This conference brings together some of the greatest minds in regenerative veterinary medicine.
  • In early October, the Sales and Marketing team was back on the road. We did two shows back-to-back: Fetch Coastal in Atlantic City, NJ where we spoke about PRP and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) conference in Memphis, TN where we sponsored two talks on feline medicine.
  • In late November/early December, the Sales and Marketing team wrapped up a busy year of conferences at the annual American Associate of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) conference in San Diego, CA and the final Fetch DVM360 conference in Long Beach, CA. At both shows, Dr. Harman spoke about PRP and stem cell therapy.

So, there you have it. Another year in the books. It was an exciting year for us and, as always, we couldn’t do what we do without the support of our veterinary and pet owner clients. We hope that you and your loved ones have a wonderful holiday season, and we look forward to seeing what 2024 has in store for VetStem!

Share
Nov 10, 2023

VetStem Sponsored Wildlife Conservation Stem Cell Workshop

Posted by Bob under Exotic Animals, VetStem

As you may know, VetStem has worked with multiple exotic animal organizations to provide stem cell therapy to several exotic species including elephants, bears, numerous aquatic animals, and big cats, just to name a few. These animals have been treated for everything from orthopedic conditions to viral diseases to organ failure to traumatic injuries and more. Given our great deal of experience, it’s no wonder that VetStem CEO, Dr. Bob Harman, was recently invited to participate in the first of its kind stem cell workshop supporting wildlife conservation.

VetStem user, Dr. Jeff Christiansen, treating Brody, a black bear at the Brevard Zoo

The Stem Cell Technology for Genetic Rescue Workshop was held on September 17-20, 2023, in La Jolla, California. The workshop brought together 45 global leaders in stem cell science to share their experience and expertise and to discuss how stem cell technology can further wildlife conservation efforts. Not only did Dr. Harman bring real life experiences to the discussion, VetStem was also a sponsor of the workshop.

At VetStem, 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.

While our primary goal is to bring relief to the animals that need it, there is potential that stored stem cells may aid in wildlife conservation efforts down the line. VetStem has the ability to cryopreserve stem cells and currently has a bank of stem cells from over 40 different exotic animal species. 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.

Share
Oct 20, 2023

VetStem had a busy week attending veterinary conferences!

Posted by Bob under Veterinary Medicine, VetStem

We spent the better part of last week attending two different veterinary conferences. We love attending these shows as they are a great way to meet with existing and potential clients to talk all things regenerative veterinary medicine. They allow us the opportunity to speak to and educate veterinarians and veterinary technicians from all over the country about VetStem Cell Therapy and how they can implement this therapeutic modality in their practice.

The first part of the week was spent in Atlantic City for the Fetch Coastal veterinary conference. This is a smaller group consisting primarily of small animal veterinarians. Many showed interest in regenerative medicine and our platelet-rich plasma options. Fetch hosts multiple shows throughout the U.S. We attended Fetch DVM360 in Kansas City in August and will attend Fetch Long Beach later this year.

Over the weekend, the team was in Memphis for the annual American Association of Feline Practitioners conference. AAFP is a great show with tons of enthusiastic cat vets. Many veterinarians at this conference show interest in our clinical research programs, such as inflammatory bowel disease, gingivostomatitis, and renal disease, as these conditions tend to be prevalent in cats and have limited treatment options.

If you missed us at these shows, don’t worry! Show season is not over yet! You can find VetStem at the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP) conference and Fetch Long Beach in late November/Early December. And we will of course be back in Las Vegas in February for the Western Veterinary Conference.

Share
Jul 21, 2023

VetStem Helps 100-Pound Dog with Arthritis and Knee Injury

A sad story that we hear a lot is when a ball-loving dog is no longer able to play fetch due to arthritis or some other orthopedic injury. That was the case for Sherlock, a nearly 100-pound Staffordshire terrier/rottweiler mix. Though Sherlock loved to chase his ball, as he got older, his body started slowing down and he was diagnosed with arthritis in all four limbs. In an effort to not take away his favorite activity, his owners continued to play ball with a little less intensity. And then he tore his cruciate ligament in his right knee.

Fortunately for Sherlock, his veterinarian recommended using VetStem Cell Therapy in conjunction with surgery. Stem cells have the ability to reduce pain, inflammation, and minimize the formation of scar tissue. In addition to his injured knee, Sherlock’s veterinarian treated both of his elbows and his non-injured knee to give him some relief from the arthritis in those joints.

Sherlock

Sherlock’s owner reported that he responded well to his initial stem cell treatment but that shortly after, he injured the cruciate ligament in his left knee. Unfortunately, this is more common than you may think. 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. This time, Sherlock’s veterinarian was able to request doses from his stored stem cells, which she administered during the surgery on his left knee. Sherlock once again received an injection of his own stem cells into each knee and each elbow.

After treatment, his owner said that his recovery went from six weeks to three-and-a-half weeks. She stated, “He healed so quickly that it surprised everyone. He was 12 years old by this time and a full recovery seemed almost too hopeful to wish for, but instead we not only got a full recovery but a faster recovery than before.” She went on to state, “Sherlock is now 13 years old and we do not run and chase balls anymore, but we enjoy walks on the beach and lots of snuggles and I am so grateful that he is still here feeling good and enjoying life with me. Stem cell therapy made an immense difference in his ability to live a high quality life in his older years.”

Does your dog suffer from osteoarthritis or have they injured their cruciate ligament? If so, VetStem Cell Therapy may help. Speak to your veterinarian or contact us to receive a list of VetStem providers near you.

Share
Jun 23, 2023

Take Your Dog to Work Day at VetStem

Posted by Bob under Pets, VetStem

Today is Take Your Dog to Work Day and VetStem is no stranger to having our furry, four-legged companions in the office! On any given day, there may be a handful of dogs lounging around the office, offering tail wags, and eagerly requesting ear scratches from passers-by. And we wouldn’t have it any other way!

We of course love the extra puppy snuggles, but there are additional benefits to bringing your dog to work. According to one study, there is a potential correlation between bringing your dog to work and a reduction in stress levels. Scientists found that people who took their dogs to work reported lower stress throughout the day than employees without pets or those who had pets but didn’t take them to work.

Another study found that 90 percent of employees in pet friendly workplaces feel highly connected to their company’s mission, fully engaged with their work, and willing to recommend their employer to others. Additionally, more than three times as many employees at pet friendly workplaces report a positive working relationship with their boss and co-workers and are more likely to stay with a company long term. And the benefits don’t end there! Check out more details of the study here.

We feel super fortunate to work in a pet friendly office, especially since we are in the veterinary field and are all passionate animal lovers! Here are just a few pictures of our dogs hanging around the VetStem office.

Share