Meet Scarlett – A 3 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel who underwent Vet-Stem Cell Therapy to help her elbow and hip dysplasia.

“In the spring of 2010 at the age of 21 months I noticed that she wasn’t enjoying her walks – she was walking slower, dragging behind and sometimes even stopping and wanting me to carry her. This was a young dog that used to walk for hours and loved visiting with all of the neighbors.  We were sent to Dr. Gassel at Southern California Vet Specialty Hospital and after some specialized tests found out that she did have elbow dysplasia in both elbows. We also found out that she had hip dysplasia. I was concerned at first because this was something new to me but Dr. Gassel felt Scarlett was a good candidate for this procedure. Read the rest of this entry »

Yesterday a global stem cell meeting began in La Jolla with leaders from around the world, “Stem Cells on the Mesa.”  The discussions are centered on stem cell science and the development of new products.  Vet-Stem presented the stem cell story in veterinary medicine to the amazement of many in the audience.  Researchers and business leaders commented that Vet-Stem and veterinary medicine were leaders in translating stem cell science into true clinical treatments.  With over 4000 horses and 4000 dogs treated with stem cells, we are helping the industry see that stem cell therapy really works and is safe! Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. Norm Griggs at Shepherd Spring Animal Hospital performed the first stem cell therapy on a Panther named Buddah from the Tallahassee Museum of Natural History back in September 2011. We are happy to report, “Today, over 7 weeks out, Buddah has complete use of his elbow and has his life back, without pain. He is happy, healthy, sound and taking no medications.”

 To read the full story and update on Buddah click here.

We are always pleased to hear happy stories of our patients. Below is the story of Hannah and how stem cell therapy helped her to overcome arthritis pain so that she could continue to serve others.

“Our Border Collie, Hannah, has hip dysplasia and our orthopedic vet Dr. Pam Nichols, at Animal Care Center K-9 Rehab Center, told us both hips were equally bad ….some of the worst she’d ever seen (hip dysplasia is one of the leading causes of arthritis in dogs). She was afraid Hannah would have to have both hips replaced to ensure a long active life; but suggested that we try stem cells first. Hannah used to use her front paws to pull herself up at times after a lot of running or play and the arthritis was very invasive. She was not making any extra trips upstairs and was unable to even stand on her hind legs. Read the rest of this entry »

Thanks to the thousands of stem cell treatments provided by the Vet-Stem network of veterinarians since 2004, we have learned much about the safety and effectiveness of stem cell therapy for arthritis and also for tendon and ligament injuries using Vet-Stem services.  The care taken to process each sample with the highest standards for sterility and cell integrity has created a stellar track record for safety.

Some veterinary hospitals are now trying to do their own version of stem cell processing in their own clinics or a friend’s clinic.  This often means that the fat sample is processed in an open room by clinic staff that lack expertise in cell processing.  Read the rest of this entry »

Vet-Stem has teamed up with Dr. Norm Griggs of Shepherds Spring Animal Hospital and the Cat Life Foundation in order to help a panther with arthritis.  The Tallahassee Museum’s male Florida panther recently underwent a stem cell procedure that could potentially help heal a problem in his leg. 

“This treatment is the first known attempt of its kind in a panther in the United States and the gradual results are closely being monitored by the panther’s vet and Museum staff,” said Tallahassee Museum Animal Curator Mike Jones. “The Museum is appreciative of the opportunity to participate in this cutting edge process that will hopefully help our panther as well as help pave the way for this technique to help other large cats.” Read the rest of this entry »

The impact of a dogs love, devotion, and special training often makes a huge difference in the lives of people.  Our clinical studies have often described a significant improvement in pain reduction for dogs with arthritis, but sometimes the biggest improvement is in the quality of life as seen by the dog owner.  This is particularly true in the case of service dogs that have a special bond with the people that depend on them for help and support.  Read the rest of this entry »

The letter below came to us from a happy dog owner whose dog, Jackson, was diagnosed with Osteochondrosis in his elbows at the young age of 1. Limping and in pain, Jackson had bilateral arthroscopies (surgical procedure to look at the joint through a scope) and Stem Cell Therapy in the summer of 2010. We are glad to report, one year later, that Jackson is up and running, playing like a “normal dog” once again.  The diagnosis of osteochondrosis or OCD means that part of the cartilage is not normal.  This can lead to breakdown in the covering over the surface of the bone and progression to arthritis.  Jackson already had this type of breakdown and pain from the arthritis and the early treatment probably played a large part in his recovery. Read the rest of this entry »

Pain relief is not the first thing you think of when you think of stem cells, but years of working with dogs and horses has taught us that pain relief is a significant reason that stem cell therapy helps dogs and cats achieve a better quality of life and horses to return to performance.  Vet-Stem will be attending the IVAPM meeting (International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management) in Nashville September 14-18.  We look forward to meeting with pain management experts who currently utilize stem cell therapy so that we can learn the latest methods to use stem cell therapy to reduce pain. Read the rest of this entry »

Veterinary regenerative medicine made its start with horses, but has grown dramatically since its introduction into canine medicine.  In May this year, the first public presentation on stem cell isolation from dolphins was given by Dr. Shawn Johnson at the International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine in Las Vegas.

 The project is a funded three-year collaboration between the Office of Naval Research and Vet-Stem, Inc. to assess the regenerative capacity in bottlenose dolphins and develop a minimally invasive technique to collect stem cells for clinical use.  Read the rest of this entry »