Many of our clients have inquired about pet insurance. Most pet insurance will help cover costs if the condition is arthritis or tendon injuries and not pre-existing or related to a congenital disorder. I have found this independent website helpful at trying to understand all the different pet insurance companies out there and what they have to offer.

Vet-Stem offers another kind of insurance. We can store cells that are not used for the first treatment. These stored cells can be used if your dog needs a ‘tune-up’ or if he has a new injury or disease.

Do you have insurance for your horse or pet?

You will be surprised to find that it is not only possible, but over 2,000 dogs in the US with arthritis and tendon injuries have already been treated with their OWN stem cells from fat. Yes, their own.

Remember the saying “Patient Heal Thyself?” We all, human and animals, carry around a stem cell repair kit that is used every day in helping heal the minor bumps, bruises, cuts and more serious injuries. These stem cells are called “Adult” stem cells and are found throughout the body. They sit there waiting for the signal that they are needed and they rush to the scene of the injury and begin the healing process. When the body can’t heal the injury totally, then scar tissue fills in so that the body can function. Read the rest of this entry »

More exciting news just released from Vet-Stem. We encourage our dog owners to fill out evaluation forms to tell us how their dogs are feeling after a stem cell treatment for arthritis and other  injuries. What became very interesting is that many of them started to write in their own comments like “Rusty is no longer on his pain meds!”

After seeing a trend in the write ins, we re-designed our evaluations to find out if other pet owners were experiencing the same thing. Read the rest of this entry »

Owner Spotlight: Anne Marie & Dasha Ogle

Anne Marie Ogle of Napanoch, the owner of Dasha, a 9 year-old German Shepherd, hoped to find a therapy to improve her pet’s quality of life. Two vets from Rondout Valley Veterinary Associates in Kerhonkson studied up on the process offered by Vet-Stem. The results were miraculous for Dasha.  Anne Marie found just what she was looking for.

Has your veterinarian heard about stem cells for pets?

A bowed tendon is commonly an injury to end horse’s racing career, and even result in death, but now stem cells are changing that. The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal highlights the use of fat derived stem cells and tendon repair in horses.  Bowed tendons are common in many horse sports.  Stem cells from fat may be able to help your dog that has a partially torn tendon.

Do you compete with your horse or dog?

How does it feel to get your dog back to a more comfortable quality of life? We asked pet owners whose dogs had received stem cell therapy for osteoarthritis how their dogs quality of life changed? The results are in!

Greater than 80% of dogs showed an improved quality of life according to owners and veterinarians and 85% said they would refer Vet-Stem cell therapy to a friend.

Many stories we hear from owners range from “now my dog can go outside by himself unassisted” to “you gave me my puppy back!”

What are some things that you wish your dog could do again?

Owner Spotlight: Deanna and Zach Winter

For 14-year-old Zack, “His main problem is arthritis,” said owner Deanna Winter. “Trouble walking, trouble sitting and going upstairs.” So she decided to take him to see Dr. Ealing at Broad Ripple Animal Clinic, where he recommended stem cell therapy using stem cells from his own fat. “His quality of life was going down. He couldn’t make it around the block anymore,” said Winter. Read the rest of this entry »

Since I started Vet-Stem in 2003, over 3,000 horses have been treated. A lot of those horses may have had to find other careers if it were not for their stem cell treatments. One horse that was able to continue his racing career is Greg’s Gold.

And the dogs, well it has been so rewarding to bring back the puppy!! Now, over 2,000 dogs have been treated. Dogs with joint disease, dogs with tendon injuries, dogs in pain.

Hip dysplasia is a terrible disease and it meant that the poor dog was condemned to a life of pain. Now there is a new way to treat these dogs with arthritis related to hip dysplasia, elbow dyplasia and other conformational diseases.

What is bringing about this change? Well stem cell use is now being taught at veterinary continuing education meetings. This past July, the American Veterinary Medical Association meeting in Seattle hosted a full day of stem cells talks to bring veterinarians up to date on stem cells. Vet-Stem provided the credentialing course for all veterinarians interested in adding this regenerative science to their practice. In the afternoon, leading surgeons shared their stories and practice techniques with other veterinarians. If you want your veterinarian to learn more about stem cells, you can download this letter and take it your veterinarian for discussion. If your veterinarian is already credentialed, take this checklist with you to fully discuss the possibility of stem cell therapy for your dog.

Dr. Marquis and Yeoman

Veterinarian Spotlight: Dr. Marquis and Yeoman

Dr. Bob Marquis of Tiara Rado Animal Hospital is using cutting-edge medicine to treat arthritis and other joint problems in large breed dogs. In the past year, he has treated nearly 20 dogs using intra-articular injection of their own adult stem cells. “We are just beginning to scratch the surface of what stem cells can do and it’s really exciting,” Marquis said. “Our work has all been very positive for these animals with no negative effects so far,” Marquis said.

Marquis hopes that some day stem cells will become widely used in veterinarian medicine. He stays well educated on new medical procedures, explaining that already researchers are finding new ways to treat kidney and liver disease using stem cells. It could become a valuable tool for doctors to treat disease in animals.

Read the full story to learn more about fat derived stem cells to treat arthritis in dogs, and their potential to treat other diseases.

Owner Spotlight: Kim & Ezri Galusha

I want to share with you the story of a dog and his owner who compete in agility. Dogs that compete in sports may have different types of injuries than our companions, so if you compete in a sport there may be different symptoms such as limping or unwillingness to perform the activity.

Kim Galusha and her 10-year-old Border Collie, Ezri, were an agility team to be reckoned with. Read the rest of this entry »