As the first company in the United States to provide adipose-derived stem cell processing services to veterinarians and their patients, VetStem pioneered the use of regenerative stem cells in veterinary medicine. Since 2003, VetStem has trained nearly 5,000 veterinarians across the United States and Canada to perform VetStem Cell Therapy. We have processed fat samples for over 14,000 patients and 30 different species of animals.

Twelve of our VetStem trained veterinarians have provided VetStem services for over 100 of their patients. The “Centennial Club,” as we like to call them, are among the most experienced adipose-derived stem cell providers in the country. Seven of the Centennial Club members are small animal veterinarians while the other five are equine veterinarians. The Centennial Club members are:

Small Animal
Dr. Kim Carlson of North Peninsula Veterinary Surgical Group
Dr. Jamie Gaynor of Peak Performance Veterinary Group
Dr. Jeff Christiansen of Superior Veterinary Surgical Solutions
Dr. Allyson Berent of Animal Medical Center of New York
Dr. Adam Gassel of Blue Pearl Pet Hospital of Irvine
Dr. Keith Clement of Burnt Hills Veterinary Hospital
Dr. Tim McCarthy formerly of Cascade Veterinary Referral Center

Equine
Dr. Ross Rich of Regenerative Therapy Consulting
Dr. Martin Gardner of Western Performance Equine
Dr. John McCarroll of Equine Medical Associates
Dr. Bill Hay of Tryon Equine Hospital
Dr. Scott Reiners of Mountain View Equine Hospital

Each of the above veterinarians has made VetStem Cell Therapy an integral part of their veterinary practice. They are all experienced in case selection and have seen many positive outcomes. We think it’s worth mentioning that two of the above veterinarians have reached even bigger milestones. Dr. Martin Gardner has surpassed 500 stem cell cases and Dr. John McCarroll has over 250 stem cell cases. Additionally, there are four more veterinarians who are approaching 100 stem cell cases.

Stem cells are regenerative cells that can differentiate into many tissue types. In both small animals and horses, stem cell therapy is most often used to treat orthopedic conditions such as osteoarthritis and injured tendons and ligaments. VetStem Cell Therapy has shown to reduce pain and lameness and improve quality of life and return to work for horses. If you would like to locate a VetStem provider near you, please contact us.

Cancer is a diagnosis no pet owner wants to hear.  Occasionally pet owners will contact us to ask if VetStem Cell Therapy can be used to treat or cure their pet’s cancer.  Unfortunately, VetStem cells cannot be used to treat cancer.  But what about pet’s who have an orthopedic condition that may benefit from stem cell therapy who also have cancer?

As a precaution, we monitor the occurrence of cancer in patients treated with VetStem Cell Therapy closely and have not seen a higher incidence than what is reported in patients of the same age group that were not treated with stem cells.  The literature supports that adult stem cells do not directly turn into cancer cells.  There is also literature regarding stem cell therapy in women who have had mastectomies which shows no higher incidence of recurrence of cancer.

VetStem takes a conservative approach when it comes to patients with cancer because there is still a lot that we don’t know about stem cells and how they work so we err on the side of safety.  We do not recommend stem cell therapy for patients with active or recent cancer.

However, as pet owners ourselves, we understand that in some cases, the potential benefits of stem cell therapy may outweigh the potential risk in patients with active or recent cancer and therefore a pet owner may elect to move forward with stem cell therapy.  This decision is usually reached after a consultation between your veterinarian and a VetStem veterinarian and requires pet owners to sign a special waiver. Some things to consider when making this decision are: age of your pet, severity of the cancer, other medical conditions, and your pet’s current quality of life. There is also an option for patients with cancer to only receive joint injections and not an intravenous injection.

If you have any questions about stem cell therapy, speak to your veterinarian or contact a VetStem representative.

This week we present another veterinarian highlight telling about her experiences with Regenerative Veterinary Medicine!  Dr. Holly Mullen is a Regenerative Veterinary Medicine proponent and also happens to be right in our backyard in San Diego, California.  Dr. Mullen is a board-certified surgeon who works at VCA Emergency Animal Hospital and Referral Center.  Dr. Mullen received her DVM from Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine in 1985.  She then went on to complete an internship in small animal medicine and surgery at the Animal Medical Center in New York City (AMC) followed by a residency in small animal surgery also at AMC.  She received her board certification in veterinary surgery in 1990 and was staff surgeon at AMC until joining her current hospital in 1995.

Dr. Mullen has been offering VetStem Cell Therapy since 2007 and has provided stem cell services for over 60 stem cell patients.  She has also been utilizing Veterinary Platelet Enhancement Therapy (V-PET™) since 2015.

1. Explain why you’re a big proponent of VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy.

Regenerative medicine (stem cells and PRP [platelet rich plasma]) is an important part of my surgery practice.  VetStem’s excellent customer relations, high quality control and careful processing and storage of the cells are a few of the many reasons I feel very comfortable using this company for my patient’s stem cell needs. Regenerative medicine offers a new frontier for minimally invasive, effective and safe treatments for many diseases and conditions. I offer stem cell therapy to the majority of my orthopedic surgical patients and arthritic patients, but it can also be used to help patients with medical conditions such as kidney, liver, bowel and skin diseases. I have offered stem cell therapy as a treatment modality since 2007, after taking the VetStem Credentialing Course for veterinarians. Since then, I have been very pleased with the high rate of successful response to treatment in my dog and cat patients; over 95% of my patients have had excellent responses to treatment. I have also participated in stem cell therapy in both a sea lion and a sun bear, with similarly good results. I am a big proponent of VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy because I see the huge positive difference it makes in the lives of my patients and their families.

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

The ideal stem cell patient is a dog or cat who is suffering from a condition that we know stem cells can help with. They should be healthy enough to undergo the brief anesthetic procedure to harvest the fat from which the stem cells will be extracted. They also should not have conditions such as severe muscle atrophy that might prevent them from having a good response to treatment. Some patients with advanced cancers, in very debilitated body condition, and/or multiple serious medical concerns may not be good candidates for stem cell therapy. While often results seem miraculous, stem cell therapy cannot “cure everything”. However, dogs and cats with significant arthritis can walk comfortably, chronic wounds and fractures can heal, and post-op joint surgery patients can walk sooner and be more comfortable after having regenerative therapy.

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

My advice is to educate yourself now about stem cell therapy and ask your veterinarian if it would help your pet. Also, give stem cell therapy a try if your veterinarian recommends it! It is safe and effective, almost all patients have very good results and it may reduce or prevent the need for other standard medications or even surgical procedures in some cases. Be sure to visit the VetStem web site for a thorough explanation of stem cell and PRP therapies; don’t miss the testimonials to read how other pet parent’s experiences have been. Ask your friends and relatives if they have had regenerative medicine treatments themselves; a portion of my patients were brought to me by owners who knew someone, or themselves had had stem cell or PRP therapy with positive results and wanted the same for their pet. Regenerative Cell Therapy is amazing!

We appreciate Dr. Mullen taking her time to participate in this week’s veterinarian highlight!  If you are in the San Diego area and are looking for an experienced stem cell provider, Dr. Mullen is an excellent choice!  As she stated, she has had many successful stem cell and platelet therapy cases including Knuckles and Pearl.  (And did you catch that part about working with a sun bear?!  Stay tuned for some exciting news…)

Dr. Holly Mullen

For those of you who have had your dog treated with VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy, you may know that we store stem cells from nearly every patient who has had a sample processed at VetStem.  Banked doses are cryopreserved and can be carefully recovered from cryopreservation should your dog require future treatments.  But what happens if you move and no longer see the veterinarian who originally treated your dog?  This is a question we have received in the past and the good news is that VetStem has trained close to 5,000 veterinarians to perform stem cell therapy and if there is not one near you then most licensed veterinarians can be trained to use VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy.

Take Bowie for instance.  Bowie is a 13-year-old Japanese Chin who showed his enthusiasm for life by spinning in circles, or doing “chin spins,” as his owner called it.  He would use his left hind leg to pivot so it was no surprise that by the time he was 5 years old, he was showing signs of severe degenerative joint disease.  His veterinarian at the time, Dr. Patrick Leadbeater of Kahala Pet Hospital in Hawaii, performed surgery on Bowie’s knee and treated him with stem cells in 2010 and again in 2015.

In 2016, Bowie’s owners moved to California.  In 2018, Bowie began showing signs of arthritis once again.  Fortunately, Bowie had several stem cell doses banked.  His owners took him for a consult with their new veterinarian, Dr. Andreana Lim of McGrath Veterinary Center.  Though credentialed to perform VetStem Cell Therapy, Dr. Lim had not yet treated a stem cell patient.  In June 2018, Bowie became her first stem cell patient.  He received injections in both hips and both knees.

Our veterinarians span across the United States and Canada so if you move, we will help you find a credentialed veterinarian near you or will help a veterinarian of your choosing become VetStem credentialed.  Need to find a VetStem credentialed veterinarian near you?  Click here to receive a list of veterinarians near you.

Has your dog been diagnosed with osteoarthritis?  Are you considering stem cell therapy?  In an effort to help you make your decision, we reached out to a few of our stem cell advocates to inquire about their decision-making process.  Below you will find some words of advice from actual VetStem customers that may help you with your decision to move forward with stem cell therapy.

“After researching the various options to help Maverick and trying acupuncture and aqua therapy, we were willing to invest in Stem Cell Therapy.  Our only hope was that he remained at the same stage he was at before the treatment.  We wanted to stop the progression and if he received any other benefits, that would be a bonus.”

 “I recommend people do the research, speak to the experts, listen to first hand experiences and make an informed decision. I will never regret having gone down this path. The end result was more quality time and improved quality of life for my girl.” 

 “Yes, the cost was also a factor, but we found that CARECREDIT can be used for this treatment and it’s interest free for 12 months.” (Side note: several pet insurance companies also cover all or a portion of stem cell therapy!)

“I think that we didn’t have high expectations for a drastic change or a specific timeline or benchmarks for progress.  We just didn’t want him to get worse.  But after 6 to 7 weeks, the improvement in his mobility and stamina was significant.  We couldn’t believe the change from a slow-moving senior to very active younger dog.”   

“Any time a senior dog has surgery, it’s always a concern.  The procedure was shorter than we anticipated, and his recovery was very quick with no side effects.”

“The post-op physical therapy which we did faithfully for 2 weeks, really was one of the things that we found most important for a successful treatment.  Also, we continued with acupuncture and aqua therapy after the two weeks.  Maverick still goes for aqua therapy (swimming) once a week and acupuncture once a month.”

There are some key points that stand out from the above advice.

• Do your research. Speak with your veterinarian, have him/her do an in-depth lameness exam and X-rays if not already done. Determine where the arthritis is located, how severe it is, and if your dog is a good candidate for the procedure.  Keep in mind VetStem veterinarians are available to consult with your veterinarian about your dog’s case if needed.  If your veterinarian is not VetStem Credentialed, you can take this letter to help him/her understand more about VetStem Cell Therapy.
• Look into financial coverage options such as CareCredit and pet insurance. Some veterinary hospitals even have internal payment plans.
• Work with your veterinarian to set realistic expectations. What do we mean by this?  Let’s say you have a 12-year-old Labrador with severe arthritis in several joints.  An unrealistic expectation would be for him to return to bouncy, puppy-like behavior.  A realistic expectation would be for him to move around more comfortably and be in less pain thus having a better quality of life.
• Follow your veterinarian’s advice for post-treatment physical rehab. Routine rehabilitation exercises may enhance your dog’s recovery.

Ultimately, the decision to pursue stem cell therapy is yours and yours alone.  But you’re not alone in the decision-making process.  Your veterinarian, along with VetStem experts, can answer your questions and address any concerns you may have regarding stem cell therapy for your dog.  You can email us or call 858-748-2004 (Toll Free: 1-88-VETSTEM1) and we would be happy to speak with you about your dog’s specific case.

Although this blog primarily focuses on stem cells for arthritis, we thought a post about other indications for stem cells might be helpful to some.  We frequently get questions from animal owners about whether or not VetStem Cell Therapy might help with various illnesses or diseases.  Sometimes the answer is yes, sometimes the answer is no.  Oftentimes, the answer is maybe.  In this blog we will cover some of the potential indications for stem cell therapy.  It is important to remember however that all of the following treatments are still in the investigational stages.  VetStem cannot guarantee that your animal will have a favorable outcome, should you decide to have him/her treated with stem cells.

Kidney Disease: This is one of the most frequent inquiries we get.  Unfortunately, many pets will experience kidney disease in their lives.  Kidney disease can be either acute (sudden onset, lasts a short time) or chronic (develops over a long period of time, may worsen over time).    Some veterinarians have treated kidney patients with VetStem Cell Therapy.  While they have seen some favorable results, more investigation is needed to confirm the effect of stem cells on patients with kidney disease.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): IBD is a group of disorders that affect the gastrointestinal tract of dogs.  This is another condition that some VetStem veterinarians have treated with stem cell therapy.  There is literature to suggest that the use of fat-derived stem cells in canine patients with IBD can lead to significant improvement and even complete remission in some cases.  Of course every patient is different and IBD can be very complicated to diagnose so it is important to ensure your dog has a complete workup before pursuing stem cell therapy as a potential treatment option.

Feline Chronic Gingivostomatitis: This is a severe oral inflammatory disease affecting felines.  Cats with this disease may experience oral pain, reduced appetite, and weight loss.  Oftentimes, these cats will need to have all of their teeth extracted and even then, some will still require lifelong medications and treatment.  VetStem Cell Therapy might provide relief.  Two small studies on cats with full mouth extractions conducted at the University of California at Davis have shown that fat-derived stem cell therapy led to improvement or remission in the majority of cats treated. A few veterinarians have seen favorable results using VetStem cell therapy however more investigation is needed.

Exercise Induced Pulmonary Hemorrhage (EIPH): This condition applies specifically to equines.  Many performance horses experience bleeding in their lungs following strenuous exercise.  Traditional therapy includes medications that can reduce the amount of hemorrhaging but don’t actually treat or cure the disease.  In a clinical research program conducted by VetStem, it was determined that the majority of horses treated with VetStem Cell Therapy experienced significant improvement with little to no bleeding post racing.

This is just a small list of what we consider non-standard indications that may respond to stem cell therapy.  As a reminder, these conditions are still in the investigational stages and your animal may or may not respond as expected.  If your animal is suffering from one of these conditions or a condition that is not listed here, it is best to consult with your veterinarian and contact VetStem to get more information about your animal’s specific condition.  You can also contact us here to get a list of veterinary stem cell providers in your area.

As the first company in the United States to provide an adipose-derived stem cell service to veterinarians for their patients, VetStem pioneered the use of regenerative stem cells in veterinary medicine and now holds exclusive licenses to over 50 patents including world-wide veterinary rights for use of adipose derived stem cells.  VetStem has been providing stem cell services to veterinarians since 2004 and has now provided services for over 13,000 animals.  When it became clear that stem cell therapy led to positive outcomes, additional stem cell providers began to emerge on the market.

You may have seen or heard of in-clinic stem cell processing.  These systems allow veterinarians to process their patient’s stem cells on site in their own hospital.  While this may seem like a more convenient method, there are some serious points to consider before choosing your stem cell provider.

We have compiled this helpful list to demonstrate VetStem’s high quality standards and to help you compare our services with other stem cell providers.  Some of the highlights include:

1. VetStem technicians have years of experience with thousands of samples.  Our laboratory technicians are trained to do one job: process stem cells.  While that may seem obvious, who do you think is processing your animal’s stem cells if using an in-clinic stem cell provider at your veterinary office?  The answer is likely a veterinary technician.  Having worked in the veterinary industry for years, I can tell you with full confidence that vet techs have about 100 different jobs and often several jobs going on at the same time.  He/She may not have the time to devote to processing your pet’s stem cells without getting pulled away to help restrain an animal, process blood work, fill a prescription, or assist in surgery.  Distractions can lead to mistakes and mistakes can lead to a negative outcome in your animal’s therapy.
2. VetStem uses sterile Bio-Safety cabinets inside hepa-filtered clean rooms.  As clean as your veterinary office may appear, you can’t get any cleaner than a “clean room” that is designed specifically to process stem cells.  We take sterility very seriously at VetStem, to the point that we may recommend delaying treatment if we feel a sample’s sterility has been compromised.
3. VetStem determines the cell yield and viability of each sample to determine an accurate dose prior to shipment.  It only makes sense that cells are counted, viability is verified, and the correct dose is prepared before a patient receives their stem cell injection(s).  Unfortunately, the in-clinic systems do not allow for this.  So how does your veterinarian know how to divide up the stem cells to provide the proper dose(s)?  By counting cells and verifying the viability of the cells, VetStem ensures that your animal receives accurate dosing.  This helps make the stem cell therapy as effective as possible.

As you can see, we at VetStem really pride ourselves in providing the highest quality standards to all of the patients whose stem cells we process.  We want what is best for your animal and therefore do our best to provide quality service.  We pioneered this technology and we continue to work closely with the FDA to ensure we are following the current guidelines regarding stem cell therapy.  If you have any questions for our team, feel free to contact us by email or by phone.