Gogo

In previous blogs  I introduced you to Gogo, a male German Shepherd who was recently retired from the bomb squad.  Gogo’s job was  to keep the airport safe from terrorist threats.  The sad thing is that Gogo loved his job and would still be out there working hard if his arthritis in his hips and elbows hadn’t been so painful. Despite trying all the latest in pain killers, Gogo just could not tolerate the

medications.  His handler had heard about stem cells and there happened to be a very experienced veterinary surgeon that used stem cells on many of his patients just down the street.    Dr Gassell examined Gogo and felt that the stem cells might reduce the pain and inflammation that the arthritis in Gogo’s hips and elbows was causing.  This first video shows Gogo before his stem cell treatment.   Note the difference in Gogo’s attitude, energy level and how he moves 3 weeks after stem cell treatment in the hips and elbows for arthritis.

The internet has quickly become a resource to many pet owners, especially those seeking new solutions for their dog’s arthritis. In this Examiner article, Dr. Selmer does a great job of taking a complicated subject of stem cell therapy for dog arthritis and making it an easy read. In the video embedded in the article, you will see how a dedicated pet owner used the internet to find new solutions for her dog’s arthritis pain due to elbow dysplasia.

Stem cells are quickly becoming many veterinarians’ treatment of choice for pets that have pain due to arthritis.  But with over 50,000 veterinarians in the country, many are still learning about this new therapy.  While there are veterinarians like Dr. Michel Selmer who researched new solutions for his patients suffering from arthritis pain and are now offering stem cell therapy, many veterinarians hear about this new modality from their clients.  At Vet-Stem we have created a letter for pet owners to download and share with their veterinarian.

Clinical Trial in Dogs with Hip Dysplasia Shows that Stem Cells Alleviate Pain from Arthritis

Veterinarians strive to practice the highest level of medicine by using products and techniques that have solid evidence to support effectiveness.  Vet-Stem was the first company to conduct and publish the results of a clinical trial in dogs that were suffering from arthritis pain associated with hip dysplasia.   Many of these dogs were crippled from arthritis and their owners had tried many different therapies to treat the pain.  For a few of the dogs, being in the study was a last resort. 
Read the rest of this entry »

Once it was determined that Gogo was a good candidate for stem cell therapy, his veterinarian did a full pre-surgical work up to determine if Gogo’s kidney, liver, heart and other organs were in good working order.  In order to collect the fat from Gogo, he would need to go under anesthesia for a brief time.  His blood work and chest films came back with information that determined he was a healthy senior citizen.  Read the rest of this entry »

Upon retirement from the police force, Gogo was adopted by his handler, Deputy Letze.  Deputy Letze wanted to ensure that Gogo would be comfortable and enjoy his retirement.  He discussed using stem cells to treat Gogo’s elbow arthritis with his veterinarian.  Gogo’s veterinarian wanted to make sure that he was a good candidate for stem cell therapy for arthritis.  Gogo was referred to a board certified orthopedic specialist, Dr. Adam Gassel, for a thorough lameness evaluation.  Dr. Gassel has performed over 50 stem cell procedures and has seen how stem cells have improved the quality of life for a majority of his patient, making them more mobile and less painful.  Read the rest of this entry »

Meet Gogo.  Gogo is a Male German Shepherd from the Czech Republic.  He and Deputy Len Letze graduated from the TSA National Explosives Detection K-9 School in March 2003 and Gogo was a diligent partner until he was forced to retire due to the pain from arthritis on July 4^th, 2009.

During his career Gogo helped keep the airport safe for the traveling public by conducting sweeps of aircraft, vehicles, luggage and cargo.  He had the pleasure of serving the citizens of the County of Orange, California, by searching trains and train stations during elevated security times.  Gogo was involved in many search warrant services and searching of hazardous locations identified by Law Enforcement.  He was part of the major security plan for highly publicized events including the World Baseball Series, World Games, Stanley Cups, MLB playoffs and many other events.  Gogo also conducted bomb sweeps for Presidents Carter, Bush Sr., Clinton, G.W. Bush and Obama and many other VIPs including Diplomats and foreign leaders. Read the rest of this entry »

We would like to thank the Olathe Animal Hospital for this incredible video, the journey of Monty, about a mixed breed older dog that was showing signs of aging.  As you will see Monty was experiencing pretty classic symptoms of pain from arthritis.  Note that when Monty’s own stem cells were used to treat his pain from hip dysplasia, he became a “younger” moving dog.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqiGvfoG7xg

Can you guess which dog has arthritis? 

You may have guessed the Irish wolfhound, and that would be a good guess.  Large breed dogs usually do fall victim to growth problems that can result in pain, limping and ultimately arthritis.  You might have guessed the Labrador retriever, again a good guess.  The Labrador retriever is the most popular breed of dog in the United States.  Their great nature and sporting build also put them at risk for future arthritis due to the high activity level some of them do as a sporting breed.  Read the rest of this entry »

We care so much about the health of our dogs, especially when it comes to weight and sometimes the parallels between human health and dog health are surprising.  Just as people search for low calorie food and often find the labels to be confusing, low calorie dog food labels can be misleading as well.  There is a link between being overweight and arthritis in people AND in our pet buddies!   Read the rest of this entry »

Police dogs, man’s best crime partners, are great assets to any police force. Equipped with great hearing and eyesight, ability to reach speeds of over 30 miles per hour and their stealth demeanor that can track criminals through dark and rough terrain – canine cops are a very valuable part of a police team.  They’re used to catch bad guys, locate drugs and find bombs as well as to search for and rescue victims such as those in 9/11 and Haiti.  These dogs are trained at a young age to become super athletes and super sleuths.

But chasing criminals, climbing in and out of cargo holds and jumping in and out of cars can cause wear and tear resulting in joint pain, arthritis and muscle tears.  At a cost of $10,000 to $20,000, these important dogs are usually quite an investment for a police force.  Keeping them healthy and agile is crucial to the police force.

One of the fastest growing advocates for stem cell therapy is the hard working police dog.  Over the past 2 years stem cells have been used to help those courageous dogs work harder, heal better and keep them on the force.  I will be sharing with you some great success stories that demonstrate how using stem cell therapy to treat joint pain, muscle tears and tendon and ligament conditions can help pet dogs as well as these amazing police dogs.