Though we spend a lot of time in this blog focusing on stem cells for dogs, VetStem Cell Therapy has helped a significant number of horses as well. Numerous athletic horses that suffered potentially career-ending injuries were able to get back into competition with the help of stem cells. Similarly, non-competitive horses have also benefited from VetStem Cell Therapy, which allowed them to live better quality lives with less pain.

One example is a Quarter Horse named SR Famousinparadise or Elvis for short. Elvis suffered severe injuries to both front deep digital flexor tendons (DDFT). The DDFT functions to stabilize the joints of the lower leg when the limb is weight bearing and allows flexion of the digit. Unfortunately, injuries to the DDFT are common in athletic horses. These injuries are serious and can significantly affect a horse’s soundness and athletic ability. Injury to the DDFT typically requires a lengthy rehabilitation process regardless of the treatment method.

In Elvis’ case, his veterinarian, Dr. Fabio Aristizabal of Cave Creek Equine Sports Medicine and Surgery, recommended treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy. Typically, the fat for stem cell therapy comes from the tailhead of the horse. It’s a minimally invasive procedure that can be done with limited to no scarring. After the fat was processed at the VetStem cell processing laboratory, several doses of Elvis’ own stem cells were prepared and shipped to his veterinarian for injection into his injured tendons and surrounding areas.

VetStem Cell Therapy utilizes the patient’s natural healing cells to treat degenerative diseases such as osteoarthritis as well as traumatic injuries such as torn ligaments and injured tendons. Stem cells are regenerative cells that can differentiate into many tissue types. They have been shown to reduce pain and inflammation, help to restore range of motion, and stimulate regeneration of tendon, ligament, and joint tissues. Additionally, stem cells can reduce the formation of scar tissue, and lead to cleaner, more complete healing of torn tendons and ligaments.

After his treatment, Elvis began a strict rehab protocol including stall rest, hand walking, and new shoes every six weeks. At about 1/3 of the way through his recovery, Elvis had an ultrasound to evaluate his injuries which showed significant healing. According to his owner, Elvis continued his rehab program and has appeared happy since the treatment.

If you think your horse may benefit from VetStem Cell Therapy, speak to your veterinarian or contact us to receive a list of VetStem providers near you.

Did you know that cruciate ligament rupture is one of the most common reasons for hind limb lameness, pain, and subsequent knee arthritis in dogs? While there are multiple treatment options available, both surgical and non-surgical, treatment with stem cells may accelerate and improve healing within the joint. Numerous dogs have received VetStem Cell Therapy for cruciate ligament injuries. Generally speaking, stem cells are more effective when the ligament is only partially torn. In many cases, a full tear will still require surgery.

Leo’s Stem Cell Story

Leo is a 92-pound German Shepherd. One day, after jumping out of his owner’s SUV, he yelped and held his right rear leg up. Two veterinarians confirmed that Leo had partially torn his cruciate ligament in his right knee. While dogs of any size can be affected by this injury, large breed dogs tend to be more at risk.

Initially, Leo’s owners took a conservative approach to manage his condition. Non-surgical treatment usually involves some combination of anti-inflammatory and pain medications, exercise modifications, joint supplements, rehabilitation, and possibly braces/supports. Unfortunately, conservative medical management is not always successful, and after months of leash walks only, Leo’s symptoms worsened.

VetStem Cell Therapy for Cruciate Ligament Tear

After months of research, Leo’s owners elected to try VetStem Cell Therapy as opposed to surgical repair of the injured ligament. Stem cells are regenerative cells that can reduce pain and inflammation, reduce the formation of scar tissue, help to restore range of motion, and stimulate regeneration of tendon, ligament, and joint tissues. Additionally, according to surveys answered by owners and veterinarians, greater than 80% of dogs showed an improved quality of life after receiving VetStem Cell Therapy for orthopedic conditions.

To begin the process, Leo’s veterinarian, Dr. Chris Forstall of SouthShore Animal Hospital, collected fat tissue from his abdomen during a minimally-invasive anesthetic procedure. The cells were aseptically packaged and shipped to the VetStem processing laboratory. Lab technicians processed the fat to isolate and concentrate the stem and regenerative cells contained therein. These cells were packaged into separate stem cell doses, two of which were shipped to Leo’s veterinarian for treatment, while the rest were put into cryopreservation for potential future use.

Approximately 48 hours after the initial fat collection, Leo received one injection of his own stem cells into each knee. You may be wondering why Leo’s veterinarian injected both knees, as opposed to just his injured knee. 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. Because of this, many veterinarians choose to treat both knees with stem cells, even when there is only one injured knee. This prophylactic approach may reduce or delay the possibility of injuring the second knee.

Leo Improves after VetStem Cell Therapy

According to his owner, Leo showed improvement just one month after treatment. His owner stated, “Leo is improving every day. We are thrilled that VetStem banked Leo’s stem cells for future use. I’m looking forward to him improving even more. Thank you for offering this cutting-edge therapy!”

Leo’s initial stem cell process yielded several additional doses that are currently cryopreserved. Cryopreservation of stem cells allows them to maintain their functional properties so that they can be used in the future should Leo require them.

If your dog has suffered from a partial cruciate ligament tear, speak to your veterinarian about the possibility of treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy. Or contact us to find a VetStem provider near you.

Some of you may remember Pearl, the tripod blue pit bull who had a chronic wound on her leg stump and a partially torn cruciate ligament in her right knee.  Pearl was treated with Veterinary Platelet Enhancement Therapy (V-PET™) by Dr. Holly Mullen of VCA Emergency Animal Hospital and Referral Center.  Her response to treatment was fantastic: her wound healed and the limping and pain in her injured knee stopped.  You can read Pearl’s story here.

Recently, Dr. Mullen reached out to give us an update on Pearl.  According to Dr. Mullen, her leg stump has not had a single issue since the first treatment with platelet therapy over three years ago.  And she has been doing great on the knee that was treated at the same time.  Fantastic news!

Unfortunately, earlier this year Pearl began limping on the opposite knee and was diagnosed with a probable partial cruciate tear.  Dr. Mullen believed this injury to be a little bit worse than the knee that was previously treated.  Once again, she treated Pearl’s injured knee utilizing the V-PET™ kit.  A platelet concentrate was created using Pearl’s own blood and injected directly into her affected knee.  Dr. Mullen reported that her knee became sound again and is so far doing great!

If you are wondering whether Veterinary Platelet Enhancement Therapy may help your pet, speak to your veterinarian today.  Or you can contact us to locate a veterinarian in your area who provides platelet and/or stem cell therapy.

Pearl is a pit bull who is missing about one quarter of her right front leg.  She was found as a stray and veterinarians were unable to determine why part of her leg was missing.  Pearl’s owner Julia had a prosthetic leg made for Pearl when she was young.  It helped her to run, swim, fetch balls, jump and play with other dogs.

After a while however, Pearl began to develop a wound at the end of her stump that made wearing her prosthetic uncomfortable.  Julia sought treatment for the wound, however nothing seemed to help and she was faced with the possibility of amputating the remainder of Pearl’s right front leg.

Julia had a surgical consult with Dr. Holly Mullen of VCA Emergency Animal Hospital and Referral Center in San Diego, California to discuss amputation and also address a partially torn cruciate ligament in Pearl’s right rear knee.  While surgery could fix both issues, Dr. Mullen suggested trying platelet therapy first.

Utilizing the Pall Veterinary Platelet Enhancement Therapy system (V-PET™), Dr. Mullen treated Pearl’s chronic, non-healing wound and also her partially torn cruciate ligament.  Julia stated, “Within two weeks of the platelet therapy treatment you could see a tremendous increase with the weight she was putting on her right rear leg and by four weeks her stump had completely healed.”  Julia was very grateful for Dr. Mullen’s recommendation to try platelet therapy before jumping into a big surgery.  It was this treatment that saved Pearl’s right front limb from being completely amputated.

To read the rest of Pearl’s story, click here.

Platelet therapy can be a less expensive and less invasive alternative to surgery.  It promotes healing when the body requires help to kick start its natural internal repair processes. Platelets contain a variety of growth factors that, once released, attract progenitor cells, enhance wound healing and stimulate tissue repair.  The most common uses of platelet therapy are for indications such as hard to heal wounds, tendon and ligament injuries, as well as joint disease (osteoarthritis).  VetStem Biopharma has the distribution right to the Pall V-PET™ for the United States and Canada.

If you have an animal who is suffering from a chronic, non-healing wound, or an animal that you think may benefit from platelet therapy, make sure to discuss all of your options with your veterinarian.  VetStem can help you locate a veterinarian who is currently offering the Pall V-PET™.  Simply contact us to locate a veterinary platelet therapy provider in your area.

Incredible new results for stem cell therapy were presented at the 3rd North American Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Meeting in Savannah, Georgia last week.  I was privelidged to attend and to present our data.  One presenter showed how stem cells can function to grow new tendons and ligaments.  Another (Dr. Ross Rich, Cave Creek, AZ) presented data on how over 85% of horses with ligament injury return to full performance level after being treated with adipose stem cells.  I was selected to present data on how stem cells can potentially help cats with failing kidneys.   Dr. John Peroni of the University of Georgia presided as the association president and introduced the keynote speaker from Georgia Tech who spoke on stem cells in bone healing.  One spectacular presentation showed how adipose stem cells can heal dogs with serious tendon and ligament injuries sustained in athletic events like agility and flyball.  Wow.   In the coming weeks, I will post on the data presented on dogs with arthritis and horses with arthritis and also laminitis to give you a flavor of the rapid progress in discovering new ways to use these cells!  They even showed how they can use advanced stem cell tracking to see how cells move around the body to do their miraculous healing jobs.  A dawn of the age of Regeneration has reached the veterinary world before human medicine.

I am always very proud of the Vet-Stem team, but as I write
this I am especially proud of the accomplishment announced last week, “Vet-Stem
Reaches the Milestone of 8,000 Animals Treated with Vet-Stem Cell Therapy”.

There are more than 8,000 of our beloved with less pain,
less stiffness, the ability to run, play, and return to what they love to
do.  There are more than 8,000 animal
friends who enjoy life again after using their own bodies’ natural healing
abilities.

It takes a team to do what we do:  Veterinarians, RVTs, Caring Customer Service
Reps, Scientists, Professional Laboratory Technicians, you get the idea.  Vet-Stem has compiled a phenomenal team to
bring our patients cutting edge Regenerative Veterinary Medicine, and I am so
proud of the Vet-Stem Team and can’t wait to continue to deliver the care our
companions deserve.

Sunny is a 15 1/2 year old buff Cocker Spaniel.  Sunny looks young for his years and is active with his owner (Kristi).  Kristi is my daughter and Sunny has been by her side for all these 15 years.  Two weeks ago, Sunny hopped off the couch and became immediately very painful and lame on his right rear leg.  Ouch!!  Not being a small animal veterinarian, I took Sunny to see a veterinary surgeon, a friend attending the CVC West veterinary convention in San Diego. Read the rest of this entry »

 
In my second post on the UC Davis Veterinary Regenerative Medicine Meeting, I covered the presentations by Dr. Caplan and Bill Casner. UC Davis also presented data on the use of stem cells in horse deep flexor tendon injury (leads eventually to arthritis).  Dr. Larry Galuppo reported that 47 horses were treated (45% were severe injuries). 65% of these horses treated with stem cells recovered to return to work.

Read the rest of this entry »

 One of the most common injuries a dog can get is a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL).  The tearing of the ligament happens in healthy athletic dogs as well as overweight dogs when they are running and suddenly change direction.  The ACL and the posterior cruciate ligament are two ligaments that cross each other as one travels from the front to the back of the knee joint, and the other travels from the back to the front. What does the ACL do?  This ligament is a fibrous band of tissue that attaches your dog’s femur with their tibia, making the knee joint a hinge. 

Ted Robinsob and Stylish - treated with stem cells for arthritis

Arthritis is a painful, debilitating joint disease that can develop in any animal. It can be the result of a traumatic injury to the joint or can develop so slowly that many pet and horse owners may not even recognize the progression of the disease.  While this blog is focused mainly on arthritis in dogs, I thought that I would spend a little time discussing arthritis in horses.  According to the AVMA 2007 pet ownership and demographic study, there are about 7.3 million horses in the US.  It is estimated that 60% of the lameness issues in horses are due to arthritis, which extrapolated out is about 4 million horses!
Read the rest of this entry »