Tazer, who has osteoarthritis in both elbows, was in a lot of pain and discomfort. He would sleep all day, wouldn’t even eat and lost 10lbs. in a month. His pain hit so fast. I took Tazer to Dr. Jason Pozzuoli at Animal Medical Clinic of Bountiful where we decided to treat with stem cells. Tazer had a complete turn-around after stem cell therapy. Even the next day he seemed to feel significantly better. I was really surprised. My dog that just slept all day was up greeting me at the door again every time I got home with a wagging tail and smile on his face. He was finally happy again. Read the rest of this entry »

Results from surveys supplied to Vet-Stem by owners of dogs with arthritis.

What Results Have Dog Owners Reported?
• Greater than 80% of dogs with arthritis have improved Quality of Life
• Here are outcome survey results for Older Dogs
• Here are outcome survey results for Younger Dogs
• Here are outcome survey results for Dogs on Pain Medication

What is the Process?
Stem cells are processed from your animals own fat.

What Do Stem Cells Do?

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 »

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 »

A June 2011 article written in Cottage Dog Magazine called Stem Cell Therapy for Dogs highlights Thomas, a Dogue de Bordeaux, whose owner, Kira, is a sales representative and registered veterinary technician for Avivagen Animal Health. Thomas is afflicted with osteochondrosis (OCD) and dysplasia in both elbows. After receiving orthopedic surgery for his OCD, he is now undergoing VetStem RC stem cell therapy provided by Vet-Stem’s affiliate Avivagen in Canada. To read Thomas’ story and how Avivagen is helping treat dogs in Canada with stem cell therapy click here.