We tend to think of larger breeds such as Labradors and Shepherds when talking about hip dysplasia, but smaller dogs can be afflicted with the joint abnormality as well. And although the defect is present at birth, some dogs go undiagnosed for many years because they don’t outwardly appear to have a problem; it’s only as they get older and have difficulty rising or getting around that owners seek treatment. The pain that Raina, a nine year old Cocker Spaniel with hip dysplasia, was suffering from had progressed to the point that her owner had to carry her outside on her bed so she could relieve herself.

Raina’s owner had looked into Vet-Stem Cell Therapy previously, but when she came home from work one day and found that her beloved companion was not able to walk at all she decided it was time to go ahead with the procedure. In May of 2009, Dr. Chris Elson at Burnt Hills Veterinary Hospital in New York injected the Cocker’s hips with stem cells isolated from a fat sample submitted to our sterile lab. Just one week after the injections, Raina was walking again. Her owner raves, “I have a two year old daughter who would never have known her doggie ‘sister’ if it weren’t for Vet-Stem’s technology. You gave back my girl and I will forever be grateful.”

It’s important to note that while Vet-Stem Cell Therapy cannot correct the malformation of the hip joint, it can provide relief from the accompanying arthritis pain and possibly cushioning for the joint as well. I encourage you to discuss this treatment option with your veterinarian if your own canine buddy is suffering from hip dysplasia, as Raina was.