WOW -- stem cell replacement for dogs -- have we talked about this yet??

[Kristie Wilder]

http://www.vet-stem.com/

I'm reading about it in Time Magazine. Here's the article, which may be easier to digest than the website:

http://www.time.com/time/health/arti...817572,00.html

Wow! has anyone done this?

[Truffle]

A horse at the barn where I keep my horse had it done, for a soft tissue injury to a leg. The stem cells were harvested from the hip, sent to a lab to grow, then injected into the injury site. The animal required stall rest for some months, then hand walking. I don't think it is being ridden yet, but this was an older animal, with a number of unsoundnesses.

[windycanyon]

Purina recently sent out a 3 disc DVD series to our all breed club from an AKC/CHF breeders symposium that touched on a lot of new research! Finally, being treasurer (and the one to get the mail) has its perks as I got to be the first to watch it. LOTS of cool things coming along....

[Jim Pickering]

From the Time article:
She removed some fatty tissue from the dog's abdomen and shipped the sample to Vet-Stem's labs, where technicians used centrifuges to extract stem cells from the tissue. The cells were shipped back the next day, and Mitchener injected them into Blue's failing hip, where they adapted and developed into the healthy cartilage and tendon cells the animal needed. Within 36 hours, Waters says, "Blue was moving well, and you could see an ease in her gait."

Call me skeptical, but while I would like to think there will one day be a cure for orthopedic disease I do not see dysplastic hips with DJD regenerating within 36 hours. Maybe there is some lubrication value from the injection(s), but 36 hour regeneration is a stretch.

On the other hand a search for a vet certified for the procedure lists several in the Atlanta area including one at the U of GA vet school.

[Kristie Wilder]

Call me skeptical, but while I would like to think there will one day be a cure for orthopedic disease I do not see dysplastic hips with DJD regenerating within 36 hours. Maybe there is some lubrication value from the injection(s), but 36 hour regeneration is a stretch.

On the other hand a search for a vet certified for the procedure lists several in the Atlanta area including one at the U of GA vet school.

I think it was th article that says IF it works, it's normally a few months... I'm being too lazy to look it up. Yeah, 36 hours... doubt it... One of the other testimonials says the next day, I think. But maybe with certain conditions, it resolves more quickly. Still, I think it's a great possiblity for dogs, like one of mine, that's had both knees repaired and the initial repair is getting quite arthritic years later...

Or maybe for conditions like OCD that aren't curable...

[Mark Littlejohn]

My vet believes my 5YO BLM has either a small partial tear of his Achillies or tendonitis, and certainly not severe enough to warrant surgery. He suggested we consider stem cell treatment. He has used this treatment and says that they've often seen improvement in 48 hours (observation and via ultrasound). He had just treated a dog today. He did note that it is "costly".

Has anyone here had a dog receive this treatment? How well did it work for you? What did it cost and was it worth the money? Would you do the same thing again?

Thanks,

Mark

[pupaloo]

Bob has been doing it for a year or so. He said it works, in his experience, about 50% of the time. Depends on lots of things-the individual dog, what the problem is, how severe it is...

[Bud Bass]

Is there any word on if stem cell therapy can be used to improve hip dysplasia problems? That would certainly make it a winner in my book. Bud

[Montview]

Is there any word on if stem cell therapy can be used to improve hip dysplasia problems? That would certainly make it a winner in my book. Bud

Yes- they use it for a variety of arthritic and tendon/ligament injury problems already in the equine world, and that is one of the "labelled" uses in dogs as well. They were comparing the prices with those of a total hip replacement surgery, and the stem cell therapy is much less expensive.

[FOM]

There was a new blurp a few years back here in Colorado Springs - a lab had horrible hips and they did the treatments - a very remarkable recovery, however I'm curious to how the dog is doing a few years down the road....

FOM