How to Have a Dog Treated Using Stem Cells

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By paulgochs
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Have a Dog Treated Using Stem Cells

Most of the publicity surrounding the use of stem cells in regenerative medicine has focused on human patients, or on animal studies that might someday lead to treatment of humans. But stem cells are being used to treat diseases and disorders in the animal world, too, apart from laboratory experiments with rats and mice. Veterinarians have been using stem cells to treat horses for some time. And now they have started to treat dogs. Most of the treatments have not been approved by the FDA for use in humans. But case studies show that the treatments have been successful in treating orthopedic applications in dogs. Here's how to have your dog treated using stem cells.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Your pet
Your veterinarian
Internet connection

Step 1

Be aware that one company has pioneered the use of stem cell therapy to treat dogs: Vet-Stem. The company trains and certifies veterinarians in its proprietary techniques. Veterinarians then offer stem cell-based treatments, including stem cell transplant, to dog owners for certain orthopedic diseases and disorders.
Step 2

Remember that stem cell treatment of dogs is a new field of medical endeavor. Not many veterinarians are certified to use the new techniques. Start by talking to your current veterinarian about your dog's health and particular condition. He or she knows your pet's medical history. If your vet is already certified by Vet-Stem, you're ahead of the game. If not, you'll want to discuss all of the current possibilities for treating your dog. Only then consider going to a vet who is unfamiliar with your pet's medical history.
Step 3

Find a Vet-Stem certified veterinarian. The company keeps a list of vets who have successfully completed its "Vet-Stem Regenerative Medicine Credentialing course." The list is searchable by Zip code on its Web site. I did a search of my Zip code within a 50-mile radius and found 28 vets. See the Resources section below for a link to the certified veterinarians page. (Besides small animal vets, you can also find vets who specialize in horses.)
Step 4

Once you find a certified veterinarian, spend some time talking to him or her about dogs that have been successfully treated. What injuries or disorders were treated? How are the dogs doing now? Ask for a couple of references of people you can talk to.
Step 5

Remember that these treatments are not cheap. You may pay as much as $4,000 for the whole procedure. But you should weigh this against the cost of standards treatments, such as hip replacement surgery, which can cost $10,000 to $12,000 .
Step 6

Take your dog in for an exam and consultation. If you decide to proceed, the vet will anesthetize your pet (local or general), then withdraw about two tablespoons of fat. The vet then ships the fat sample via FedEx to the Vet-Stem lab. There it is processed over a couple of days. The stem cells (called "Vet-Stem Regenerative Cells" or VSRCs) are concentrated and isolated. The lab returns the stem cells to the vet in ready-to-use syringes. The vet then injects the cells at the site of the injury.
Step 7

Be aware that the stem cell procedure has been used successfully in only a couple of applications in dogs. These include canine osteoarthritis (hip, elbow, knee) and canine immune mediated rheumatoid arthritis. The company hopes to add other applications in the future, depending on research and testing. These future uses might include treatments of neurological, heart, kidney, liver, and immune mediated diseases.

Comments

tachic said

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on 3/20/2009 I never knew you could treat dogs with stem cells!

bethandlee said

on 3/19/2009 I had no clue that animals could be treated with stem cells as well. You learn something new everyday! Thanks for the well written article. 5*