Stem cell treatment for dogs

Humans with a bad hip or shoulder can only dream about a cutting-edge stem-cell transplant. But for dogs, it can actually happen. Time Magazine reports on stem-cell treatment for dogs:

Blue leads an active lifestyle: she runs four times a week around an enormous park in her hometown of Memphis, Tenn.; she likes playing Frisbee and loves swimming. But one day last November, Blue started limping — which was odd because the German shepherd seemed fit and was only 3 1/2 years old.

"She wasn't recovering as quickly as normal from a trek in the park. I thought that was just a sign of aging," says her owner Twila Waters.... In fact, Blue had hip dysplasia, a fairly common and sometimes crippling degenerative condition in dogs and cats. The cure — a complete hip replacement — would keep Blue in recovery for up to six months.

So while Waters mulled the surgery, Blue's regular veterinarian sent Waters to see another local vet, Kathy Mitchener, who was trained in acupuncture, to treat Blue's pain. But Mitchener had a better idea. She offered a cutting-edge stem-cell transplant, a therapy not yet available to humans, that would potentially help Blue's hip repair itself. The treatment took just two days last January.

Mitchener had recently become certified to perform the stem-cell treatment, pioneered by the company Vet-Stem based in San Diego. 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."

One cycle of treatment typically costs between $2,000 and $4,000.

Comments

[Brien Comerford]

It's very encouraging to learn that stem-cell treatment can be used to cure and heal dogs and possibly more animals. That being said I can't fathom why non-person stem cells and human tissue are not being used to help sick and disabled humans. No fetus or any form of human life was aborted or killed.

[Sara Cullison]

My Dog is undergoing stem cell therapy as we speak for hip displaysia and knee pain I will keep you informed of his progress.

[don depauw]

my dog has hip dys but no surgery as yet tg how's your dogs therapy going??

[cchandler]

Can you please explain the whole procedure. I have heard that the harvesting of the cells is major surgery.

[Gene F]

I have read that this type of treatment has been successful in rats with spinal cord injuries i.e. they were able to walk after receiving stem cell injections. I wonder if this will work with dogs? We have a cocker spaniel who lost the use of his hind legs-he gets around with a wheelchair but it would be nice to see him run again.