Stem cell research and pets.

[ancientgirl]

I saw this article today on PeoplePets. It looks like this is only being done on dogs, but maybe cats can benefit from this as well.

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How Stem Cell Research Is Changing the Way We Treat Our Dogs


In her home nestled near the woods of Van Buren, Ohio, this 4-year-old, 65-lb. German Deutsch Drahthaar has mastered the surrounding hilly terrain. She can run for miles straight, skirting through the trees and trekking over logs and holes in the dirt.

Her wiry coat and muscular build are the results of careful genetic crafting. She was bred to run and retrieve, prey and protect.

So when she started returning from hunting trips limping, her owner, Byron Dashnaw, knew something was wrong — she was defying her very nature.

"These dogs, they're like high-performance athletes — football players," Dashnaw tells PEOPLEPets.com. "She couldn't even climb up the stairs … We decided we needed to do something about it."

The Dashnaw family considered medicine, but that, their veterinarian warned, was a lifetime commitment. Their other option: stem cell treatment. It was cheaper than years of medicine, and if the procedure was successful, Ruggles would be able to hunt again in just a couple of months.

On the Operating Table
The Dashnaws took Ruggles back to her vet, Dr. James Mathias, in March for the treatment. Ruggles, it turned out, was suffering from an old injury she sustained as a puppy when a houseguest stepped on her and caused damage in the cartilage of her knees.

The procedure took just two days. Mathias is certified to perform the treatment pioneered by Vet-Stem, a San Diego-based company that specializes in regenerative medicine.

Stem cells are natural fixer-uppers: They have the ability to develop into many different cell types and repair what is broken. The body won't have an adverse reaction, Mathias adds, because there's no foreign tissue involved. And unlike the moral debate that weighs over the use of embryonic stem cells, the adult-derived cells used in this procedure are extracted from body fat. It costs from $2,600 to $2,800.

Mathias, who has been performing this procedure for about a year and a half, first harvests about two tablespoons of fat through an abdominal incision. He then sends the sample to Vet-Stem, which concentrates the stem cells from the fat and sends them back within 48 hours.

He injects the stem cells into the problem areas of the pet — usually knees, hips and other joints — as well as intravenously to heal any other damage. He sends the patient home the same day.

"All they have to do is wag their tail and look at me with those bright eyes when I see them walking in the hospital without the limp," Mathias tells PEOPLEPets.com. "It's very satisfying when you can help a pet without having to do something that's extremely invasive."

Helping Man's Best Friend
Since 2005, Vet-Stem has extracted the stem cells of about 2,500 dogs and certified more than 2,300 veterinarians to perform the procedure in the U.S. and Canada.

Mathias recognizes that it's not a quick fix — or even a guaranteed complete fix.

"You know you're not going to cure many of them, but you're going to help them," he says, "and that's what we try to do."

Mathias is optimistic about the treatment, saying it may even shed light on future breakthroughs in stem cell research for humans. But for now, his job is all about making sure his furry patients leave his office "happy dogs."

"For some people, their pets are really sort of their lifeline — they're like little parts of their family," Mathias says. "As our society gets more and more fragmented, a lot of times, the constant is the pet."

Ruggles, Reinvigorated
This upcoming hunting season will be Ruggles' first since the procedure. And Dashnaw doesn't seem concerned: Within a week of the treatment, she was already climbing up and down the stairs again.

"She's a puppy again," he says. "She can jump into my truck. She can run as hard as she wants to. She couldn't even jump on the couch before this."

She's back to chasing fish around the pond in their backyard, running around the woods with her fellow canine brother, Smokey — and ruling the house.

"She's happier than I've ever seen her," he says. "[The treatment] gave her a second chance, and she can enjoy life with the rest of us."

See more medical miracles on PEOPLEPets.com:
'Bionic' Dog Has $25,000 Worth of Artificial Joints
Jonah the Blind Puppy Undergoes Life-Saving Surgery

Alison Schwartz

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[hazelrunpack]

We're hoping they'll have it perfected for humans soon, too--hubby's knees are bad. Much of the research has been very positive so we're !

[ancientgirl]

Originally Posted by hazelrunpack

We're hoping they'll have it perfected for humans soon, too--hubby's knees are bad. Much of the research has been very positive so we're !

Stem cell research is something that can help many people who are suffering pain and/or illness. I hope the research continues and treatments are soon in coming.

[TippCityOhio]

From the staff at Tipp City Veterinary Hospital: It was a pleasure to work with such an amazing dog! We were all very pleased with Ruggles' successful treatment! Its been great seeing her continue her outdoor pursuits with the Dashnaw's.