HD Treatment - Vet-Stem? Has anyone tried this? - Page 1

Does anyone have any experience with this?
Does it really work, or is it too new to know?

Vet takes fat tissue from dog and sends to Vet-Stem.
Vet-Stem processes the fat to get T-cells which are sent back to vet.
Vet injects T-cells into hip Joint.

Their claim........
A new cartalige is formed. Works on 80% of dogs and can be pain free for up to 4 years.

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

http://www.vet-stem.com/news/ very interesting news clips.......

 I have a client whose dog had demonstrated x-ray evidence and observed evidence of HD and pain. They had this procedure donee at a cost of about $2500. I have since seen the dog for boarding and it is my opinion that he was much better than he was. How long this will help him, or whether it really did help him vs something else like medications, weight loss, etc., remains to be seen. It is also being done in humans and with some positive results.

OUCH!

$2500 for one or both hips?

I see that they are saying that they started on dogs since 2005 how do they know that is up to 4 years pain free? lol

I will look into sounds good to me, I would never go any other way but if this would work I think 2,500 is well worth it for a dog that you put so much money already in :) Thanks for sharing.

2500.00 for pain free 4 years let me see it beats new dog and first year vet bills not even talking about training. Plus no cutting is required :) I would say it is a good news. No matter how you want to look at it. :)

in the news clip it shows that the vet make an incision on the side of the dog (benind front leg) to harvest fat. but not into any muscle, bone or tenden. seems much less evasive then hip replacements on cutting the end of the bone off.

this procedure may be in my old Aussi's furutre. she is 10 and 4 years of pain free or reduced pain could carry her thru to the end of her life. 

 One hip = $2500.....a lot cheaper than if it were a human procedure. There is some minor cutting in any such procedure.

It will only get cheaper as they recoup their investment costs.  This is really good news. In conjunction with other restorative medications for the cartilege (sam-e), it could really last a very long time.

Maybe this will help aging humans like myself.

I am in San Diego about 15 miles from the Vet Stem company. They are AMAZING. I emailed them and asked if they thought she would recover better after ligamant surgery if we also used the stem cell treatment. They said it had been used that way with good success in horses, but thus far had 'only' been used with dogs with bad hips and elbow problems, and that they had good results with those.

I had to talk my Vet into becoming certified (no cost to the vet and only about 4 hours of online training through Vet Stem). Well, they harvested the fat from where her umbilical cord is as hey get greater conentration of cells from there than from behind the front leg.  She had the ligament repair at the same as time they harvested the fat. It was a Friday, so we had to wait until Monday to get the cells and inject the cells into the joint.

Her recovery amazed both my Vet, and vet-stem. My dog naturally had the best of care by me and was kept crated and taken out only on leash to keep her from over doing and hurting herself, but at 3 weeks post surgery she was more sound than most dogs 3 months post the same surgery.

Now I'm saving my pennines to try it on my dog with the bad elbow. I'd sure give it a go if I was you.

Jackie Athon

Somehow the first part of my post got erased (by me). To explain, my dog had torn her anterior cruciate ligament in her knee. We used Vet Stem along with her knee repair surgery and had amazing results....Less pain, fast healing and none of the usual arthritis that comes after knee surgery. it ahs been many months and Helena is doing great....Jackie Athon