Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Stem Cell Therapy for Dogs and Cats

     Since 2005, the American Animal Hospital has been administering stem cell treatments to dogs and cats to help increase mobility, decrease pain and generally improve quality of life.  It’s proven to be beneficial in combating hip dysplasia, arthritis, degenerative joint disease and ligament injuries. We were the first practice to perform canine stem cell therapy in the United States, and were the first practice on the East Coast, in 2010, to offer the entire process in house (We use technology from Medi-Vet America)!  Not only does this mean that your pet can go home the same day, with only normal follow up exams (sending it out took three days!) but we get over 33 TIMES MORE stem cells per sample. 
     So what are stem cells? First, let’s dismiss any controversy by saying that these are adult stem cells, not embryonic!  The adult stem cells are autologous (meaning that they come from the same patient from which they’re taken) and do not need a host. They occur naturally in the body and work to repair damaged cells. A stem cell is unique since it has no set role in the body; they are essentially a blank slate.  This blank slate can become almost any cell in the body as  needed and functions as an internal repair mechanism when cells are damaged. We obtain the stem cells from our patients by extracting a small sample of fat (about one tablespoon).  Fat tissue contains an amazing amount of stem cells, and from just about a tablespoon of fat, we can extract almost 500 million stem cells.  These are called adipose derived stem cells, meaning that they come from the same animal that they are being administered to.  They are different from the embryonic derived cells that you read about in the news, since they don’t need a donor nor do they come from an embryo.  After extracting the stem cells, we then “supercharge” them using a mix of platelet-rich-plasma (PRP) and light activation to ensure that we are getting the most active and voluminous amount possible.
     The way the stem cells adapt and work in the body is fascinating.  Once intravenously injected, they home in on damaged tissues, following distress signals produced by injured cells.  When stem cells arrive at a damaged region, they go to work regenerating tissue as well as acting as an anti-inflammatory.  The PRP, which contains many growth factors, aids in hard and soft tissue healing as the stem cells go to work.  This combination works especially well in joints.
     We continue to have great success using veterinary stem cell therapy, with all of our patients going home the same day and many feeling positive effects in less than a week from their initial injection.  Follow along here to learn about some of our cases!