Press Releases
VetStem Biopharma is Proud to Announce that Heritage Animal Hospital Now Provides Stem Cell Therapy for Dogs and Cats
Dr. Nicholas Vitale of Heritage Animal Hospital provides VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy for his canine and feline patients.
2018-06-26 --
VetStem Biopharma has been providing autologous stem cell services for veterinarians across the United States and Canada since 2004. Dr. Nicholas Vitale of Heritage Animal Hospital originally became credentialed to perform VetStem Cell Therapy in 2013 however he did not perform his first case until late 2017. Since then, Dr. Vitale has treated 25 patients in just seven months.
Dr. Vitale received his B.S. in Zoology followed by his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Michigan State University. He spent some time working at Cornell University as a pathology resident prior to entering general practice. He has an interest in orthopedic and soft tissue surgery and often performs surgery in conjunction with VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy. He most frequently utilizes stem cell therapy to treat osteoarthritis as well as cruciate ligament injuries. When asked why he likes VetStem Cell Therapy, Dr. Vitale responded, “I like it for many reasons. I can help reduce a patient’s need for medicines that have bad secondary side effects. I can help multiple issues at once, versus an owner having to perform multiple orthopedic surgeries which can be very, very expensive.” He also stated that he would elect the procedure for his own dog if necessary and that, “Ideally, I would love to perform stem cell therapy on each orthopedic patient I take care of from ACL injuries to OCD issues to medial coronoid disease, etc.”
Once Dr. Vitale has identified a patient as a good candidate for stem cell therapy, he begins the process with a fatty tissue collection. This procedure is performed under general anesthesia however it is minimally invasive. Dr. Vitale packages the fat in sterile containers and ships it to the VetStem laboratory in San Diego, California. Once received, VetStem lab technicians process the fat and extract the stem cells to create injectable stem cell doses. Those doses are then shipped to Dr. Vitale who injects them back into the same patient approximately 48 hours after the initial fat collection.
In addition to VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy, Dr. Vitale also offers Veterinary Platelet Enhancement Therapy (V-PET™). The Pall V-PET™ is a platelet concentrating system that is distributed by VetStem and has been shown to reduce inflammation and pain. Dr. Vitale uses V-PET™ for chronic, non-healing injuries and in older patients who are not good candidates for extensive orthopedic surgeries or patients with cancer where stem cell therapy is contraindicated. V-PET™ can also be used in conjunction with VetStem Cell Therapy to provide additional healing factors to arthritic joints and damaged tendons or ligaments. While stem cell therapy requires a tissue collection, platelet therapy simply requires a blood collection.
Stem cells are regenerative cells that can differentiate into many tissue types; they have been shown to reduce pain and inflammation, help to restore range of motion, and stimulate regeneration of tendon, ligament and joint tissues. In a peer reviewed study of dogs with chronic osteoarthritis of the hip joint, it was found that stem cells reduced lameness and pain.
About Heritage Animal Hospital
Heritage Animal Hospital is a full-service animal hospital in Dundee, MI providing compassionate, skilled and friendly care for dogs, cats and exotic pets. Their mission is to provide compassionate and professional service to improve the quality of life for all of the dogs, cats, and owners that they care for. They offer quality veterinary medicine through progressive diagnostics, client education, preventative veterinary medicine, and extensive surgical care.
