Press Releases

VetStem Biopharma is Pleased to Share the Success Story of Mandy, who was Treated with Stem Cell Therapy by Dr. Jerrold Bausman at VCA Vet Specialists of the Valley

Mandy, a mini Australian shepherd, was successfully treated for osteoarthritis in her hips and ankles by Dr. Jerrold Bausman of VCA Veterinary Specialists of the Valley.

2018-08-21 --

Mandy is an eight-year-old mini Australian shepherd and a tripod. When Mandy was four years old, she broke her right front leg in three places. She went through three surgeries to try to repair the leg and each time it was unsuccessful. Once she finally got her cast off, she still wouldn’t use the leg so her owner, along with her veterinarian, decided to amputate. With only one front leg, mobility in Mandy’s back legs became very important. Unfortunately, when she was around 5 years old she began displaying symptoms of arthritis in her back legs.

Mandy’s owner, Susan, took her to VCA Veterinary Specialists of the Valley for a visit with Dr. Jerrold Bausman. Upon examination, it was determined that Mandy had arthritis in both of her hips and both of her hocks, or ankles. Dr. Bausman has over 10 years of experience treating patients with VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy and he believed that Mandy was an excellent candidate for the procedure.

In December 2017, Mandy underwent a minimally invasive procedure in which fat tissue was collected from her abdomen. The tissue was aseptically packaged and sent to the VetStem laboratory in Poway, California. VetStem lab technicians processed the fat to concentrate and extract the stem cells and created injectable doses of Mandy’s own stem and regenerative cells. After quality checks were performed, the doses were shipped back to Dr. Bausman who received and injected them approximately 48 hours after the initial fat collection. Mandy received injections into both hips and both hocks.

Susan reported that she noticed significant improvement in Mandy’s mobility just three days after the injections. In a 90-day follow up evaluation, Susan stated, “Mandy is a tripaw so her ambulation is not at full capacity just from that, however, the stem cell treatment made a huge difference for her rear legs.” She also reported that her quality of life had significantly improved and that she was glad she made the decision to move forward with the stem cell therapy.

Now, approximately eight months after the procedure, Susan reports that Mandy is still doing “remarkably well.” She stated, “It's so obvious how much better she is feeling by her fun, loving and playful attitude. She is definitely not a complainer, however, when she's not feeling well she isolates and I have not seen that since the injections.” Between several surgeries to repair her broken leg, the resulting amputation, and the arthritis experienced in her back legs, Mandy has been through a lot in her eight years. She’s lucky to have a mom who is willing to try everything, including VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy, to keep Mandy comfortable. Fortunately, Mandy has five banked stem cell doses which can be used in the future if her arthritis begins to bother her again.

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, blinded study for chronic osteoarthritis of the hip joint in dogs, it was found that dogs experienced decreased lameness and pain after receiving VetStem Cell Therapy.

About Dr. Jerrold Bausman, DVM
Dr. Bausman received his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Kansas State University. Following veterinary school, he completed a one-year internship in small animal medicine, surgery and critical care at Southwest Veterinary Hospital in Tucson, Arizona. Thereafter he successfully completed a small animal surgical internship and residency at Animal Specialty Group in Los Angeles, CA where he remained as a staff surgeon until becoming a partner at VSV. Dr. Bausman has lectured nationally and internationally on topics relating to adult stem cell therapy for the treatment of arthritis, ligament repair in the canine stifle, total hip replacement in canines and ion currents in cardiac muscle. He appeared on ABC's Night Line News regarding his use of adult derived stem cells for treating arthritis. Dr. Bausman has been VetStem Credentialed since 2007.