Press Releases
VetStem Biopharma Shares News of the Successful Treatment of Partially Torn Cruciate Ligament in Young Labrador Retriever with the Pall V-PET™ Platelet Therapy System
Pippa Rose, a young Labrador retriever, was successfully treated with Pall Veterinary Platelet Enhancement Therapy (V-PET™) for a partially torn cruciate ligament by Dr. Kristi Laffitte of Pet Star Animal Care of Ruston.
2018-10-30 --
Pippa Rose is a young Labrador retriever. Like most labs, Pippa is energetic, crazy, and fun-loving. When she was around one year old, Pippa suffered a partial tear to the cruciate ligament in her right knee. According to her mom, Kinsley, Pippa was limping constantly and was unable to run or go on walks. Kinsley reported that it broke her heart to see Pippa lie around in pain because it hurt too much to play. Pippa was started on nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs) however her pain and lameness persisted. Pippa’s veterinarian, Dr. Kristi Laffitte of Pet Star Animal Care of Ruston recommended treatment with Pall Veterinary Platelet Enhancement Therapy (V-PET™) and shortly thereafter, Pippa became Dr. Laffitte’s first patient to be treated with V-PET™.
Pippa Rose received platelet enhancement therapy in August 2018. After a simple blood collection, Pippa’s blood was run through the V-PET™ specialized filter, which is designed to selectively capture platelets to produce a platelet concentrate. The concentrate was injected directly into Pippa’s right knee. Platelets, when exposed to damaged tissue, are triggered to release growth factors that stimulate tissue repair. Since Pippa was both the donor and recipient, there was very little risk of rejection.
Though Pippa was non-weight bearing on her bad leg for weeks prior to receiving platelet therapy, her owner reported that she walked on all fours just a few days after treatment. She was able to return to some of her regular puppy activities including running, going on walks, and playing with her dog and cat siblings. Both Dr. Laffitte and Kinsley reported that Pippa’s overall quality of life had significantly improved.
The Pall V-PET™ kit is distributed by VetStem Biopharma to veterinarians in the United States and Canada. It is a gravity filtration-based platelet therapy kit that produces a platelet concentrate rich in natural healing cells. Supported by a JAVMA peer-reviewed publication, V-PET™ is an effective regenerative medicine solution for the treatment of joint disease, soft tissue injuries, and chronic wounds. V-PET™ can also be used in conjunction with VetStem Regenerative Cell Therapy to further aid healing.
About Kristi Laffitte, DVM
Dr. Kristi Marie Laffitte grew up in the Calhoun, Louisiana area. She earned her bachelor’s degree in animal science from Louisiana Tech University. She then earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Louisiana State University in 2016.
