Press Releases

Golden Retriever's Quality of Life Restored after Treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy for Hip Osteoarthritis

Isabella, a golden retriever, has a restored quality of life after treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy for bilateral hip arthritis.

2021-07-13 --

Isabella, or Izzy for short, is a golden retriever that was diagnosed with severe bilateral hip osteoarthritis as a result of hip dysplasia when she was approximately three years old. Izzy was experiencing lameness in her back end and her owners took her to an orthopedic surgeon to explore all possible treatment options. After ruling out total hip replacement, her owners opted to have Izzy treated with VetStem Cell Therapy.

To begin the process, Izzy’s veterinarian collected fat tissue from her abdomen during a minimally invasive anesthetic procedure. Once collected, the fat was aseptically packaged and shipped to the VetStem laboratory in Poway, California. VetStem lab technicians processed the fat to extract and concentrate the stem and regenerative cells contained therein and three stem cell injections were shipped to Izzy’s veterinarian for treatment. Approximately 48 hours after the initial fat collection procedure, Izzy received an injection of her own stem cells into each hip as well as intravenously.

In addition to VetStem Cell Therapy, Izzy received treatment with Veterinary Platelet Enhancement Therapy (V-PET™). V-PET is a tool used by veterinarians to concentrate an animal’s platelets and other healing cells from a sample of their own blood. The process is quick and relatively easy and is performed right there in the veterinary hospital. Platelet therapy can work synergistically with stem cell therapy to improve and expedite healing.

According to her owners, Izzy responded well to the stem cell and platelet therapies. Her owners reported that the outcome exceeded their expectations stating, “Her quality of life has been restored and she's an energetic, active and life-loving golden retriever. I would offer this treatment again in a heartbeat, especially to younger, otherwise healthy dogs. Thank you for making this treatment available, it has truly been a game changer for us. She got her life back!!!”

Unfortunately, many dogs suffer from joint dysplasia which can lead to painful osteoarthritis. Pain associated with osteoarthritis can greatly reduce a dog’s quality of life. According to surveys answered by owners and veterinarians, greater than 80% of dogs showed an improved quality of life after receiving VetStem Cell Therapy for orthopedic conditions. A peer-reviewed study of dogs with chronic osteoarthritis of the hip found
that stem cells reduced pain and lameness. Stem cells are regenerative cells that can differentiate into many tissue types, reduce pain and inflammation, help to restore range of motion, and stimulate regeneration of tendon, ligament, and joint tissues.