Press Releases
Puppy Receives VetStem Cell Therapy for Hip Arthritis Due to Hip Dysplasia
Ellie Mae, a hound mix, was successfully treated with VetStem Cell Therapy by Dr. Glenn Behan for hip arthritis as a result of hip dysplasia.
2022-09-20 --
Ellie Mae, a hound mix, was only nine months old when she started limping. Soon after, she stopped putting any weight on her left back leg. According to her owner, she would cry every time she had to get up and would only play while lying down. Eventually, this progressed to not wanting to play at all.
Unfortunately, Ellie Mae was diagnosed with bilateral hip osteoarthritis as a result of hip dysplasia. Hip dysplasia is a deformity of the ball and socket hip joint that occurs during growth. The deformity results in joint laxity (looseness) and eventually leads to osteoarthritis (OA). OA is a painful condition that can greatly reduce a dog’s quality of life.
After other treatments were unsuccessful, Ellie Mae’s veterinarian, Dr. Glenn Behan of Barnegat Animal Clinic, recommended treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy. Stem cells are regenerative cells that can differentiate into many tissue types and have demonstrated the ability 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, it was found that stem cells reduced pain and lameness.
To begin the process, Dr. Behan collected fat tissue from Ellie Mae in a minimally invasive anesthetic procedure. The fat was aseptically packaged and shipped to the VetStem processing laboratory in Poway, California. Lab technicians processed the fat to extract and concentrate the stem and regenerative cells contained therein. The cells were divided into doses, and two injectable doses were shipped to Dr. Behan for treatment. Approximately 48 hours after the initial fat collection procedure, Ellie Mae received one dose of her own stem cells into each hip.
According to Ellie Mae’s owner, “Nothing worked until the stem cells.” After her treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy, Ellie Mae slowly began to get better. Her owner stated, “It took about 2-3 months after the stem cell treatment, and she was running around like she never had a problem. She loves to run and go on walks with no problems. Rolls around and even shows her belly again when rolling on her back. She is about 15 months old now and is a crazy playful girl and enjoying playing with her sisters once again!”
VetStem Cell Therapy is used by veterinarians to treat a wide variety of injuries and diseases and may provide relief when, as in Ellie Mae’s case, other treatments are not working. VetStem Cell Therapy utilizes the body’s natural healing cells to accelerate and improve the quality of healing for acute conditions and to slow, stop, and ultimately revert the course of chronic diseases. Due to the fact that Ellie Mae is still so young, and osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease, it is likely that she will need additional stem cell treatments in the future. Fortunately, Ellie Mae has stem cell doses from her initial fat tissue process cryopreserved for potential future use.
