Dog & Cat Success Stories
Bella - Bilateral Hip Osteoarthritis
VetStem Gave my dog her life back! When my puppy was just 5 months old she fell over whimpering and could hardly walk after. After bringing her to 3 veterinarians who assured me it was just a sprain, it didn’t sit well. Her hip movement seemed off. So we sought out support at VCA Canada Alta Vista. Within moments they confirmed she was born with hip dysplasia. Ordinarily if they are under 6 months, they can simply shave the bone and put it in place and let the dog’s natural growth fix it. Because of the previous unhelpful vets, she was now too old. We believed she would never be able to walk off leash or play with other dogs again. We begged the vet to explore other options. The next day a surgeon called us back letting us know about PRP injections and stem cell injections. Thankfully we have pet insurance with Trupanion. After just 3 treatments of stem cell injections and rehabilitation, Bella could walk on her own. In less then a year and a half we started being able to run and play off leash. By the time she was 3, she could come on long overnight hikes in the backwoods. Bella is now 7. Although she will be going soon for a full hip replacement, she could continue without the surgery thanks to VetStem and her mom being vigilant with her exercises. But we felt it was needed to make her older years more comfortable. Without stem cell injections regularly, there was no way Bella could have built up the muscle mass to even consider the surgery or live a happy last 5 years of her life. It let my dog be a puppy again and enjoy her life with significantly less pain and enjoy her favorite things, camping and running. Note: Pet owner received one free year of stem cell storage in exchange for their honest testimonial.