Towne South Animal Hospital offers relief for your pets pain from Osteoarthritis or Hip Dysplasia

 

Beginning of Vet-Stem Regenerative Cells (VSRC)

  Vet Stem Inc. was formed in 2002 to bring regenerative medicine to the veterinary profession. In January of 2004 vet stem introduced the first veterinary Stem Cell service in the U.S.

  Since its creation, Vet Stem has worked with hundreds of veterinarians who have treated more than 2,500 horses and 700 dogs VSRC therapy. In a blinded controlled study of osteoarthritis in dogs, 80% of dogs showed improvement.

What Stem Cells Do

  VRSC’s are your pets own regenerative stem cells that will help regenerate injured tissues. Vet Stem regenerative are derived from your pets own fat tissue. These stem cells are able to replicate a variety of tissue types. Some examples of what stem cells can replicate are Tendon, Ligament, Bone, Cartilage and even cardiac muscles and much more. Studies are being done to see if stem cells can also help with chronic liver disease.

       

How Stem Cells Are Taken

   Stem cells in animal cases are taken from the fat of your pet. In order to remove fat from your pet, a surgical procedure is required. Here at Towne South we take many precautions before and during our surgeries to ensure your pets safety. We require pre-anesthetic blood work and an EKG reading before we put a patient under anesthesia. We take every precaution necessary to make sure your pet is going to be safe while under anesthesia and in the post-operative phase. The length of the procedure takes about 45 min to 1 hour. Depending on the areas of arthritis, we may only need about two tablespoons of falciform or mental fat to get a sufficient number of stem cells.

Process of Stem Cell Collection

  Day 1: Fat tissues are collected surgically and shipped overnight to Vet-Stem Lab in San Diego, CA.

  Day 2: Vet-Stem laboratory processes the fat, concentrates the stem cells. Then the cells are shipped overnight to veterinarian in ready to inject- syringes

  Day 3: Veterinarian injects the (animal’s own) stem cells in into the injured site(s).

Post Stem Cell Therapy

  P.R.O.M: Passive Range Of Motion Exercises

  It is very important to follow good rehabilitation practices to help your dog heal in the most optimal way. The veterinarian will explain the importance of post-stem cell therapy and will discharge the patient with a full set of therapy/rehabilitation instructions. Patience and good nursing care can help your pets healing process. P.R.O.M is an exercise that you will be taught and be able to perform on your pet in the privacy of your own home or if you choose can be performed here at Towne South Animal Hospital.

Who can perform this procedure?

  Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy is limited to veterinarians who have completed a Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell medicine credentialing course.  Dr. Mane and Dr. Armstrong are currently the only credentialed small animal veterinarians to perform this procedure in all of Shreveport/Bossier City and surrounding cities.

Find out more about this procedure and how it can benefit your animal by contacting Dr. Mane and Dr. Armstrong at Towne South Animal Hospital or log onto the Vet-Stem website: www.vet-stem.com

Real Stem Cell Success Stories & Owner feedback

Doc, our beloved 12 year old Giant Schnauzer, has suffered from deterioration of the right hip for some time now. He is unable to stand for any length of time, and spends most of the  day laying down. Doc used to visit children in the hospital, working as a Therapy Dog, but since he has trouble standing and moving about we have had to discontinue his work.

In October '08 we decided to bring Doc in to see Dr. Hoelzler at Garden State Veterinary Specialists, in Tinton Fall, NJ.  Dr. Hoelzler performed the Stem Cell Therapy on Doc, and since then he has been improving immensely. Thirty days post surgery he has shown improvement, as well as in his ability to stand for greater lengths of time.

He has been on extended house arrest, keeping his rehab schedule at the top of our priority list. He is now re-gaining his ability to walk and trot better, and does not have such labored movement.

We have seen an improvement in his ability to climb steps and walk around with more ease. It is great to see him being able to get up into his bed and jump up on the couch again, since it is his favorite napping spot.

Since he enjoys Pet Therapy Work so much, we are hoping that he can return to work in the near future.

- Barbara Crisafulli & Doc

Honey, our 13 year old retriever-shepherd mix, had ruptured ligaments in both her shoulders and her knees. She had an increased lameness over the years, thus having to take all kinds of medication for lameness. She had all but stopped walking.

Dr. Carolyn Kohn, of River Forest Animal Hospital in Sarasota Florida, told us about Vet-Stem and how Honey could be treated with her stem cells.

Honey received stem cell therapy in March, and we saw immediate results. After coming out of sedation she wasn't even limping -this was the first time in seven months. Within a month she was climbing back up to her favorite spot on the couch, and once, excited by children playing, took off and ran like the wind. Honey is no longer taking any NSAIDs or medication, and shows no more signs of lameness.

Honey loves to play again like a much younger dog, she loves being handled by children and is able to work as a pet therapy dog once again.

Thank you Vet-Stem!

- Laura and John McCabe & Honey, a Therapy Dog

Edited by: Dr. Mane, Albert Ramos & Beth Ford

Towne South Animal Hospital is the only veterinary hospital in the region that offers Stem Cell Therapy for your pets.  Check out this article and video of one of our many success stories!

Stem Cell Therapy