Has anyone here heard of stem cell therapy for hip dysplasia? I have not and wondered whether it could be a scam. (http://www.vet-stem.com/smallanimal/)

I have heard of it but have no personal experience with it. I believe that stem cell therapy was discussed on the forum in the past. Whether it was related to hd, I don't remember. Try a search.

I looked into stem cell therapy when my dog had a suspected ligament tear. It is absolutely not a scam, but it is new enough on the horizon of veterinary medicine that little is known/proven about it's actual potential.

Vet-Stem has led the charge in commercializing the science for the US market, but even their research is still in it's infancy (as these things go). There are a handful of vets around the country that are certified to do the collection/injection procedure (which runs in the thousands of dollars), and from my talking to a few of them, they're pretty reserved about making claims (not because it doesn't necessarily work, but because so little is known) - I personally think there is a ton of potential there, but it's going to take time for research and experimentation to reveal what it can actually do, and define it's practicality. For most pet owners, it's simply a very expensive gamble right now, but if you've got the money, it could be a good non-invasive option for injury therapy. A lot of work is being done on equine joint injuries - primarily in horse racing (where there's LOTS of $$) - but the dog and cat markets will obviously be huge.

Here's a story that ran a couple years ago:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Story?id=4109559&page=1

~Natalya

Thanks Natalia! I am going to do some research on this - it sounds very interesting.

My friend had stem cells imnplanted in her horses leg, during surgery, after the mare had a fracture. I never asked the cost, but suspect that it was pricey to say the least, but this is a competition x-country horse & worth a fair amount. So she was worth the investment even as a brood mare.

So the technology is there for animals, but as stated, is in all likelyhood far to pricey for most owners to be realistic as an option. I also doubt that most vets have the skills or knowledge needed for this kind of proceedure as it is fairly new.

Did it on my 3 yr old ACD for elbow dysplasia. Not a scam at all.

I combined it with orthopedic sirgery and had amazing results.

Surgery 1 (no stem cell) - took 30-40 days to feel decent
Surgery 2 with stem cell - took 6 days to feel amazing

She recuperated much much faster and her pain was wayyy decreased. Months later, she is still doing amazing.

The goal is not that it's a one time thing. It's meant to be used yearly (give or take) to keep your dog off NSAIDs.

If you want more info, feel free to ask.

BTW, you need to find a vet that is trained. There is a spot on the website to find one by location.
BTW 2, the cost is roughly $3500-4000 for the initial treatment. Subsequent treatments are cheaper.

Elise

I would do it again in a heartbeat!

Amazing... simply amazing. My son was born in 1981 with no immune system and underwent a bone marrow transplant. He was one of the first in the world with his deficiency to receive a transplant, and here we are 29 years later using the technology to help our dogs. Just imagine where we will be in another ten or twenty. (Or could have been...)

 Quote: elise bonder

Did it on my 3 yr old ACD for elbow dysplasia. Not a scam at all.

I combined it with orthopedic sirgery and had amazing results.

I'm really pleased to hear this. At the time I was researching, all I had were a few vaguely inspiring stories the media was trumpeting, and a little bit of study literature, but there just weren't "everyday" people out there who had tried it yet - sounds like there are now! How cool - especially that the results were so positive. I'm definitely going to keep it in mind as a future option (and it looks like I should start saving up now too...)

Thanks for posting your experience Elise.
~Natalya

There isn't a lot out there since there have only been about 2000 pets done. More horses by far than dogs or cats.

The research on the site is not double-blind, huge numbers... It's small and the results were so-so. But it's not very invasive and I had little to lose. My pup was in a crummy place in life (crippling dysplasia that did not do well with traditional surgery) and I was debating ending her life. We did more surgery and this and the results are truly WOW!

I honestly think that the sport community should be saving their pennies for HD, ED, blown CCL... We ask a lot from our dogs and in return we should be able to help them if they ever need it.

Elise

I plan on trying this on my gsd for displaycia and possible elbows (not sure yet till xrays). I kinda wanted to wait til they advanced some on it. Or at least hear it from a regular joe about it. I am unsure of how long it lasts. Is it a one time fix or constant up keep? Anyone?

chrissy