Regenerative Therapy
Stem cell therapy offers a revolutionary treatment protocol for osteoarthritis and other bone and cartilage conditions that may affect your aging dog.
What is stem cell therapy for dogs?
Stem cell therapy is a breakthrough technology that uses your pet’s own tissue to regenerate cartilage, thus reducing pain and restoring function.
Stem cell therapy may provide an alternative to more invasive and expensive procedures such as total hip replacement.
In veterinary care, stem cells have been used most successfully in the treatment of osteoarthritis in dogs, as well as in the treatment of injuries to bones, joints, tendons, ligaments, and the spinal cord.
How does stem cell therapy work?
A stem cell is essentially a "blank slate" that can become any type of cell. This means it has the potential to regenerate tissue in a part of the body where disease has caused damage or a loss of function.
In pets, stem cell therapy uses stem cells from the bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, or fat of your pet, or of another animal of the same species. The veterinarian injects the stem cells into the diseased area.
The stem cells work to suppress the inflammation, relieve pain, and cause new tissue growth. The new tissue is more similar to the original tissue than to the scar tissue that would typically grow in an untreated inflamed area.
Other FAQs About Stem Cell Therapy
ASK A DIFFERENT QUESTION
- Does stem cell therapy work the same for pets as humans?
At a basic level, treatment is the same for both humans and pets. However, because there are fewer regulations for treating animals, stem cell therapy is used more often in pets than in humans.
- How long has stem cell treatment been available for pets?
Stem cell therapy for animals has been commercially available for over 15 years.
- Is stem cell therapy safe?
In veterinary medicine stem cell treatments have not been shown to generate any signficant side effects yet, although some research has also raised the possibility that stem cells may turn cancerous.
- How fast do results happen?
Stem cell treatment will give your pet pain relief as soon as a few days to a few weeks after the injection with further improvement as healing progresses.
- Do all vets offer stem cell therapy?
No. Veterinarians wanting to establish a stem-cell therapy program in their practices must first become certified.
- How much does stem cell treatment cost, on average?
Fees for stem-cell therapy vary depending on the animal, but a typical cost for a pet is in the $2,000 to $3,500 range.
Your pet insurance may cover stem cell therapy.