Regenerative Stem Cell Therapy for a Dog's Joint Repair

Dog owners now have the option of lessening the effects of arthritis on their dog's hip, elbow, knee or shoulder joints through regenerative stem cell therapy. This therapy helps reduce the effects of both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. With accurate information, you can determine whether this treatment is right for your pet.

  1. Procedure

    • With the regenerative stem cell therapy procedure, the veterinarian places your dog under general anesthesia. The veterinarian makes a small incision and extracts fatty tissue, called adipose tissue, from just under the skin of the thoracic wall, the abdominal wall or the lower abdominal area near the groin known as the inguinal wall. This tissue is processed on-site or sent to a laboratory in California; both yield a large quantity of adult regenerative stem cells ready for use. If the vet processes the fatty tissue on-site, then he can inject the resulting regenerative stem cell solution directly into the affected joint or joints the same day that he extracts the tissue.

    Benefits

    • You can expect your dog to show gradual improvement in its ability to rise, walk and run. It will exhibit fewer signs of pain after a single injection. The mesenchymal stem cells, or MSCs, interact with the joint's own cells to deliver new mitochondria to damaged cells, restoring metabolism and enhancing healing. Most dogs have no side effects from the procedure. For those that do, the side effects are usually minimal and don't last long.

    Costs

    • Expect to pay up to $4,500 -- figure is the average at the time of publication -- to treat one hip if your veterinarian sends the fatty tissue out to be processed. Costs are lower when processing the tissue on-site, but not all veterinarians are familiar with this option. The veterinarian would have to order an adipose stem cell procedure kit in order to utilize this process.

    Considerations

    • Individual dogs respond to treatment with varying success rates. Many continue to need a reduced amount of pain medication. If you decide your dog is a good candidate, then choose a veterinarian who has knowledge and experience in performing adult regenerative stem cell therapy.