Stem cell treatments for arthritic animals get increasing federal scrutiny

MERCERSBURG When poodle-mix Snoop Dog was having trouble walking, owner Fred Ward of McConnellsburg told his vet it would be nice if there were knee replacements for dogs.

He learned from his veterinarian, Dr. Roger Horst of Mercersburg, that there was something new that could help 10-year-old Snoop stem cell therapy.

Snoop Dog, along with Ben, a 9-year-old Akita from Three Springs, on Wednesdaywere the first to receive MediVet stem cell therapy at Mercersburg Veterinary Clinic.

Horst performed his first procedure using the MediVet therapy, in which stem cells are harvested from fat taken from the animal. The cells are mixed with platelet-rich plasma also taken from the animal, which is supposed to help decrease inflammation, and the mixture is "activated" with an LED light before it is injected into the animal's joint.

Dr. John Ludwig, the other veterinarian at the Mercersburg clinic, said the injected stem cells communicate with cartilage and other cells, stimulating them to rebuild.

"This is improving his life and maybe prolonging his life," Ludwig said of Ben, who had problems with his left rear hip that gave him a noticeable limp and made it hard for him to go up and down steps. "They won't go back to being a 2-year-old dog, but if it's a 10-year-old and goes back to being a 7-year-old, I'm excited about that," he said.

Horst said the treatment is being used for arthritis and related ailments like hip dysplasia, and joint injuries like tendon and ligament damage. "But there are other conditions that show promise, like skin ailments," he said.

The MediVet treatment also isavailable at 18 other clinics across Pennsylvania, as well as 46 other states. Palmyra Animal Clinic has been using stem cell therapies since 2008, and this year began using MediVet's process.

Ben, the Akita, was anesthetized while about 40 grams of fat was extracted just under his skin through a four-inch incision. After the stem cells were extracted from the fat and mixed with plasma, the substance was injected into his left rear hip while he was sedated. A similar procedure was performed on Snoop Dog, with injection into his rear knees.

The procedure to extract the fat cells and inject the stem cells takes only minutes, but it takes about four hours for the stem cells to be processed and prepared. The dogs could return home the same day.

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Stem cell treatments for arthritic animals get increasing federal scrutiny