Regenerative stem-cell therapy for dogs and horses now an option

Vet-Stem Inc. early this year announced the launch of an online training program that will make stem cell regenerative therapy available to small animal veterinarians in most U.S. cities. Founded in 2002, San Diego based Vet-Stem offers veterinarians fat-derived regenerative stem cells for treating horses and dogs suffering from tendon, ligament, and joint injuries. Vet-Stem isolates stem cells from an animal's own fat and returns them to the veterinarian within 48 hours for injection into injured tissue. Vet-Stem has worked with hundreds of equine veterinarians to treat more than 3,000 horses. The company reports that 77 percent of horses treated for tendon injuries returned to their prior performance level. Seventy-six percent of horses treated for ligament injuries returned to their previous performance level, as did 57 percent of horses treated for joint injuries.