Golden Hunter’s Stem Cell Life – Updated

On Jan 9th Nightline featured the story of Hunter and the use of his own stem cells to provide relief from debilitating arthritis due to hip dysplasia. For those that missed this incredibly interesting program, I now have video of it below.

Hunter has severe arthritis in his left hip but has shown quick improvement after being injected with his own stem cells.

“His leg, it’s almost like it’s lifeless and it’ll drift back,” Linda said, referring to Hunter’s tendency to favor his right leg.

X-rays show that Hunter has hip dysplasia, a common ailment in purebred dogs that causes the ball of the leg bone to loosen from its socket, causing painful wearing on the joint. “You can see that the edges of the bone are very worn away. They’re not nearly as smooth,” said veterinarian Jerry Bausman.

Facing the possibility of a shortened life for Hunter, the Rihas were considering a $10,000 hip replacement, when the doctors offered something new, different, and much cheaper. For only about $2,500 they could treat Hunter with his own stem cells, the healing and regenerative cells that live in both humans and animals. …

“We’re kind of reverting the body back to a younger age or a younger stage when we were more of a regenerative stage,” said Bausman. In a fairly easy procedure, Hunter’s stem cells will be recovered from his body fat, isolated in a laboratory, and re-injected into his hip in greater concentration than his own body could accomplish.

Stem cell therapy is in regular use for animals, where there is less regulation than that for humans. This has helped research progress far more quickly.

VetStem has pioneered the application of the technique, already having treated about 3000 horses for joint problems. In the same way that Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell (VSRC) therapy has demonstrated successful therapeutic outcomes in horses with tendon and ligament injuries, fractures, and joint disease, it is now being used to treat osteoarthritis in dogs.

Since 2005, selected clinics have treated dogs with osteoarthritis and orthopedic soft tissue injuries. Initial studies demonstrate that intra-articular administration of VSRCs significantly decreases pain and improves comfort in the majority of cases. Duration of the benefit from a single injection varies from several months to more than one year.

Besides the overwhelming scientific data demonstrating the clinical efficacy of regenerative cellular therapy in animal models of osteoarthritis, osteochondral defects, tendon repair, and fractures, many additional studies are now demonstrating success in treating systemic disorders such as cerebral and myocardial infarction, muscular dystrophy, and immune-mediated disorders. Based on these studies, Vet-Stem is developing protocols to treat internal medicine conditions.Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy is limited to veterinarians who have completed a Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell medicine credentialing course. Their services are only available from your veterinarian. However, a Vet-Stem veterinarian is able to discuss regenerative stem cell therapy with your own veterinarian.

There are trained veterinarians in the states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Wisconsin. There are also trained vets in Fergus and Toronto, Ontario in Canada.

Click here for a list of vets who have been provided with training and have experience in utilization of Vet-Stem Regenerative Cell Therapy.

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Even in Mumbai …. Therapy Golden Bruno

It is heartwarming to see that therapy dogs are making a difference worldwide. The organization Animal Angels Foundation is a Mumbai based organization run by Rohini Fernandes and Radhika Nair who are clinical psychologists, certified practitioners of animal-assisted therapy and professional dog trainers.

This wonderful organization is one of over hundred that we detail in the National Therapy Dog Group listing at our foundation’s site.

Rohini is shown here with her Golden girl Angel. She is Rohini’s co-therapist and the inspiration between the name of the group, Animal Angels Foundation.

In a recent article, I learned about Bruno’s making a difference.

Despite having been through several therapy sessions, seven-year-old Pramodini—an autistic child—had never spoken a word—until she met Bruno, a Golden Retriever, who handed her a paw in greeting during their first meeting. Ten ball-throwing sessions with Bruno later, therapists had managed to teach Pramodini her first word: ball.

Service Dogs in Virginia got a paw up today with Matt’s Bill

Disabled by a disease called x-linked hydrocephalus, Matt needs to get around in a wheelchair. He has a service dog named Calder (Cal) who is trained to open and close doors for him, turn lights on and off, and pick up things that he drops on the floor. But, the Stafford School system has not allowed Service Golden mix Cal to attend class with Matt at Margaret Brent Elementary School or at his previous school, Garrisonville Elementary. They say Cal is not necessary for Matt’s education, also indicating that they aren’t “public entities” as defined in the Virginians with Disabilities Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act.

This is not uncommon in many systems across the country, and we often also hear about parents making complaints related to dog allergies and the like. It is nice to see parents being proactive enough to fight for a law through their state legislature, even though I believe it should be a right extended to all public school youngsters throughout the US.

Read more about Matt’s Bill here.

Golden Retriever Casting Call!

We have loads of stars at our foundation site, like Ikea above, who is leaving for home with a sample of his work.

This message comes from Debbie Pinthus: International Association of Canine Professionals Pro 1393,WLAOTC

An independent production company in Hollywood, CA is seeking a Golden Retriever for an upcoming 5 day film shoot. The basic premise of the production is a grandfather character sitting in a chair reading fairy tales out loud. The setting is a home library with a fireplace, Grandpa’s trusty dog by his side. The Golden needs to have a down stay (lying by the chair) sit, speak, and be able to put a paw or two on the actor’s knee (shake). If the Golden knows additional tricks, they could possibly be added. This is a paying job, to be shot in late February. It will be shot in a small, quiet studio, not a large noisy location.

If you and your Golden are interested, please e-mail QuietTimeTales@gmail.com and put Golden Retriever in the subject line.