Kansas City Veterinary Medical Association

Taking the Next Step:

Offering Stem Cell Therapy in Private Practice

by J.C. Burcham, DVM

Last November, the KCVMA hosted a wonderful educational seminar presented by Dr. James Gaynor on the topic of pain management. In his lecture, Dr. Gaynor explained the process of stem cell therapy and how it can be used for the treatment of chronic pain due to osteoarthritis. My associate at Olathe Animal Hospital, Dr. Matt Peuser, and I were so excited about the applications and potential for this treatment, we both pursued certification in the Vet-Stem regenerative medicine process.

Wanting to take our new knowledge to the next level, I elected to perform stem cell therapy on my own dog, a senior mixed-breed that I adopted from Animal Haven in 2003. Monty was found tied to the shelter gates, so his age is unknown, but I estimated him to be between five and seven years old when I adopted him, which makes him, well, old! He’d been showing signs of his age too: reluctance to get up, stiffness and a slightly irregular gait due to unilateral hip dysplasia in his left hip. I had treated him successfully with Adequan in the past, but when I became inconsistent in administering it to him regularly, he regressed into an old, slow dog, unable to jump into the back of my car without assistance.

On Dec. 23, 2009, I collected fat from behind Monty’s left shoulder and shipped it overnight to the Vet-Stem laboratory in California. Forty-eight hours later, Dr. Peuser injected the stem cells that had been isolated from Monty’s fat into his painful hip. The stem cells were also administered intravenously. We learned soon after the procedure that Monty was the first patient in the state of Kansas and in the greater Kansas City area to undergo stem cell therapy for treatment of arthritis. Monty made history!

Results can take 30 to 60 days to become apparent. When I brought Monty back to the clinic for his 30-day recheck, he leaped into the back of my car without any assistance or encouragement. Each day, I continue to see progress. Instead of acting his age, he acts like a doofus at mealtimes, leaping into the air with excitement.

Eager to share this technology with our clients and the pets we know can benefit from this procedure, Dr. Matt Peuser and I presented an in-house seminar on the topic of non-NSAID treatment of arthritis in dogs at Olathe Animal Hospital on Sunday, February 7. Clients and non-clients alike attended with great interest, and they were all grateful to have this information shared with them. We are now in the process of scheduling some of our patients to receive stem cell therapy for treatment of painful arthritic conditions.

We at Olathe Animal Hospital are excited to follow this technology into the future and provide the highest level of pain management available for our patients.

Want to join the KCVMA? Being a Member Has Never Been Better!

News&Notes Downloads

Find out more about the great benefits the KCVMA provides its members. The KCVMA holds monthly CE events that are free to all dues paid veterinarians and veterinary technicians are welcome to come as well.

Use of this site is subject to the KCVMA terms of use.

Designed and Maintained by Nadler & Associates, Inc.