Breeanna is our latest stem cell recipient.  She is a five year old mixed breed dog who is owned by one of our technicians.  On September 17th, 2010, she was treated for bilateral hip dysplasia.  This included injections in both of her hips and an IV injection.

Prior to treatment her biggest problems were her reluctance to jump and play.  As a younger dog, she would play fetch all day long.  As she has gotten a bit older, she has slowed down much more than her age would suggest.  She is very reluctant to jump into the car, and also exhibits moderate signs of lameness.  At her 30 day progress exam, she already shows some improvement in her degree of lameness, and her owner is happy to report she is playing much more now!

Update March 2011: Breeanna’s range of motion and pain levels decreased at her 60 day progress exam and even more at her 90 day exam.  Her owner is happy to report that she continues to jump more, play fetch longer, and can jump into the car easily.  She no longer has to take any pain medications!

Stem cell therapy is a recently developed technology for use in our pets.  Stem cells have been a hot topic of debate in human medicine due to use of embryos to harvest them.  The technology in pets, however, is slightly different.  We use adult stem cells harvested from your own pet’s fat to inject into your pet’s painful, arthritic joints.

How does this work?  Well first, we must know what stem cells are and what they do.  Stem cells are pregenitor cells.  They can differentiate into many different types of tissues, including muscles, nerves, cartilage, bone, fat, liver, as well as others.  These cells are drawn to areas of damage within the body, where they help to repair damage that has occurred.  In the case of arthritis treatment, the cells are injected straight into the joint.  Studies have shown that these stem cells help repair damaged cartilage, decrease inflammation, prevent damaged cells from dying, heal these damaged cells, and promote active tissue regeneration.

How do we treat your pet with stem cells?  First, we have to harvest fat from your animal.  This is done with a brief anesthetic procedure and surgery.  The fat is collected and shipped to the lab to have the stem cells harvested.  The lab then harvests the stem cells and ships them back within 24 hours, for a total turnaround time of 36 to 48 hours.  When we have the cells, your pet is lightly sedated and the cells are injected into the damaged joint.  Rest is important for 30 days after the procedure, at which time exercise and physical therapy are encouraged.  We will provide specific exercises to perform with your pet based off of which joint or joints have been treated.

Studies have shown that 80 to 90% of dogs have an improved quality of life. One third of all dogs treated in the clinical trials were able to completely stop giving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and another 28% were able to decrease the dosage after just 90 days.  Dogs treated with stem cells were also shown to have increased range of motion in affected joints, decreased lameness, and decreased overall pain.

Is stem cell therapy safe?  There is minimal risk involved in stem cell therapy for several reasons.  First, the cells we are injecting into your pet came from your pet! This minimizes any chances for a tissue reaction or rejection of the cells.  Second, the cells that are collected are not changed in any way.  The lab does not manipulate the cells or modify the cells.  They simply collect them from the fat and send them back to us in an injectable form.  In addition, there have been numerous publications supporting the safety of stem cell therapy in animals.  The total number of adverse events in the clinical trials was less than 1%, and the events were related to the harvesting of the fat or the injection itself rather than the use of stem cells.

Does my pet need stem cells?  Currently, stem cell usage is limited to arthritis and orthopedic soft tissue damage, including ligaments, tendons, and fractures.  Studies are ongoing with liver disease, kidney disease, and some auto-immune diseases.  Stem cells cannot be used for cancer or in the case of active infections.

Stem cell therapy presents us with an exciting, cutting edge technology that can greatly benefit many pets.  If you wish to pursue stem cell therapy for your pet, contact us and we can set up an appointment to discuss your pet’s condition.  We would be happy to answer any additional questions regarding stem cells!

Olathe Animal Hospital has made history! Thanks to our dedicated and compassionate veterinary team, the first stem cell procedure on a dog in the state of Kansas was performed at our hospital on Dec. 23, 2009. Our patient, Dr. Burcham’s own dog (Monty), is the lucky dog who is the first in Kansas and greater Kansas City to undergo stem cell therapy.

Monty, a geriatric shepherd mix adopted from Animal Haven in 2003, received an injection of stem cells that were processed from his own fat tissue, which is intended to help alleviate joint pain secondary to osteoarthritis. Monty underwent anesthesia and surgery on Mon. 12/21/09 to harvest stem cells from fat tissue behind his shoulder. The sample was sent by Fed-Ex overnight to the Vet-Stem lab in San Diego, CA, for processing, and then overnighted back to the hospital, and on Wed. 12/23/09, veterinarian Dr. Matt Peuser injected the stem cells into the dog’s painful hip.

Veterinarians must be credentialed before performing this procedure, and Drs. JC Burcham and Matt Peuser are now certified to perform stem cell therapy. This therapy is a form of regenerative medicine, and it is made possible by a company in San Diego called Vet-Stem.

“This is a breakthrough. The cells aren’t foreign to the body, engineered or modified in any way,” says Dr. Robert Harman, founder of Vet-Stem. “Fat stem cell therapy avoids the ethical concerns surrounding embryonic stem cell research because our process uses the animal’s own fat to isolate adult stem cells.”

A veterinarian who has completed Vet-Stem’s credentialing course can use fat stem cell therapy to treat arthritis, fractures, and tendon and ligament injuries in dogs. Drs. Burcham and Peuser join a pool of 650 vets in the USA and Canada who have performed this procedure.  Monty is the first dog in the KC metro area and in the state of Kansas to receive stem cell therapy.

Clinical studies have shown 80 to 90% improvement in dogs treated with stem cell therapy. One third of all dogs treated in the clinical trials were able to completely stop giving non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and another 28% were able to decrease the dosage after just 90 days.  Dogs treated with stem cells were also shown to have increased range of motion in affected joints, decreased lameness, and decreased overall pain.  The duration of the benefit from a single injection varies from several months to more than one-and-a-half years.

This technology has been used in horses, especially in race horses and other sport horses who have sustained joint, ligament and tendon injury, with amazing success. “We’ve seen stem cell therapy help dogs whose pain was previously so severe that they struggled to stand, jump into cars, chase balls or run up and down stairs,” says Dr. Robert Harman.

In the News

The Olathe News covered the story on Feb. 17, 2010. See the full article!

Fox 4 News covered this story on Feb. 19, 2010.

Here’s a short video Dr. Burcham made and posted on YouTube about Monty’s journey:

Apollo is our fifth stem cell recipient.  He is a two year old Saint Bernard with hip dysplasia.  He was treated with injections into each of his hips and an IV injection (July 2010).  Apollo came in for his first recheck exam recently and is doing very well.  According to his owner, he seems to be able to get up and down easier at home.  We are hopeful that this will help him lead a long, pain free life.

Update:  Apollo came in for his 90 day follow up appointment and is doing very well.  His owner states that he gets up and down much quicker than he ever has, and chases his doggy brother around the back yard regularly.  He still has a very subtle change in his gait, but it is has improved significantly from his initial exam.

Latest update (March 2011):  Apollo’s owner had the following to say about Apollo:  “Apollo is still doing well.  He continues to get up and down quickly, even on the coldest days this winter.

He is very playful and is always chasing squirrels and T-Bone (my other dog).”

Our patient, Dr. Burcham’s own dog (Monty), is the lucky dog who is the first in Kansas and greater Kansas City to undergo stem cell therapy.

Monty, a geriatric shepherd mix adopted from Animal Haven in 2003, received an injection of stem cells that were processed from his own fat tissue, which is intended to help alleviate joint pain secondary to osteoarthritis. Monty underwent anesthesia and surgery on Mon. 12/21/09 to harvest stem cells from fat tissue behind his shoulder. The sample was sent by Fed-Ex overnight to the Vet-Stem lab in San Diego, CA, for processing, and then overnighted back to the hospital, and on Wed. 12/23/09, veterinarian Dr. Matt Peuser injected the stem cells into the dog’s painful hip.

After having his procedure, Monty did not see much improvement for the first 30 days.  From day 30 to 60, Monty did much better and had a great deal of improvement in his overall condition.

Here are Dr. Burcham’s thoughts: “When I first learned about stem cell therapy, I knew I wanted to do it for my dog. He wasn’t so bad that he needed daily medication, but I also didn’t want to wait until he was that bad. He has unilateral hip dysplasia, which means just one of his hips is bad. But it makes him gimpy, and I hate seeing him act achey. When I first started treating him with Adequan a few years ago, I initially noticed a dramatic improvement in his overall attitude and activity level.

“The first 30 days after his stem cell treatment, I didn’t really see any difference. Then, almost like a switch was turned on 30 days post-treatment, he began leaping for joy at meal times. I mean, he was practically spring-loaded! I had never seen him show so much excitement. When it came time to bring him into the hospital for his first recheck, he leapt into the back of my car like it was no big deal. In the past, he would look longingly up at it and crouch like he wanted to jump, but I would always end up lifting him into the back of my car. That was amazing to see! I continued to see some improvement for a few more weeks, and things have plateaued now, but he’s still doing great. He can still leap into my car, and what’s more, now that the weather allows him to spend more time outdoors, I am seeing him run more than I ever have before. He used to just trot around the yard, but now he runs full-out across the yard. He looks like he is blissfully happy, and it makes me so happy to know that I’m doing everything I can to keep him feeling good. He is such a good, good dog.”

April 2011 update, a quote from Dr. Burcham: “Monty’s progress has plateaued and I feel that he’s back at his pre-treatment level of stiffness. I repeated an IV dose of stem cells for him in December, one year after his initial treatment. I can’t say that I saw any noticeable improvement in his mobility, but I have not been very diligent with physical therapy for him. Since I have no idea how old he is, I feel like I have made every effort to keep him as comfortable as possible in his senior years, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to treat him with stem cell therapy.”

Below is a video detailing Monty’s journey:

Frank is our second case that we treated with stem cells.  Frank is a 3 year old pug who has severe hip dysplasia.  He already has arthritis in his hips and is showing signs related to pain.  His owner wanted to be very proactive about his hips and chose to treat him at an early age.  Here are her comments about Frank:

“When I adopted Frank (a happy 2 year old pug) in September of 2009 I was extremely excited. He is my first dog and when I brought him home I knew I wanted to do everything right for him.  So when my family found out that Frank had severe hip dysplasia, we decided to do our research and pick a treatment that would be best for him. We had a consultation for hip surgery but it seemed like a painful and harsh procedure. It was also very costly. Almost immediately after our consultation Olathe Animal Hospital informed us of a seminar they were holding about regenerative stem cell therapy for dogs with joint issues. We decided to try the stem cell treatment because it seemed like a less painful and less invasive procedure with a shorter and easier recovery time. In early March, Frank had his procedure and everything went great. The physical therapy was easy for me to conduct in home and Frank was a very willing participant. After about 60 days we can see a clear difference in his energy, mobility, and stamina.

“Before Frank’s stem cell therapy he was unable to walk for more than half a mile and he never ran. He also frequently displayed  pain if he sat in the same position for too long. He would often hop on three legs, favoring his hind left leg. Frank was also unable to scratch his chin or neck with his back leg because of the pain in his hips.  Now Frank is able to walk 2-4 miles a day. When we let him out in the backyard he runs just for fun. I have never seen him run so much before and it makes me smile everytime to see him enjoy it so much.  He no longer favors his back leg and hasn’t shown any signs of pain since the procedure.  Frank can also now reach his chin with his back leg to enjoy a nice scratch.  The regenerative stem cell therapy has exceeded  my expectations and it has only been two and a half months. In my opinion, stem cell therapy has made it possible for Frank to enjoy every aspect of being a dog.  This is a great alternative treatment for animals with joint problems.  I recommend this treatment to anyone who wants to see great results and has a few extra minutes for physical therapy everyday!”

As you can see, Frank is now enjoying life very much!

Louie is a 13 year old Australian Shepherd mix.  We first got the chance to meet Louie and his person in early March.  At the time, Louie had a significant limp on his left rear leg.  He has moderate to severe arthritis in his left knee and both hips.  He also has mild arthritis in his right elbow.

Louie was treated with stem cells in his left knee, both hips, and his right elbow.  Days after his procedure, Louie had a problem that left him with some neurologic problems.  However, his range of motion in his joints has improved and he does not mind having his joints flexed and extended nearly as much as his first visit.

Although Louie has had other struggles since his procedure, his person would still recommend stem cell therapy to other interested owners:

“It’s true. Louie has had a run of bad luck in the last month or two.  Of course, in my mind it’s linked to the stem cell procedure, because that came first, but there isn’t really any way to know if there was any connection at all.  The other stuff may have been in the cards for my little old man regardless.  That being said, I would still recommend the procedure to others for a few simple reasons.  1. The outcome is no reflection on my intentions for Louie, which were and remain to do what I can to improve his quality of life, and therefore my own.  2. It’s a new procedure, but it’s getting great results in general and I choose to believe in forward looking medicine.  3. Last but not least, the team at Olathe Animal Hospital has been great to me and Louie.  In particular, Dr. Peuser has gone above and beyond the call of duty to nurture us through all of this, even and especially the post procedure complications.  I couldn’t have asked for better support.”

Update: Louie passed away in June after a spinal tumor was discovered.  We wish Louie’s family all the best.

Maddy was our fourth recipient of stem cell therapy.  Maddy, a black lab, was 11 years old at the time of her treatment (April 2010).  She suffers from severe arthritis in her left knee, left hip, and right elbow.  We experienced some setbacks with her treatment, including FedEx mis-routing the package (they accidentally routed it for 3-day delivery instead of overnight), which resulted in far fewer cells being available for treatment. Instead of treating all affected joints, we only had enough cells to treat her right elbow, left knee, and do an IV injection. Following treatment, she became acutely lame in her left knee, and she had to undergo knee surgery to repair a torn ACL. At that time, she was treated again with an injection into her knee and another IV injection. We were surprised to see that follow-up xrays indicated delayed healing, which was very disappointing. Maddy started doing physical therapy in September, and all-in-all she’s doing okay. She also takes Rimadyl, joint supplements, and receives Adequan injections to help with her arthritis.

This page is dedicated to our stem cell recipients. Click on each photo for more information.

Monty	Frank
Louie	Maddy
Apollo	Breeanna

*** Although this seminar has passed, we will have another one sometime soon.  If you would like to attend, please send us an email and we will put you on the contact list for our next seminar.  Thanks for looking! ***

Join us for a free seminar on new medical treatment options for:

• Hip dysplasia
• Elbow dysplasia
• Stifle injuries, such as cranial cruciate ligament (ACL) tears
• Agility/flyball/hunting and other sport injuries

Drs. Matt Peuser and J.C. Burcham will present a 90-minute presentation on Sun. Feb. 7 (Superbowl Sunday) at 1:00pm at Olathe Animal Hospital for anyone interested in learning more about non-NSAID treatment options for dogs with arthritis. The importance of weight management, joint nutrition and supplementation, and physical therapy will be reviewed, followed by an in-depth look at a promising new treatment option called stem cell therapy, or regenerative medicine. Read our article about what stem cell therapy is and how it works.

Refreshments will be provided. There is no fee for this event. Parking is available in our parking lot. For directions on the day of the event, please call (913) 481-2992, as our hospital is closed for business that day and no one will be answering our phones.