Forrest Hill Veterinary Clinic is happy to announce that we are now offering  a process for stem-cell
treatment that improves healing and brightens - even lengthens - the lives of dogs and cats.

The ground-breaking treatment is being applied to osteoarthritis, and ligament and tendon injuries.
The treatment relieves pain and slows the ageing process.  The degree of improvement varies with each patient, but in most cases, there's dramatic improvement in the animals' mobility and wellbeing.  All pet owners are able to access this new treatment.

What are stem cells?

Stem cells are cells that have the ability to renew themselves indefinitely into a range of specialised cell types.  Stem cells act as a repair system for the body in response to disease or injury, as well as replenishing cells in various vital tissues and organs.  There is a smattering of dormant adult stem cells spread throughout the body from birth

Stem cell technology is not new to medicine.  Bone marrow transplants, for example, are a form of stem cell therapy.  What is new, however, is that scientists have found stem cells in many more tissues than they once thought possible.  It is now recognised that fat contains a very much higher concentration of dormant stem cells than any other tissue.  Conveniently, it is usually readily available, as well as accessible

Use of stem cell therapy

Stem cell therapy has been used successfully to treat arthritis, ligament and tendon injuries and severe bone fractures in dogs, cats and horses.  Treatment of arthritis in dogs and cats is most common

What does the procedure involve?

       Assessment -  All animals must be screened for their suitability, which includes an assessment of  their clinical history, a physical  xamination and blood test

      Xrays of all joints to determine which joints require treatment

       Fat harvest -   A small sample of fat (10-30g) is surgically removed from behind the shoulder blade under general anaesthesia (other sites may be used)

       Stem cell processing -  The stem cells are processed and activated.  This process takes approximately 3 hours

       Stem cell injection -  The animals own cells are then injected back into the affected joints, either under sedation or anaesthetic

               

Why is using a dog’s or cat’s own fat stem cells such a successful technique?

1. Fat tissue is easy to collect
2. Fat is rich in mature stem cells that help to regenerate and repair damaged or unhealthy tissue.
3. They also have anti-inflammatory properties
4. There are no side effects and there is no risk of rejection
5. The whole procedure can be completed within a few hours. 
6. The animal is admitted to the clinic in the morning and discharged later in the afternoon
7. Rapid results are often seen, with an improvement often seen within 14 days
8. As the stem cells repair the arthritic joints, continued improvement is often seen several months
9. after treatment, with improved mobility and reduced pain
10. Results are long lasting

And the results

While stem cell therapy is not a cure-all, most cases do experience a significant improvement.
The results range from pleasing to amazing!  Some patients can come off all medication and live
drug-free, while others will experience less pain and greater mobility.  So far many thousands of dogs,
cats and horses have received the fat stem cell treatment and studies have shown that 80-90% of dogs
showed an improved quality of life

Arthritis is the Number 1 cause of chronic pain in pet dogs and cats, and for some pets, it is a crippling
disease that may result in euthanasia.  Medical treatment focuses on reducing pain and slowing the
progression of the disease with anti-inflammatory drugs.  Surgery such as a hip replacement may be
able to help in some situations.  Stem cell therapy offers so much more by stimulating repair and
regeneration of the damaged joints
Results include:

• greater range of motion of affected joints
• less obvious signs of pain
• less difficulties rising and walking

What is the cost of treatments?

Although this process involves leading edge technology, we are able to offer this procedure at an
affordable price of $2,600.  This is because the whole process, including the lab process of the fat
sample, can be performed in-house, thereby saving costs

Pet Owners Are you wondering if stem cell therapy is right for your pet?   The "perfect case" is a pet with arthritis who meets at least one of the following conditions: Is not responding well or can not tolerate pain medication Is not a good surgical candidate due to age or health Has arthritis identified in one or more joints Has immune mediated Polyarthritis Is likely to need long term pain medications Pet owner prefers a natural therapy Pet owners should discuss appropriateness of treatment for their pet with one of our veterinarians

Telephone our clinic 4105169 for further details

or read the following articles

Stem Cell Client Brochure
Stem Cell Therapy - Cutting Edge Technology
Stem Cell Article
Stem Cell Case Studies