Relief for Pained Pets

Living in Colorado, I rarely feel like I am surrounded by cutting edge research or in a center of high fashion. Today is one of those rare times where I feel that Colorado is at the fore-front of something good.

I came across an article on USAToday.com that tells the story of a German shepherd from Littleton named Maggie. Maggie showed signs of being arthritic even as a pup. By the time she was 11, she could barely move and it was evident that every step was a struggle.

Maggie's owner, Francine Hammer, wanted to do something to help her, so she did her research and came across a vet in Colorado Springs that practices a treatment involving stem cells.

For this treatment, a sample of stem cells is taken from the animal’s fat and is then sent to the Vet-Stem lab. The lab then returns the isolated stem cells in a syringe which are injected into the animal's joints and the healing process begins. The treatment costs about $2,000 to $2,500.

There have been mixed feelings about this treatment. Naturally, people are concerned due to the huge debate already occurring about stem cell use in humans. On the other hand, the potential to help ailing pets has owners interested. So far, the results have been quite positive as it seems most pets experience some improvement.

According to the article, 25 states don't have any vets trained for this procedure. I personally am happy to know that Colorado is among the half of the states that offer access to this treatment. I feel that it is beneficial and being able to help pets in pain is worth it.

(Picture courtesy of Vet-Stem.com)