Turn a Limping Dog or Cat into a Leaping One

By Marielle Marne

http://www.sonorannews.com/archives/2009/091021/petnews.html

SCOTTSDALE – It's a marvelous day in veterinary medicine. Pima North Animal Hospital is one of the few veterinary clinics to offer a cutting edge procedure for dogs and cats for treatment of tendon, ligament and joint maladies. David Taetle, VMD has been trained through Vet-Stem, Inc., the sole provider of fat-derived adult stem cell therapy for pets.

Simply stated, Taetle explained, "We harvest fat from the animal, send it to the lab that isolates stem and regenerative cells, and an injectable form is returned in 48 hours. Then, we inject that into the joint and it regenerates and repairs issues like arthritis, hip dysplasia, and chronic joint pain."

It's truly a remarkable breakthrough and on average a 30 minute procedure to harvest the fat. Complications are few, with a nominal percentage of four-footed patients experiencing inflammation as the sole side effect. All pets are given a thorough exam to determine if they would be optimal candidates for the therapy.

Taetle said that tendon, ligament and arthritis issues are the number one problem facing senior and athletic pets today. And this stem cell therapy can literally give a companion animal its life back. Following the treatment, 75 percent of pet owners have seen improvement in their pets' quality of life. Results can be witnessed in as few as a couple of weeks. There is hope to turn a limping dog or cat into a leaping one!

To learn more about this technology the Pima North Animal Hospital, 8864 E. Pinnacle Peak Rd., Bldg. K, Ste. 1. Phone 480-563-5432 for details.