Stem Cells FAQs
Questions about
stem cells
Q: How are the stem cells used?
Stem cells are precursor cells and under the right conditions they can differentiate into various cells such as bone, cartilage, skin, etc. In veterinary medicine, osteoarthritis is the most commonly treated disease with stem cells. Globally, most notably in the US, Australia and UK, tens of thousands of dogs who are suffering from osteoarthritis have been treated with stem cells.
Q: Does it work?
Stem cells produce natural anti-inflammatory compounds in the joint. Injecting stem cells into the joint provides pain relief effect within a few days and the dog is expected to improve. However, like other treatment options not all dogs respond to stem cell treatment and at the moment it is not possible to predict. If your dog does not respond to the first stem cell injection there is a chance it may respond to second injection. At this stage we have no way of determining if an individual dog will respond to stem cell treatment.
Q: How long does the pain relief last?
This varies from dog to dog and again, at this stage we have no way of predicting when the pain will return. However, from our experience the effect from the second injection appears to last longer than the first injection.
Q: What does OrthoStemC™ include?
OrthoStemC is a stem cells package provided by VTB. The package includes cells for the first as well as for the second injections and the storage of cells for future use.
Q: Is it safe?
Yes, the cells are isolated from the same dog and therefore it is safe and no risk of rejection or reaction that we are aware of. However, there may be a risk associated with the process of injection into the joint and the owners should discuss with their veterinary surgeon.
Q: What happens when I sign up with my vet for stem cell treatment?
Your vet needs to take a small sample of fat from the dog which is performed under general anaesthesia. The fat sample is sent to VTB to isolate and culture stem cells which normally takes around 2 weeks. The stem cells are returned to your vet for injection into the joint(s) which is performed under sedation. No overnight stay is needed for this procedure.