Stem cell therapy for dogs and cats is a new preventive, cutting-edge healing modality that is revolutionizing veterinary medicine.
Stem Cell Therapy for Dogs and Cats By DR. KRAEMER
Dr. R. Kraemer, veterinarian, founder, and previous owner, as well as medical director of a bulldog and French bulldog specialty hospital in California, has provided veterinary services since 1992. and was the leading provider of stem cell therapy for dogs and cats.
Dr. Kraemer also provided cryobanking services to local pet owners as well as customers and pet owners from out of state and Canada
Stem Cell Therapy for Dogs and Cats / Extraction
Stem cells for dogs and cats are extracted from your pet’s fatty tissue and processed with Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) into an injectable solution.
It is then charged and activated by LED light technology.
Following activation, the solution is then injected intraarticularly (i.e., directly into arthritic joints) as well as intravenously.
Dr. Kraemer’s stem cell therapy treatment is a same-day procedure with no serious side effects, no extensive recovery time, or confinement needed.
THE HEALING POWER OF STEM CELLS
- Economical
- Quality of Life Enhancement
- Minimal Confinement
- Minimal Post-Op Recovery Time
No Post-Op Rehabilitation
Stem Cell Therapy for Pets / APPLICATIONS:
- Arthritis (Osteoarthritis)
- Hip Dysplasia
- Elbow Dysplasia
- Joint Pain
- Ligaments Injuries
- Tendons Injuries
- Fractures
- Degenerative Joint Disease
- Combined with Orthopedic Surgeries
Stem Cell Therapy for Dogs and Cats NEW UPCOMING THERAPY APPLICATIONS:
Promising results for stem cell therapy for dogs and cats are currently shown in clinical trials, case studies, peer review, and compassionate use:
- Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) in pets and Bulldogs
- Atopic Dermatitis (Allergic Dermatitis) in dogs and bulldog puppies
- Chronic Kidney Disease in dogs and cats
- Renal dysplasia in dogs and bulldogs
- Degenerative Myelopathy in dogs and bulldogs
- Polyarthritis in dogs and bulldogs
- Orthopedic and Soft Tissue in Pets
- Diabetes Type II in dogs and cats
- Rheumatoid arthritis and Osteoarthritis
- Multiple Sclerosis in pets
- Autoimmune Diseases in dogs and cats
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in dogs and cats
- Pulmonary Fibrosis in dogs and cats
- Chronic Bronchitis in pets
- Stroke in pets
- Stress urinary incontinence caused by a urethral sphincteric deficiency in bulldogs and dogs
- Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca or “Dry Eye” (KCS) in bulldogs and dogs
Stem Cell Therapy for Dogs and Cats Q&A W BULLDOG RESCUE
Dr. Kraemer sat down for a Q&A with three bulldog rescue members whose pets he treated with stem cells for various medical conditions.
Southern California Bulldog Rescue is a non-profit rescue organization dedicated to providing deserted and abused bulldogs with medical care, housing, and placement with new families. Dr. Kraemer has a close relationship with SCBR and has been providing medical care and shelter for their rescued pets for many years.
WHAT ARE STEM CELLS?
Dr. Kraemer answers: Stem cells are the body’s repair cells. We all have humans and pets waiting to be called on when an injury occurs and as our bodies age (wear & tear).
Stem cells have the ability to divide and differentiate into many different types of cells based on where they are needed throughout the body. Stem cells can divide and turn into tissues such as skin, fat, muscle, bone, cartilage, and nerves, to name a few. They even possess the ability to replicate into organs such as the heart, liver, intestines, pancreas, etc.
WHAT DOES “REGENERATIVE MEDICINE” MEAN?
Dr. Kraemer’s Answer: It’s the use of our own cells to augment or stimulate the body’s natural healing processes.
Regenerative medicine is the process of creating living, functional tissues to repair or replace tissue or organ function lost due to age, disease, damage, or congenital defects.
WHAT ARE UMBILICAL CORD STEM CELLS?
A friend of mine banked her newborn child’s stem cells from her own placenta and umbilical cord. Are pets the same kind of stem cells?
Dr. Kraemer answers: There are two basic types of stem cells: embryonic and somatic (adult).
Embryonic stem cells are found in the placenta, umbilical cord, and embryo. these cells are called totipotent, which means they have the ability to reproduce into any mature cell type. Embryonic stem cells offer the greatest potential in healing, but there are obviously moral and ethical concerns in harvesting these cells.
Adult Stem Cells: The second type of stem cell is the other type; these stem cells are called multipotent, which means they can differentiate into closely related cell lines, but they are not capable of creating a complete organ. Adult stem cells are found in the bone marrow, adipose tissue (fat), skin, liver, blood vessels, and neurons.
STEM CELL THERAPY ETHICAL CONTROVERSY:
Contrary to embryonic stem cells, there are no moral or ethical concerns with harvesting adult stem cells, activating them, and reintroducing them back to the patient in areas where healing and regeneration are needed.
ADIPOSE TISSUE STEM CELL EXTRACTION
So, Dr. Kraemer, why do you prefer extracting the stem cells from adipose (fat) tissue?
Dr. Kraemer Answers: Adult stem cells are highly concentrated in the fat tissue. There are 50 to 1,000 times more stem cells in the fat than in the bone marrow. At this concentration, it is no longer necessary to culture the stem cells to acquire the necessary cell numbers to make a healing impact.
Compared to harvesting from bone marrow Adipose tissue is easier to get, less painful, and involves lower risk while yielding many more stem cells compared to bone marrow. On the matter of speed and degree of risk, this procedure (i.e., to extract fat from your pet) is much quicker and less invasive than even a routine spay.
SVF: The stem cells are contained within a pool of cells in the fat termed the Stromal Vascular Fraction (SVF) which includes bone marrow stromal cells and mesenchymal cells along with many beneficial proteins that, on the cellular level, encourage:
- Bone formation
- Live cell regeneration
- Nervous system regeneration
- Wound healing
- Vascular rebuilding
- Skin repair
- Damaged cells to repair themselves
- Cell re-growth
HOW STEM CELL THERAPY WORKS?
Dr. Kraemer, can you explain how stem cells work and how they would help our pets?
Dr. Kraemer’s Answers: Stem cells work like heat-seeking guided missiles, only in this case they are seeking damaged, injured, or aging cells in urgent need of repair.
Their repair abilities are multi-factorial, which include, among others,
- Stimulation of local progenitor to replace damaged tissue,
- Anti-inflammatory capacity
- Stimulation of blood vessel formation
- A direct effect on the immune cells and immune response
Adult stem cells are capable of dividing into many different cell types.
With this capability, we can use them as a treatment for joint injuries, ligament and tendon damage, and fractured bones.
Stem Cell therapy also has shown promise for renal disease, dermatological conditions, and muscle tear repair.
WHICH PETS ARE THE BEST CANDIDATES FOR STEM CELL TREATMENT?
Dr. Kraemer, which dogs and cats are the best candidates for Stem Cell Treatments?
Dr. Kraemer Answers: Dogs and cats have not responded well to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) drugs and other pain medications and continue to suffer from debilitating pain.
Long-term pain management for cats is very limited since NASIDs are not safe, and other effective drugs are limited to steroids, which have many risky side effects. In addition, for most cat owners, oral Rx is very difficult to administer.
Dogs and cats cannot tolerate non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs due to gastric, renal, liver, or any other adverse drug effects.
Dogs and cats are likely to need long-term medications for pain due to their high cost and the increased potential for unwanted adverse effects.
Dogs and cats are not good candidates for orthopedic surgery due to age or health concerns (i.e., prolonged anesthesia, prolonged recovery, need for lengthy rehab, the potential for complications such as infection, implant migration, screws, pins, plates, suture breakage, etc.)
Young pets with arthritis
Pets suffering from multi-joint arthritis where surgery is not a realistic or practical option
SAME DAY IN-HOUSE STEM CELL THERAPY
Dr. Kraemer, what makes the stem cell technology you are implementing superior to other stem cell therapies currently available in veterinary practice?
Dr. Kraemer Answers: I am one of the few doctors in our area who are certified to use the patented L.E.D. technology incorporating Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)– the same treatment used by many sports professionals.
There is no stem cell loss due to transportation or poor handling since I have my in-house specialized laboratory. That is a big advantage over all the other systems since they require you to ship the fat to an outside lab for extraction and processing. This delay will cause cell death and force the client to bring his pet back the next day for the final injectable process (i.e. treatment).
STEM CELL BANKING
Nicole (SCBR): Can stem cells be banked and used again to treat future problems and repeat treatments?
Dr. Kraemer Answers: We offer cryobanking, where you can store extra cells from the procedure for future use.
Many of our clients who’ve had their pets treated with stem cells have opted to cryobank some of their pets’ stem cells for future treatments. Most of the time, we can get up to six additional treatments from the cryobanked stem cells.
HOW LONG THE STEM CELL PROCEDURE TAKES?
Dr. Kraemer, can you tell us how long the procedure takes and what it entails?
Dr. Kraemer Answers: On the day of the procedure, you will bring your pet to our Animal Hospital. We will first fit them with an IV catheter, through which we will administer fluids and pre-op pain medication.
We will then anesthetize your pet just long enough (about 15 minutes) so as to allow me to surgically remove a couple of tablespoons of fat. This is a quick and simple procedure that is generally easier than performing a typical spay.
They will then be mixed with Platelet Rich Plasma extracted from your pet’s own blood. The whole process takes a couple of hours. Just before those final highly concentrated, pure stem cells are ready to be injected, we will activate them to become supercharged (i.e., super-excited) with a special L.E.D. light.
During the final step, your pet will be mildly sedated and will receive pain medication for comfort. The stem cells will then be administered into the affected joints and/or into the bloodstream intravenously. It is important that you do not feed your pet the night before the procedure
HOW LONG IT TAKES TO SEE IMPROVEMENT
Dr. Kraemer, do you guarantee success, and how soon is it before most pet owners will notice an improvement?
Dr. Kraemer Answers: There are no guarantees, as each pet is different. Nationwide, 95% of procedures for osteoarthritis and hip dysplasia have shown clinical improvement. Some pet owners report seeing a difference in as little as a week. Others do not see a change for a month or two. If your pet is going to show improvement, we expect that it will occur within the first 90 days following treatment.
Really bad arthritis may require multiple injections, so banking your extra cells is always a good idea.
STEM CELL SAFETY AND RISKS
Dr. Kraemer, can you go over any safety concerns some pet owners might have?
Dr. Kraemer’s Answers: As with any procedure that involves anesthesia, even one with as short a duration as this one, there is always some risk factor involved.
However, the stem cells are coming from your pet (“autologous”) and are being re-administered back to your pet. There is no risk of an allergic reaction, cell rejection, or disease transmission. Rarely, there might be a mild immune reaction in the injected joint that should subside within a day or two.
STEM CELL THERAPY FOR PETS COSTS?
I think most of us who have had our pets treated are excited about this new-age therapeutic modality, yet the cost is still an important factor in a pet owner’s final decision. Can you tell us how much this will cost?
Dr. Kraemer Answers: Think about it this way: a young pet diagnosed with osteoarthritis may require surgical intervention, rehabilitative therapy, and a potential lifelong prescription for pain medication. The cost of Stem Cell therapy would be less, and cells can be stored for the lifetime of the animal and used again at a much lower cost than the initial process.
It’s also important to remember the potential complications with surgeries like infection, implant failure, and soft tissue trauma. Recovery is lengthy after surgery and requires weeks of strict confinement. In regards to long-term pain management medication, even the new generation of pain relief drugs can have adverse effects, require monitoring, and, in some cases, can lead to serious health complications. Our Pet Hospital offers two different-sized stem cell kits for pets.
A small stem cell kit:
that usually generates 2 ml of the final pure stem cell solution. It’s ideal for small dogs and cats since the maximum amount allowed per joint in small pets is 0.25ml. In medium- and large-sized dogs the maximum amount per joint is 0.5ml, thus, I only recommend a small kit for the larger dogs when only one or two joints are going to be injected.
A large stem cell kit:
That kit usually generates 4 ml (double the volume generated by the small kit) and is the ideal size for most dogs, especially if some is going to be stored for future treatments (i.e. cryobanking)
The difference in cost between the two kits is only 300 dollars (i.e., double the stem cells for only an additional 15% above the small kit cost). Hence, for most cases, the LARGE stem cell kit is by far the better choice, allowing us to inject the maximum amount into multiple joints while still having plenty left to give intravenously or store (cryobank) some for years to come.
STEM CELL PET INSURANCE COVERAGE:
Speaking of cost, is stem cell therapy covered by the various pet insurance plans?
Dr. Kraemer Answers: Great question and very timely.
Yes, most pet insurance companies cover stem cells in treatment as long as the disease itself is covered by the policy.
THE FUTURE OF STEM CELL THERAPY:
Dr. Kraemer, lately I have been hearing on the news about many new life-saving medical applications and discoveries with stem cells. How do you see the future of stem cell therapy?
Dr. Kraemer Answers: I am glad you brought it up. Regenerative medicine is in its infancy and has unlimited potential.
In the coming years, I foresee a major advance into everyday practice with a much wider range of therapeutic applications available. So I believe it is here to stay. As the body of science in veterinary stem cell therapy increases.
I envision more and more pet owners opting for collecting stem cells prophylactically when their pet is being spayed or neutered and storing the cells for later indications and uses.
Future science will likely prove that stem and regenerative cell therapies should be part of multimodal approaches to for many veterinary patients.
STEM CELL THERAPY FOR PETS FINAL THOUGHTS
Thank you, Dr. Kraemer, for your time and for all the help you and your staff have provided our rescue over the years.
You made me a believer. Any final thoughts?
Dr. Kraemer Answers: Thank you, Vicky, for the kind words. it is a true privilege to be part of the Southern California Bulldog Rescue Organization.
In the field of veterinary medicine, the outcomes of many “compassionate” cases are often based on anecdotal evidence, lacking robust scientific trials to establish their efficiency. However, there is a growing effort, with several universities across the country now conducting more scientific trials. Stem cells have already revolutionized human medicine, and it is anticipated that they will eventually have a similar impact in veterinary medicine as more clinical trials are conducted in laboratory settings. I have personally dealt with cases where animals were brought to me after conventional medicine proved ineffective, leaving euthanasia as the seemingly sole option.
One such case involved Vicky’s English bulldog, “Piper,” from the Southern California Bulldog Rescue. Piper had been under the care of multiple internal medicine specialists for over seven months, receiving various treatments for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Despite being prescribed immune-suppressant steroids, antibiotics, a range of other medications, homeopathic remedies, and special diets, Piper showed no signs of improvement. At a mere 23 pounds, with protruding bones and persistent, unresponsive diarrhea, her condition was dire.
Stem Cell Therapy for Dogs and Cats (IBD) THE PIPER STORY
To read more about Piper’s amazing story, click here. Among many other compassionate cases, I have also treated a 13-year-old with Degenerative Myelopathy, a grave, non-treatable condition that was sent home after an MRI with no hope.
I also treated an English bulldog with non-responsive, erupting, and painful interdigital cysts who developed serious complications due to the immune suppressant drugs he was on, and other cases, many of which I will present on this site in the coming weeks.
Stem Cell Therapy for Dogs and Cats SUMMARY:
I would like to say that we can all eat healthily, exercise regularly, and learn to relax to improve our life quality and increase longevity. The same goes for our pets. But as most of us are painfully aware, injuries and illness could happen despite our best efforts to live a healthy lifestyle. Many times, surgery will be recommended, and there are certainly many times when surgery is appropriate and needs to be performed.
We should all be very grateful we have access to this tool. Nevertheless, I am a big advocate and strongly believe in awareness of other, less invasive, safer, often less costly, and more effective, alternative options. The latest therapeutic modalities like stem cell therapy, Platelet Rich Plasma, and class-4 Cold Laser therapy are here to stay, and it’s only the beginning. I predict that in the coming decade, those new-age modalities will be mainstream and an integral part of every hospital’s medical services. With the rise of regenerative medicine, it is sufficient to say that you are witnessing the emergence of a completely new age in healing and certainly a total paradigm shift in veterinary health care.
Stem Cell Therapy for Dogs and Cats HUMANS:
Recognizing the success of regenerative medicine in humans (notable examples include bone marrow transplantation and work done on heart cells, skin, and corneal regeneration), there is no doubt in my mind that we will continue to see robust usage with increasingly wider medical applications.
Regenerative medicine is growing rapidly, and it may replace or influence many current treatments, giving new and exciting therapeutic modalities to pet owners.
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