After winning his fifth agility title, the Australian cattle
dog from Huntsville encountered a seemingly insurmountable obstacle: arthritis.
The worsening inflammation in Spanky's spine and shoulders made
it hard to walk, much less run. Owner Debbie Baeder was heartbroken.
"He's given me his
best all of his life," Baeder told AL.com last week. "The least I can
do is make him comfortable in his old age."
Enter Spanky's
veterinarian, Dr. Mark Russell of Whitesburg Animal Hospital. Russell is the
first vet in North Alabama, and one of a small handful across the state, to
offer stem cell therapy for arthritic pets.
Baeder signed Spanky up for
the unique treatment, which involves removing a plug of fatty tissue from
behind the dog's shoulder, using lab equipment to separate the stem cells and
then injecting the activated cells back into the dog's sore knees, hips,
elbows or back.
Spanky, who will turn 17 in
September, emerged from the February procedure a happier, healthier pet, said
Baeder.
"He's up and down the
stairs; he runs more," she said. "He feels good, you can tell. I
can't recommend stem cell therapy highly enough."
'Really bullish'
Russell has given stem cell
injections to seven arthritic dogs so far, and he says all of them are getting
around better. The therapy did not work as well on a pet with inflammatory
bowel disease.
Overall, Russell said he is thrilled with the results and plans
to continue offering the injections. Whitesburg Animal Hospital charges about
$2,500 and $3,000 for the treatment, which includes storing some of the
harvested stem cells in case a second round of injections is needed later.
"At first, we were
really tentative," Russell told AL.com. "But after a case or two, you
get really bullish because it works so well and we've seen such dramatic
changes."
He said the healing
power of stem cells comes from their ability to morph into whatever type of
cell an ailing body needs: ligaments, tendons, cartilage. The injections are
also easier on the kidneys than anti-inflammatory drugs.
"Basically, this gives
a very safe way to use the body's own mechanism to heal itself and ameliorate
pain," said Russell.
Studying stem cells
Russell's experiences
mirror the results of an ongoing animal stem cell therapy study at the
University of Florida. Researchers there are testing the effectiveness of stem
cells in dogs with arthritic elbows.
Of the 48 dogs enrolled in
the study, half received a single injection of stem cells harvested from the
umbilical cords of puppies born by cesarean-section. The rest received a saline
placebo. All are monitored for six months.
While only 17 dogs have
completed the study, the early returns are promising.
Dr. Anna Dunlap, a
veterinarian and orthopedic fellow at the University of Florida, said all the
dogs in the stem cell group are "trending towards improvement."
Meanwhile, the dogs in the placebo group have stayed the same or gotten worse.
"I am encouraged by
the results that we are seeing," Dunlap told AL.com. "Also, the
owners are really seeing improvements."
Even so, she cautioned that
stem cells are not a "miracle drug" for curing arthritis in pets.
"Arthritis is not
reversible," said Dunlap. Stem cell therapy "might make your dog more
comfortable, but it's not going to fix the underlying problem."
Tasha's story
About a year and a half
ago, Katherine Levine of Huntsville noticed that her once-spry black Labrador
retriever Tasha was struggling to get into the car.
Tasha was still walking,
but something was clearly wrong. The 13-year-old dog's movements were
tentative; her rear legs seemed weak.
During a veterinary checkup last fall, Russell mentioned that
Tasha might be a good candidate for Stem Cell Therapy. Levine agreed.
In September, Russell and a
team of his Whitesburg Animal Hospital employees sedated Tasha and removed
enough stem cell-containing fatty tissue to fill a vial. On a return visit a
few days later, Russell injected the dog's inflamed back legs with stem
cells as well as platelet-rich plasma.
The results were dramatic;
Levine said Tasha leaped into the car for the ride home from the vet's office.
"The difference was
pretty much close to instantaneous," Levine told AL.com. "She's up,
she's down, she's all over the place."
Eight months later, the
stem cells still appear to be doing their job. Tasha was feeling well enough to
accompany Levine on a recent road trip to New York City. Long walks together
have become part of their routine again.
"Tasha has no idea
she's a 13-year-old dog at this point," said Levine.
