Stem Cells
At Valley Farm Animal Hospital we offer Allogenic Stem Cell therapy in conjunction with VetRenew.
Many conditions can benefit from stem cell therapy but certainly the most recognized in the veterinary field is the extremely painful and debilitating condition Osteoarthritis.
The stem cells are injected into the affected area such as elbow, knee, hip joint or even tendons under a general anaesthesia in sterile surgical environment.
No special care is required apart from rest and supportive measures in the first few days after Stem Cell Therapy.
In some pets the effects can be seen within a few days others will require a few weeks or even few months before changes are seen. For some patients the effect will be dramatic for others the improvement maybe minimal. It is unfortunately not possible to predict to what degree a patient is going to respond to the stem cell treatment.
If you feel your dog would benefit from a better quality of life that less painful joints will bring, please send an email to: stemcells@valleyfarmvet.co.za
More about Stem Cells
The decision to use stem cell therapy is complicated as it is based on multiple factors. It is necessary for potential Stem Cell candidates to be thoroughly screened; X-rays, general health score, CT images or arthroscopy before decisions can be made. Their age, breed, general health and even environmental surroundings will also be taken in to consideration
Stem cells which are derived from visceral fat cells (adipose mesenchymal cells) are concentrated, purified and quantified in a laboratory to obtain high concentration of cells which will be chondrogenic differentiation cells (cartilage)
Stem cells are non-specific cells that under certain conditions can become a specific type of cell / tissue or organ. The body has this amazing internal repair system whereby stem cells replace dead cells and tissue, for example bone marrow cells, liver cells and gastro-intestinal cells.