In Florida, specialty hospital Affiliated Veterinary Specialists has conducted eight successful adult stem cell procedures on horses and dogs to help them with dysplasia, arthritis and other degenerative disorders. The stem cell therapy is helping animals improve within 2 to 4 weeks instead of the usual 4 months recovery time for hip replacements. The Humane Society of the United States hopes stem cell therapy will become more prevalent to help pets.
Dr. Derek Fox, a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons and an orthopedic surgeon at the University of Missouri’s veterinary hospital in Columbia, told Bella Dog Magazine, “I think there’s a lack of adequate research on stem cell treatments, which is why it’s still so infrequently utilized in human medicine. I do have high hopes that it will continue to show promising results towards veterinary practices.”