A seven-year-old black Newfoundland dog has become
the first canine in Canada to receive a stem cell
operation performed entirely in a veterinary office.
Dr.
Erik Sjonnesen and vet assistant Sarah Barger perform
a stem cell operation on Lexi, a seven-year-old
Newfoundland dog, at Malton Veterinary Services in
Mississauga, Ont., Friday morning.
(Kimberly Styles)The
procedure was performed Friday morning by
veterinarians Dr. Mike Hutchinson and Dr. Erik
Sjonnesen at the Malton Veterinary Services clinic in
Mississauga, Ont. Hutchison is trainer from MediVet
Canada, which pioneered the procedure
The patient, Lexi, suffers from hip dysplasia, a
severe form of arthritis in dogs, and degenerative
joint disease in her left and right hips. It made it
difficult for the dog to get around.
The veterinarians removed about a tablespoon of fat
from Lexi's shoulder, which contains dormant stem
cells. Those cells were then mixed with platelet rich
plasma taken from the dog's blood to activate the stem
cells.
A portion was injected into Lexi's joints and the
rest was given intravenously.
'We're using the body's fat to repair
itself. How cool is that?'—Dr.
Michael Hutchinson, MediVet
"We're using the body's fat to repair itself,"
Hutchinson said in a radio interview, "How cool is
that?"
While the procedure on its own isn't new, what
makes this operation a Canadian first is that the stem
cells were cultured within the vet's office, rather
than being sent to a laboratory in the United States.
According to MediVet stem cell therapy uses an
animal's own regenerative healing power and can help
dogs, cats and horses suffering from osteoarthritis,
hip dysplasia, and tendon and cartilage injuries.
The procedure takes about four hours and costs
about $1,800. The recovery period is 20 to 30 days.
Hutchinson said tens of thousands of stem cell
procedures have now been done on animals worldwide,
with a high rate of success.
