PANAMA CITY BEACH — Hummer is a 6-year-old softball-chasing, tail-wagging, walk-taking bundle of fur.

He also struggles to get off the floor, tires easily and takes steroids to make it through the day.

His owners, Dustin and Barbara Stokesbary, hope a new stem cell procedure performed Friday for the first time in Florida will have the yellow lab feeling like his old self by the time he celebrates his seventh birthday on Thanksgiving Day.

The procedure, modeled after technology already in use on humans, uses stem cells harvested from fat to treat osteoarthritis, hip dysplasia, ligament and cartilage injuries, and other degenerative diseases.

Stem cell treatments have been used on dogs, cats, horses and other animals for several years, but MediVet-America recently developed technology that allows the stem cells to be separated from fat in-office during a roughly four-hour procedure.

Within two to three weeks, most animals that had been in severe pain with restricted range of motion are able to walk, run and jump again, according to information from MediVet.

Because the procedure is relatively new, it’s not known how long the results last.

“We’re hoping that we’ll get a year to three years” of improvement, said Dr. Mike Hutchinson, a veterinarian who represents MediVet and teaches the stem cell procedure to other vets. After the results wear off, the procedure can be performed again.

This type of procedure already has been used on humans, Hutchinson said. “This is the first time in my career humans are the lab rats,” he said.

The Stokesbarys always knew they would someday have to treat Hummer’s hip dysplasia. It’s not uncommon for larger dogs to develop the condition, but Hummer was born with it.

They had no idea the treatment would include stem cells.

Prices for the procedure vary, but averages about $1,800, Hutchinson said, about half the cost of the procedure before the in-office technology was available. Previously, the sample of fat had to be mailed to a lab, where stem cells were extracted and mailed back to the vet’s office, adding to the time and cost of the procedure.

Earlier this year the Stokesbarys began steroid treatments for Hummer. If that didn’t work, the only other treatment for the dog would have been hip replacement, a much more costly option. The stem cell treatment was affordable by comparison, Barbara Stokesbary said.

It also has fewer risks. The biggest risk to the animal occurs when it is under anesthesia to have the fat removed, Hutchinson said. There is also risk of joint infection when the stem cells are injected into the animal’s joints. It’s not recommended for animals with cancer. The procedure hasn’t been shown to cause cancer, Hutchinson said, but can cause active cancer to grow.

Successful treatment is measured differently depending on the patient.

For most pet owners, choosing stem cell therapy is a last resort, Hutchinson said. Before the surgery, they’ve already tried drug procedures to reduce the pain and, before, the only other option in some cases was euthanizing the animal.

“I don’t believe in prolonging suffering,” Hutchinson said. “I’m not just trying to extend their life. I’m interesting in extending the quality of their life.”

For Barbara Stokesbary, success would be a reduction in pain.

That’s what Les Thompson and his wife, Pam, hope for their 11-year-old Doberman and collie mix, Rascal, who suffers from osteoarthritis in both hips.

Rascal — “he is a rascal, too” — is full of life, Les Thompson said, but he tires a lot quicker than he used to. They hope the treatment will make the dog more mobile and alleviate some pain.

Les Thompson said until their vet mentioned the procedure during an office visit, he had no idea it even existed. However, he was familiar with stem cell research in general and thought it would be beneficial.

The procedure was conducted at Animal Care Center in Panama City Beach. Matt LeBleu, a veterinarian there, said they’re not yet sure whether they will offer the treatment there on a regular basis.

The vets at the clinic read an article about the procedure and invited MediVet to perform the procedure at their office.

LeBleu said they plan to monitor Hummer and Rascal’s success to determine if they will offer the procedure in the future.