The bounding energy of a dog in Economy Borough could signal a boon for pets, their owners and local veterinary practices.

After months of slow decline from osteoarthritis, 12-year-old collie mix Samantha was "going downhill fast" earlier this year, said owner Ricki Molchen. By spring, Ms. Molchen and her father, Richard Greenhouse, were discussing euthanizing Samantha because of the dog's unrelenting pain.

But with a new approach in the emerging field of regenerative medicine and stem cell research, Samantha is now scampering up stairs with no apparent sign of the crippling condition.

"Now if I take her for a walk, she wants to trot. There's no stopping her," Ms. Molchen said.

Samantha's healer was Cranberry veterinarian Mike Hutchinson, best known for his KDKA radio shows on pet care, "Animal General with Dr. Mike."

Dr. Hutchinson is a small animal spokesman for an Australian company, MediVet, which is about to introduce a same-day stem cell therapy procedure for dogs, cats and horses to treat arthritis, ligament and cartilage injuries, hip dysplasia and other degenerative conditions.

Samantha needed something.

The collie had been taking common medications for her arthritis to reduce inflammation and ease her pain, but her condition worsened over the past year. Ms. Molchen and Mr. Greenhouse eventually installed ramps in front and behind the house when Samantha could not get up the steps.

By March, the dog could no longer climb up on the sofa and "she was having trouble just getting up from a laying position," Ms. Molchen said.

After evaluating Samantha, Dr. Hutchinson thought she would be a good candidate for the stem cell treatment.

The procedure involves removing fat cells from the animal -- with Samantha, Dr. Hutchinson took them from her shoulder -- then separating out the stem cells and, using a patented technology involving light-emitting diodes, activating and reinfusing the cells in the animal.

Samantha had the procedure the morning of June 25, went home that afternoon and Ms. Molchen said they noticed a marked improvement in her mobility in a matter of days.

"Within a week, we took the ramps down," said Ms. Molchen. "Now she's up and down the steps better than me."

Dr. Hutchinson said with the new stem cell process he has been able to collect 2,000-fold more stem cells compared with the traditional stem cell approach. The additional stem cells greatly improve the chances they will successfully repair and regenerate the animal's cartilage and bone. Other than an anesthetic, no drugs are used.

While stem cell therapy has been available for a while, it traditionally has meant sending samples to an outside laboratory for processing, a two-day process that costs about $3,000, compared with about $1,700 for the new procedure.

The procedure requires specific equipment that MediVet sells for about $7,000. But a top MediVet-America official estimates that veterinarians doing five stem cell procedures a week can earn up to an additional $300,000 annually.

That's a valuable new revenue stream for veterinarians, said Dr. Hutchinson, but he believes that vets' primary interest will be if animals show marked improvement following a procedure that a technician can perform ("It's really easier than spaying a dog") in a couple of hours.

So far, it has worked so well that one of Dr. Hutchinson's post-procedure concern is that animals will get too active too soon and reinjure themselves.

"I'm seeing things that I have trouble believing," he said. "Ninety-nine percent of the patients did incredibly well."

He cautions that they are still at the beginning stages of knowing what stem cell therapy can do and what its limitations might be.

The doctor said about 25 percent to 30 percent of cats and dogs develop arthritis and, for now, his recommendation is to start with traditional approaches, including addressing any weight issues the pet may have.

But with the stem cell procedure, he said, "Now I have a new tool besides drugs and surgery. That's why I'm so excited."