Important! Updated July 2018. Alpine Animal Doctors no longer recommends Adipose Stem Cell Treatment as the best long term treatment for severe arthritis in dogs. We now have almost 7 years of experience with this treatment and have conducted long term follow-up studies over 2 to 3 years on almost all of the animals treated with ASCT.

While it is true that in almost 100% of cases our patients benefited from swift and substantial reductions of their arthritic pain our follow-up studies have shown that, in most cases, ASCT does not provide a permanent reduction or elimination of arthritic pain. In some cases relief can last a long time but in many cases the benefits are lost within a year or so. We do not consider that to be a sufficiently positive outcome to continue to offer the treatment. Consequently, we have not offered ASCT since the completion of our follow-up studies in 2014.

Of course, with such a new treatment we were never able to offer any guarantees and all of our clients who requested the treatment for their pets were advised that we were unable to predict the long term results. However, the initial results for most patients were so positive that we really hoped they indicated a genuine long term solution.

Unfortunately that is not the case and we can no longer suggest ASCT as a preferred treatment. There are other effective treatments for arthritis that are considerably cheaper than ASCT.

We remain optimistic that stem cells, whether produced from embryonic cells or from the patient’s own cells, will eventually lead to a better and more permanent cure but, currently, such treatments are not only vastly more complex but are so expensive as to be out of the reach of the average pet owner.

Rather than delete our original news stories on our ASCT trials we will leave them available for pet owners to read and form their own judgements. 

Updated, Thursday, 24 November 2011. Little more than a week after her treatment, Abby, our first Stem Cell Therapy patient, is already showing positive signs of improvement. She is moving much more freely, can get up and down very easily and appears to be in no pain, despite not having had pain medication since recovering from her stem cell transplant.

We’re very excited about the promise stem cell transplants holds for many of our older patients suffering chronic arthritic conditions and Abby’s rapid improvement only makes us more keen to help more pets suffering from this debilitating condition. The equipment and facilities for the MediVet Stem Cell Therapy are now fine tuned and all ready to accept patients! If you have an arthritic pet please contact Dr. Bek to discuss how stem cell therapy can relieve their pain, without drugs. And to take advantage of a very limited introductory special offer for this revolutionary treatment!

One of the world’s most technically advanced animal health treatments — Medi-Vet Stem Cell Therapy — arrived in the Alpine region last week, as Dr. Bek performed the first stem cell transplant procedure ever to be undertaken in the area.

Abby, an 11-year old Collie crippled in both legs with severe osteoarthritis, was the first Alpine region patient to receive the new treatment. The much loved pet suffers chronic pain and must be constantly treated with pain medications and special diets in an effort to improve her quality of life. By transplanting stem cells directly into the affected joints we anticipate that healthy new cartilage will grow to replace the damaged tissue, hopefully leaving Abby pain free and needing no further medication.

Dr. Bek is currently one of only 11 Veterinary Surgeons in Victoria accredited to carry out the Medi-Vet Stem Cell Therapy procedure, and one of only 50 vets across Australia. Alpine Animal Doctors is also one of the few animal hospitals to have brought the full range of the required specialised biotechnology equipment into the hospital, allowing the entire procedure to be conducted in-house.

Although the science behind this advanced procedure is complex, and requires specialised technology to extract the stem cells, the treatment itself is fairly simple for the patient, and can be completed in a day.

Having the technology in-house at the hospital also means we can keep the cost down for our clients, making this exciting treatment affordable for most pet parents.

The Medi-Vet Stem Cell Therapy holds immense promise for the successful, permanent treatment of animals who, like Abby, suffer chronic, persistent pain from severe osteoarthritis, degenerative joint and cartilage damage or muscular injury. It can be used on dogs, cats, horses and even sheep.

The cutting edge biotechnology procedure uses the animal’s own healthy stem cells to generate new cartilage, tendon and tissue at the site of injuries and degenerative disease. These adult stem cells are not the controversial embryonic stem cells used in human stem cell research. There are no ethical or moral dilemmas attached to their use.

Stem cells, which have the ability to ‘morph’ into many different types of cells, are extracted from fat taken from the animal’s abdomen, groin or shoulder. The cells are then treated with specialised biotechnology equipment, and ‘activated’ using LED Light equipment. They are then injected directly into the affected areas, where they immediately go to work to create healthy new cartilage.

Abby has no idea she ‘made history’ today, or that she was the recipient of a very specialised and complex treatment. But in a couple of weeks she should be showing a dramatic reduction in her level of pain, and enjoying a degree of mobility and energy she has probably long forgotten she ever had. We think she’ll be happy about that.

More detail to come on this major advance in animal health care for patients of Alpine Animal Doctors, please check back soon. If you have a furry friend that you think may benefit from the Medi-Vet Stem Cell Therapy please contact Dr. Bek to discuss your pet’s suitability for the treatment.