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Westmont, IL —
Krissann Moss’ 10-year-old Yorkshire terrier, Mimi, was once an active dog full of energy and vigor — always wanting to run around and play.
Lately, though, the dog has been in pain and has a really tough time getting around, Moss said. The dog suffers from arthritis and ligament tears in its legs.
“You could see she was in a lot of pain, and we have tried various procedures and medications to help her,” Moss said. “She has been on medication for a long time, but that doesn’t seem to help as much anymore.”
Mimi has a hard time even walking, and her quality of life is very poor now, Moss said.
While people feel differently about what their pets mean to them and their family, there’s no question what Mimi means to them.
“She is definitely a member of our family,” Moss said. “She has taught our children so much about responsibility over the years, and they have grown with Mimi. I find there is something therapeutic about having a dog like Mimi. A dog will always be there for you, and she has been here for us for 10 years.”
Waiting to see the effects
Earlier this month, the Naperville family decided to have a new medical procedure for animals — stem cell therapy — performed on Mimi in hopes that it would help their dog be able to enjoy a pain-free life again.
The procedure was done at Westmont’s West Suburban Veterinary Associates — one of the only animal hospitals in the area that’s able to perform stem cell therapy on animals, said hospital officials.
Moss said she had heard about the procedure as another option that could help Mimi walk, and to alleviate some of the dog’s pain.
“It was something we decided to try, and while I wouldn’t say it was a last resort, we chose to go through with it,” Moss said.
Ten days after this month’s procedure, Moss said Mimi was up and running around a little bit more.
Dr. Alan Main, owner of WSVA, 518 N. Warwick Ave., said stem cell therapy usually takes a few weeks to determine how well it is working, and it varies for different animals.
“We should have a pretty good idea in four to six weeks before we start seeing results,” Main said.
But one family has already reported seeing excellent results from the therapy.
Krissann Moss’ 10-year-old Yorkshire terrier, Mimi, was once an active dog full of energy and vigor — always wanting to run around and play.
Lately, though, the dog has been in pain and has a really tough time getting around, Moss said. The dog suffers from arthritis and ligament tears in its legs.
“You could see she was in a lot of pain, and we have tried various procedures and medications to help her,” Moss said. “She has been on medication for a long time, but that doesn’t seem to help as much anymore.”
Mimi has a hard time even walking, and her quality of life is very poor now, Moss said.
While people feel differently about what their pets mean to them and their family, there’s no question what Mimi means to them.
“She is definitely a member of our family,” Moss said. “She has taught our children so much about responsibility over the years, and they have grown with Mimi. I find there is something therapeutic about having a dog like Mimi. A dog will always be there for you, and she has been here for us for 10 years.”
Waiting to see the effects
Earlier this month, the Naperville family decided to have a new medical procedure for animals — stem cell therapy — performed on Mimi in hopes that it would help their dog be able to enjoy a pain-free life again.
The procedure was done at Westmont’s West Suburban Veterinary Associates — one of the only animal hospitals in the area that’s able to perform stem cell therapy on animals, said hospital officials.
Moss said she had heard about the procedure as another option that could help Mimi walk, and to alleviate some of the dog’s pain.
“It was something we decided to try, and while I wouldn’t say it was a last resort, we chose to go through with it,” Moss said.
Ten days after this month’s procedure, Moss said Mimi was up and running around a little bit more.
Dr. Alan Main, owner of WSVA, 518 N. Warwick Ave., said stem cell therapy usually takes a few weeks to determine how well it is working, and it varies for different animals.
“We should have a pretty good idea in four to six weeks before we start seeing results,” Main said.
But one family has already reported seeing excellent results from the therapy.
Janet Storjohann of Downers Grove is an employee at the veterinarian office and her dog, Rosie, had stem cell therapy done in April of this year.
The 11-year-old mix breed had suffered from leg problems since 2007, when the dog tore its ACL ligament, she said, adding that old age played a role, too.
“At one point in the last year, I was shopping for carts for her as her pain was increasing and her mobility decreasing,” Storjohann said. “Euthanasia was discussed due to lack of quality of life, but Rosie has such a spirit that I knew we had to do more for her.”
On April 22, Rosie became the first dog to have the procedure done by a new, in-house method of stem cell therapy that Main said is more effective then previous stem cell procedures.
Within a month, Rosie had shown dramatic results, Storjohann said.
“She was acting like a puppy again,” she said. “She was walking fast, even running at times when she was excited, rolling on her back and jumping to her feet.
Six months later, Storjohann said the dog is still doing great.
How it works, what it costs
Main said stem cell therapy uses the body’s own cells to regenerate cell growth. Stem cells can grow as any other surrounding cell tissue, and the therapy has been used for humans, dogs, cats and horses to treat various ailments.
At WSVA, the procedure is done in the facility by removing a small mass of fat tissue from the animal.
The stem cells are then separated from the fat tissue and injected into the affected areas to help promote tissue healing and cell regeneration.
“It is a procedure that is much less invasive than surgery is, which means there is less chance of complications, and a faster recovery time for the animals,” Main said.
Over the last couple of years, Main said the procedure has been done on a very limited basis at the Westmont facility, because the fatty tissue taken from animals had to be sent to a laboratory in California to have the cells extracted, which often took several days and was more expensive to do.
Because it can now be done in-house, Main said it’s much easier to recommend the procedure to pet owners for certain ailments, not just for arthritis or torn muscle or ligament damage, which is common in some dogs, but for other ailments as well, such as kidney failure.
The hospital has done three of these procedures so far this year since Rosie’s treatment, including Mimi’s. Each costs about $1,700, while in some cases, surgeries to repair similar injuries can range in price from $1,200 to $3,000.
“While it depends on the individual case and condition of each animal, there is not a big cost difference between stem cell therapy and other surgical procedures,” Main said.
Mimi will now receive check-ups every 30 days for the next few months to monitor her progress.
“Our hope is that Mimi, and other dogs like her, can lead better lives with procedures like this,” he said.
Find out more
For more information about stem cell therapy and if it can help your pet, call the West Suburban Veterinary Associates in Westmont at (630) 968-4212.
