Revolutionary New Treatment for Canine Arthritis

Osteoarthritis, also known as degenerative joint disease, is the progressive and permanent long-term deterioration of the cartilage surrounding the joints. It causes chronic joint inflammation and is the most common cause of lameness in dogs. Thought to affect up to one in five dogs, with older dogs being at the highest risk, it is a painful and progressive disease resulting in cartilage destruction and bone changes that can drastically affect a dog’s quality of life. A veterinary examination can determine if your dog has this disease.

Until now the primary ways of treating osteoarthritis were through weight management, controlled exercise, and drugs for pain relief, but pain-relief drugs can often cause their own set of problems, such as stomach upset, kidney or liver problems. So when we heard of the commercial availability of two brand-new, drug-free therapies derived from a dog’s own cells that could not only treat osteoarthritis in dogs but slow the progression or even potentially reverse its damaging effects, we knew we had to get the low-down for you! VetCell Therapeutics, the innovative company behind these therapies, explains how it works…

Q: Can you tell us about these exciting new therapies that
are offering relief to dogs suffering from osteoarthritis? 
Yes! ReGen OA is a new, drug-free, autologous (this means involving one individual as both donor and recipient) stem cell treatment for treating canine osteoarthritis (OA) that effectively provides relief from the symptoms of the disease and has the potential to repair damaged tissues.

EvoluGen OA is a drug-free alternative therapy for treating the symptoms of canine OA based on platelet rich plasma derived from blood. EvoluGen OA treats pain and inflammation and can slow further progression of joint degeneration. 

Q: Are they safe?
Yes, both therapies are safe, being drug-free alternatives derived from a dog’s own cells.

Q: Where do you get them?
The therapies are available to vets across the US. 

Q: How does the ReGen OA treatment work?
With ReGen OA, autologous SVF stem cell therapies, a veterinarian surgically removes a few grams of adipose (fat) tissue from the pet patient (this is a fairly minor outpatient surgery and does not traumatize the pet), then packages it in our temperature controlled validated shipping container and ships to VetCell Therapeutics’ production facility in Southern California. We receive the tissue next day and begin processing it to become ReGen OA. The tissue is processed at VetCell Therapeutics and returned to the vet/animal hospital within 24-48 hours in a temperature controlled shipping container. Administering the therapy is relatively simple. The doctor would use an intra-articular injection needle to remove synovial fluid from the damaged joint, and then replace the same volume of synovial fluid that was removed with ReGen OA. The therapy interacts with the joint cells and signals a healing response within the joint. Within a few days, the pain and swelling symptoms of OA should begin to subside and the pet should be feeling relief. In many cases, just one injection is needed, but cases do vary and sometimes, additional treatments may be necessary. Over time, ReGen OA has the potential to restore damaged tissue and rebuild cartilage. 

Q: How does EvoluGen OA work?
EvoluGen OA is not a stem cell therapy, but is a drug-free alternative cell therapy based on Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP). The therapy only requires a vet to extract a vial of blood from the patient. That blood is then shipped to VetCell Therapeutics for processing into a platelet rich plasma. The therapy is administered the same way as ReGen OA. EvoluGen OA triggers a healing response within the joint, reduces pain and swelling, and slows the progression of joint degeneration. 

Q: How do you decide which treatment is right for your dog? 
EvoluGen OA triggers a natural healing response within the joint, reducing pain and swelling, and can slow the progression of joint degeneration, but not reverse it. ReGen OA offers the same natural healing response and pain and swelling reduction but, additionally, has been shown effective in restoring damaged joint tissues. Choosing between the two comes down to budget and stage of OA the dog is experiencing. 

Q: How much does it cost?
The cost to patient is determined by the vet/animal hospital. Each case varies, but a ReGen OA treatment runs between $2500–$3500 and Evolugen OA is about $1000 for an initial application.

It is not uncommon for owners to misinterpret signs of osteoarthritis as a slowing down due to inevitable old age. It is important to observe dogs closely for the signs of osteoarthritis, including:

1. Decreased activity
2. Reluctance to walk, run, climb stairs, jump or play
3. Stiffness (worse after rest)
4. Limping
5. Difficulty rising from a resting position
6. Lagging behind on walks
7. Soreness when touched
8. Yelping or whimpering in pain
9. Acting aggressively or withdrawn
10. Exhibiting other character changes