I am not an athlete or a person who could afford something like this, but I look at cell therapy from a dog owner perspective. After all, veterinary medicine is at the frontier of groundbreaking treatments.
Besides nutrition, cell therapy is the type of treatment that makes sense to me.
We can run around, trying to invent ways to treat injuries and disease, while the body already does possess all the tools needed. When, for one reason or another, the body’s ability to heals itself falls short, perhaps all it needs is a little boost.
That’s what cell therapy is—using existing tools, pointing them in the right direction and giving them a little boost.
The dog love of my life, Jasmine, is an extremely intelligent, amazing girl. Her blessings, however, fell short in the health department.
I first discovered stem cell therapy, which was in the cradle at that time, when we were looking for an ideal treatment for Jasmine’s knee injury and arthritis.
Of course, cell therapy isn’t the only way to treat a problem. There are drugs, surgery, and other options.
The question is, which option is the most effective, safest and with the fastest results. Because we want everything fixed fast, don’t we?
Surgery can sometimes fix things, but it is quite invasive. Drugs—let’s face it when do drugs, with some exceptions, such as antibiotics, really fix anything? (“The money isn’t in the cure, the money is in the medicine.” – Chris Rock)
To me, cell therapy is a very exciting field of medical science.
Jasmine benefited greatly from her stem cell treatments. I am excited about research into using cell therapy in cancer treatment.
Recently, our vet also started offering platelet rich plasma therapy. He first tried it on their resident rescues, who both suffer from advanced arthritis. They are closely monitored, and treated with drugs, but in either of their cases, drugs just don’t cut it.
I have seen their resident dog three weeks post treatment, and the improvement in reduction of pain and increased mobility was remarkable.
Our vet felt the same way and is now offering the treatment to his patients.
I have always had reservations towards conventional cancer treatments. Should I put my dog through something like that, if the situation came to it? I am watching the cell therapy approach to cancer treatment with great curiosity. While I might hesitate to put my dog through radiation or chemotherapy, I would not hesitate trying cell therapy.
How could platelet rich plasma cure anything? Aren’t platelest just responsible for blood clotting?
Well, yes, platelets are involved in blood clotting. But that’s not all they can do. They can also summon white blood cells to an injured area and release growth factors that assist tissue regeneration and healing.
And regeneration and healing, without dangerous side effects, that’s what it is all about.
Jana Rade is a graphic designer by profession, blogger and dog health advocate.
She never aspired to learning about dog health issues until she met Jasmine. Unfortunately, she received a crash course in the subject due to Jasmine’s many health issues and has since become an advocate for other pet owners and their four-legged friends. In her blog, Dawg Business, Jana shares her experiences and the lessons she has learned with others. In the effort to do everything possible to improve and maintain Jasmine’s health, Jana recognized the importance of nutrition and she is presently studying integrative dog nutrition, as well as related physiology and biochemistry. Jana’s message to fellow dog owners is, “At the end, your dog’s health is up to you!”
