VetStem Cell Therapy Helps Young Rottweiler Avoid Elbow Replacement Surgery

Maggie

Maggie, a Rottweiler, was successfully treated with VetStem Cell Therapy for elbow arthritis.

POWAY, CA, UNITED STATES, April 14, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Maggie, a Rottweiler, was just five months old when she was diagnosed with bilateral elbow dysplasia, specifically osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) and fragmented coronoid process (FCP). At seven months of age, she underwent bilateral elbow arthroscopy to remove fragments and debride the damaged cartilage. The condition of her joints was severe, with some areas completely lacking cartilage. Following recovery and rehabilitation, Maggie showed no signs of lameness or pain.

Despite this improvement, the severity of her disease carried a poor long-term prognosis. Her veterinary team advised that she would likely require total elbow replacement by the age of two, or face euthanasia. In an effort to support healing and take a proactive approach to her joint health, her veterinarian recommended treatment with VetStem Cell Therapy. Stem cells are regenerative cells that can differentiate into many tissue types. They have demonstrated the ability to reduce pain and inflammation, help restore range of motion, and stimulate the regeneration of tendon, ligament, and joint tissues. In a peer-reviewed study of dogs with chronic osteoarthritis of the elbow, treatment with stem cells was found to reduce lameness and improve range of motion. Although Maggie was not showing clinical signs at the time, her owners chose to proceed with treatment.

To begin the VetStem process, Maggie’s veterinarian collected fat tissue from her abdomen during a minimally invasive anesthetic procedure. The tissue was aseptically packaged and shipped to the VetStem laboratory in Poway, California, where it was processed to isolate and concentrate the stem and regenerative cells. The cells were divided into multiple doses, and three injectable doses were returned to her veterinarian. Within 48 hours of the collection procedure, Maggie received one intra-articular injection in each elbow as well as an intravenous injection. Platelet-rich plasma was also administered concurrently.

Given the severity of her condition, Maggie received a follow-up treatment approximately three months later, and another about seven months after that. According to her owner, Maggie responded very well to therapy. Her owner stated, “Maggie is now two years old, and we have not seen her limp or appear to have pain. Although we do restrict her from activities like fetch, jumping, and the zoomies, she lives a very full life. We walk 2 miles a day, she is working toward her novice scent work title, and lives on a small farm where she does occasionally get a little wild playing with her horse friend. It is very difficult to keep a two-year-old Rottweiler from getting too excited and running wild. It is our firm belief that Maggie would not be the same without stem cell therapy, and we believe in doing it prophylactically, why wait until she's symptomatic when we already know she has arthritis?”

In addition to her initial treatments, several of Maggie’s stem cell doses were placed into cryopreservation. This provides an important long-term benefit, as Maggie will continue to be at risk for arthritis-related changes in her elbows. Her stored cells remain available for future use, allowing for additional treatments as needed throughout her life. Learn more at www.VetStem.com.

About VetStem, Inc.
VetStem is a veterinarian-led Company that was formed in 2002 to bring regenerative medicine to the profession. This privately held biopharmaceutical enterprise, based near San Diego, California, currently offers veterinarians an autologous stem cell processing service (from patients’ own fat tissue) among other regenerative modalities. With a unique expertise acquired over the past 20+ years and thousands of treatments by veterinarians for joint, tendon and ligament issues, VetStem has made regenerative medicine applications a therapeutic reality. The VetStem team is focused on developing new clinically practical and affordable veterinary solutions that leverage the natural restorative abilities present in all living creatures. In addition to its own portfolio of patents, VetStem holds exclusive global veterinary licenses to a large portfolio of issued patents in the field of regenerative medicine.

Kristi Hauta, Director of Commercial Operations
VetStem, Inc.
+1 858-748-2004
email us here

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