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As a consumer of new technology, both owners and veterinarians should ask for the best data available and then evaluate the evidence as to the risk-benefit.
Since stem cell therapy is quite new, many vets are not yet trained or current on the recent advances. The most recent publication on stem cell therapy in dog hip arthritis was published in the peer-reviewed journal, Veterinary Therapeutics, in December 2007.
In a clinical study of real hip arthritis in large referral clinics, the use of stem cells was proven to statistically improve lameness, pain, range of motion and disability compared to a blinded control group that was treated with just saline placebo. This is the kind of data we like to see as clinicians and owners to help us decide the value of a new treatment.