Are you #upset that #dogs are getting better #medical #treatment than you are?

When I can't chase dogs like this, I'll share stem cells with you if you need them.

Stem cells rejuvenating arthritic dogs

         Australian vets say they are having great success treating arthritic dogs with stem cells and researchers developing arthritis treatments for humans are taking a keen interest in the technique.

The trouble is that some dog owners feel their four-legged friends are getting better treatment than they are.

         MY REACTION:   YOU BET WE’RE UPSET.   ONLY STUPID AMERICAN RELUCTANCE IS PREVENTING STEM CELLS FOR HUMANS WITH ARTHRITIS.  GIVE IT TO EVERYONE WHO NEEDS IT, EXCEPT THE TEA PARTY WHICH OPPOSES IT!!!!

      Melbourne vet Ray Ferguson has now treated about 40 dogs.

"For individual joints where a dog has one bad knee or one bad elbow, the treatments are very simple," he said.  "A very, very light anaesthetic and we pop an injection of the stem cells straight into the joint and it's all over in about five minutes."

      Dr Ferguson says the stem cells come from donor dogs.

"These largely come from dogs that are being de-sexed, they're all young dogs so we've got young, vibrant cells," he said.

      Dr Ferguson says preliminary trials involved dogs with skin disease and joint disease being injected with stem cells as well, but the arthritic dogs responded best of all.  The stem cell treatment costs between $1,500 and $3,000.

            Dr Ferguson says he tells dog owners the stem cell treatment works best on younger dogs but dogs up to about 10 years of age are also responding well.

Humans 'getting jealous'

             Professor Richard Boyd says the stem cell treatment of dogs is helping researchers understand the effect similar treatment would have on humans. "Their lives are constrained into 10 or 15 years and that reflects a human going from up to 70 or 80 years.

          "So the conditions which are generative which a dog gets in 10 years like arthritic hips and joints is very similar to what ageing humans get.

          "The retired senior who's taking the rejuvenated dog for a walk is now getting jealous," he said.  "So hopefully we'll get a retired senior and a retired dog both walking briskly along the beach."

“When a child is locked in the bathroom with water running and he says he's doing nothing but the dog is barking, call 911.” #Erma Bombeck