At Summer's Animal Hospital, regenerative medicine is about more than temporarily controlling pain. Our goal is to address inflammation, support the body's natural healing processes, preserve mobility, and improve your pet's long-term quality of life.
We combine advanced biologic treatments—including platelet-rich plasma and autologous cell-based therapy—with therapeutic laser, physical rehabilitation, targeted pain management, nutritional support, and carefully selected adjunctive therapies. Every treatment plan is customized to the individual patient's diagnosis, age, activity level, overall health, and lifestyle.
Regenerative medicine may be considered for pets experiencing:
- Osteoarthritis and degenerative joint disease
- Hip or elbow dysplasia
- Tendon and ligament injuries
- Cartilage and other soft-tissue injuries
- Chronic musculoskeletal inflammation
- Postsurgical pain or delayed recovery
- Wounds requiring additional healing support
- Weakness, reduced mobility, or age-related physical decline
These therapies may be used independently or as part of a comprehensive, multimodal treatment and rehabilitation plan.
How Does Regenerative Medicine Work?
When injury, inflammation, or tissue damage occurs, the body naturally mobilizes cells, platelets, growth factors, and signaling proteins to begin the healing process. With advancing age, chronic disease, or significant injury, that natural response may become less efficient or may be overwhelmed.
Regenerative therapies concentrate biological components obtained from your pet's own blood or tissue and place them directly into areas where additional healing support may be beneficial. Rather than simply masking discomfort, these therapies are intended to influence the local inflammatory environment, support tissue recovery, and help improve function.
Treatment response varies, and regenerative medicine is not appropriate for every diagnosis. A thorough examination and review of available imaging are necessary before recommending treatment.
Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy
Platelet-rich plasma, commonly known as PRP, is prepared from a small sample of your pet's own blood. The blood is processed to create a concentrated solution containing platelets, growth factors, and signaling proteins involved in inflammation regulation and tissue healing.
PRP can then be administered directly into an affected joint, tendon, ligament, injured soft tissue, wound, or selected surgical site. Because it is obtained from the patient's own blood, the risk of an allergic reaction is considered low.
PRP may be incorporated into treatment plans for:
- Osteoarthritis and painful joint inflammation
- Tendon and ligament injuries
- Soft-tissue injuries
- Chronic musculoskeletal pain
- Wound-healing support
- Postsurgical recovery
- Selected orthopedic and sports-medicine cases
The goals of PRP therapy may include reducing inflammatory signaling, decreasing pain and stiffness, supporting tissue repair, and improving mobility. In carefully selected patients, PRP may also help reduce reliance on repeated medication or steroid therapy; however, it should not be presented as a universal replacement for anti-inflammatory medication, surgery, or rehabilitation.
PRP can often be collected, prepared, and administered during the same visit or anesthetic procedure. Clinical evidence in canine osteoarthritis is encouraging, although results and treatment protocols remain variable among patients and PRP preparations.
Stem Cell (Autologous Cell-Based) Therapy — ACTISTEM
Summer's Animal Hospital offers ACTISTEM Therapy, which allows our veterinarians to isolate regenerative cells from your pet's own fat tissue, activate them, and reinject them into damaged areas.
Stem cell therapy uses regenerative cells isolated from a sample of the patient's own adipose, or fat, tissue. The collected tissue is processed, and the resulting cell-containing preparation may be administered into selected joints or areas of injury.
These cells are believed to work largely through cellular signaling and immunomodulatory effects. They may help influence the local inflammatory environment, support the body's natural repair response, and improve comfort and function. They should not be described as guaranteeing the regrowth of cartilage or completely reversing degenerative disease.
Cell-based therapy may be considered for selected patients with:
- Osteoarthritis and chronic joint disease
- Hip dysplasia
- Tendon or ligament injuries
- Cartilage injuries
- Chronic musculoskeletal inflammation
- Selected soft-tissue injuries
- Persistent pain or mobility limitations despite conventional treatment
Controlled studies have reported improvements in pain, lameness, and function in some patients with osteoarthritis, but results vary and the available studies use different products and protocols.
Stem cell based therapy is not a cure and does not replace corrective surgery when a pet has a mechanical or structural problem requiring surgical stabilization. It is most appropriately used as one component of a broader treatment plan that may include medication, weight management, therapeutic laser, rehabilitation, nutritional support, and controlled exercise.
Proactive Stem-Cell Banking
Regenerative cells may also be collected and cryopreserved for potential future use. One convenient time to collect adipose tissue is during a pet's spay, neuter, or another already-scheduled anesthetic procedure.
Collecting tissue while a pet is young and healthy allows the sample to be preserved before age-related disease or physical decline occurs. The tissue is processed and stored at a specialized cryobanking facility, where it may remain available if regenerative treatment is medically appropriate later in life.
A single collection may provide material for multiple potential future treatments, depending on the quantity and quality of the sample, processing results, and the pet's future medical needs. Banking cells does not guarantee that treatment will be indicated or effective, but it may provide an additional option should arthritis, orthopedic injury, or another appropriate condition develop.
Emerging and Investigational Applications
Cell-based therapies are also being studied for a variety of inflammatory, neurologic, immune-mediated, renal, allergic, and degenerative conditions.
At this time, these applications should be described as emerging or investigational, rather than as established treatments. Any compassionate or investigational use must be considered individually, with a clear discussion of the limited evidence, potential risks, alternatives, expected costs, and uncertainty of benefit.
Potential Benefits of PRP and Cell-Based Therapy
Depending on the patient and diagnosis, treatment goals may include:
- Reducing pain and inflammation
- Improving comfort and quality of life
- Supporting osteoarthritis management
- Improving mobility and joint function
- Supporting tendon, ligament, and soft-tissue healing
- Assisting with postsurgical recovery
- Supporting wound healing
- Preserving muscle use and physical function
- Reducing reliance on certain medications when medically appropriate
- Helping pets return safely to normal activities
Individualized Care From Diagnosis Through Recovery
Every regenerative-medicine patient begins with a comprehensive evaluation. Our veterinarians review your pet's medical history, medications, diagnostic imaging, physical limitations, lifestyle, and treatment goals before making recommendations.
Your pet's plan may combine PRP, cell-based therapy, therapeutic laser, physical rehabilitation, medication, nutritional support, weight management, and home exercises. Scheduled re-evaluations allow us to monitor progress and modify the plan according to your pet's response.
There is no single protocol that is appropriate for every patient. Our goal is to select the safest and most appropriate combination of therapies to help your pet remain comfortable, active, and engaged in the life they love.
Schedule a Regenerative Medicine Consultation
Is your pet slowing down, struggling with stairs, recovering from surgery, or living with chronic joint or soft-tissue discomfort?
Contact Summer's Animal Hospital to schedule a regenerative medicine consultation and learn whether PRP, cell-based therapy, therapeutic laser, rehabilitation, or other advanced treatment may be appropriate for your pet.