The first veterinary hospital in Watauga County recently showcased a cutting edge procedure to help one dog suffering from a painful condition. On Tuesday evening, Dr. David Linzey of the Animal Emergency & Pet Care Clinic of the High Country performed in-house stem cell therapy on a 7 year old Labrador retriever named Max. Max suffers from hip displasia which he was born with. Max's right hip is severly deformed which causes the Dog a high amount of pain and discomfort when he is active. The process of stem cell regenerative therapy collects a large number of stem cells, which are often refered to as repair cells. The cells are activated and charged up and flood the body. The cells then seek out areas of inflammation, cell and tissue damage. And when they find those areas, they have the capability to turn into a variety of tissues, effectively curing the disease within months. The process starts by collecting fatty tissue which contains a high amount of the stem cells and graining up the tissue until it is almost fluid-like. Chemicals are then added to the tissue to separate the stem cells, a process that takes around 3 hours to complete. The stem cells are then taken and injected into the infected area. This procedure is said to be one of the fastest growing technologies in the pet care industry and is one of a kind, far beating out hip replacements and other procedures. The procedure has no side-effects and the only potential effect associated with it is just a brief anesthetic time to collect the tissue.  The pets usually go home and are back to their normal selves in about two days. Dr. Linzey commented that within 2 months after the procedure, Max should be moving well with little or no pain. Dr. Linzey also commented on being the first vet clinic in Watauga County to perform the operation, saying they are acting as a referral center for all of western North Carolina, getting an early start on the technology. We spoke with Max's owner, Tami Osbourne through e-mail earlier today, we are glad to say that max is recovering very well and we wish him the best. If you would like to learn more about the procedure, you can contact the Animal Emergency & Pet Care Clinic of the High Country at 828-268-2833.