My hip dysplasia really wasn’t much of a problem until I turned 11, when one day I couldn’t jump up on the bed anymore.  Mom took me to the vet to discuss hip replacement surgery but after considering my age, life expectancy, and symptoms against the severity of the hip surgery, they decided to manage my condition with anti-inflammatory and pain medication.

In spite of the meds, I experienced a rapid decline over the next several months so Mom took me to a veterinary acupuncture clinic.  This treatment really helped me feel better but eleven months later, my hip pain was getting debilitating, even though I was still going to acupuncture.  I was losing my balance, struggling to get up when lying on the carpet, and couldn’t stand on the tile floor without slipping and falling.  I would lie around most of the time, had no stamina, and I was only able to walk short distances because my back legs would collapse otherwise.  My days of getting onto the bed, couch, or into the car by myself were over.  I was really weak and felt miserable.  It just broke my Mom’s heart to see me suffer like that.

Then one day in June 2009, my Mom heard about a ground-breaking procedure that helps animals with joint pain.  Veterinarians are now able to obtain stem cells from fat tissue and inject them into damaged joints.