A veterinarian in Tarpon Springs is doing research that could alleviate a problem thousands of dogs in Florida face.
Dr. Michael Amsberry is embarking on cutting edge research that could change the lives of those dogs and their owners.
Nube and Sage are part of a pilot study at Amsberry’s Tarpon Springs pet care center.
He’s injecting dogs with stem cells to help with their Dermatitis, a condition that affects dogs in Florida each year.
“Often times it starts out with skin that’s irritated and red and then we often we’ll suffer from secondary bacterial and yeast infections,” said Dr. Michael Amsberry, Saint Francis Pet Care Center.
The treatment is inside a little jar that contains millions of stem cells that all come from one dog’s umbilical cord in California. The treatment takes about 10 minutes, and the cells are in Amsberry’s patients.
“It is treating the body with the body not using chemicals or drugs.”
There are drugs to treat dermatitis, and some of them work well. Amsberry and others like him said they’re looking for a cleaner, less expensive way.
The process to see if stem cell therapy actually works has only just begun.
Dogs like Nube and Sage will be treated several times, and then Amsberry and his nurses will monitor their progress.
“It will be very I believe attainable for many pet owners to have this bio-technology applied to their pet.”
The stem cells are provided and paid for by a company in San Diego, California.
Dr. Amsberry said that company’s goal is to eventually have this type of stem cell therapy approved by the FDA.
The company is also doing stem cell research to cure other types of ailments in pets.