Owner hopes stem cell therapy will get dog's life back

REHOBOTH, Mass. --

A first of its kind procedure is being performed in Massachusetts Monday. Its a stem cell therapy on a dog.

"He can't get comfortable, can't lay down, because of the pain, so he sits up and stares at the wall all night, which is tough to watch," said Bob Cook, Bubbas owner.

Cook of Taunton is talking about his 2-year-old English Bulldog Bubba, who suffers from hip dysplasia.

He said his condition has gotten worse in the last several months. After doing research, he found out about a regenerative stem cell therapy and has been hopeful.

He brought Bubba to the Abbot Animal Hospital in Rehoboth.

"Hopefully we can give these animals relief and increase quality of life and their life span as well, said Dr. Ashraf Gomaa.

Gomaa is the only doctor in our area certified by MediVet America, the company that developed this technology.

After extracting fat from Bubba, it is processed in a machine that basically breaks down the cells to get to the healthy stem cells. The cells are then injected back into Bubba into the area of concern.

"Replacing the bad cells with new cells, pretty advanced technology," Gomaa said.

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Owner hopes stem cell therapy will get dog's life back