DOVER-FOXCROFT, Maine (NEWS CENTER)-- Some veterinarians in Maine are now treating dogs that have joint pain with a procedure that didn't exist not long ago: a specialized type of stem cell therapy.

At Foxcroft Veterinary Services in Dover-Foxcroft, the vets remove the stem cells from a dog's fatty tissue and re-inject them into the area that needs treatment.

The procedure takes only a day, and is much less invasive than knee or hip replacement.

The therapy also works on other pets, such as cats and horses.

This type of treatment is not the same embryonic stem cell research which has generated controversy. Experts say they are just taking dormant stem cells already present in a dog's body, and putting them to better use.

"We're just taking fat out, which most dogs have an abundance of," says Adrienne Cromer, a lab tech at MediVet, the creators of the specialized process. "We're getting the stem cells out, activating them so that the can proliferate and differentiate and go to the areas of the body where they are needed and do the healing."

Coastal Cat and Feline in York and the Yarmouth Veterinary Center already offer this type of one-day stem cell treatment.

For more information on how this procedure works, visit http://www.medivetamerica.com.

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Stem Cell Treatment Helps Ailing Dogs