Paralyzed Dog Receives Stem Cell Therapy

HIALEAH (CBSMiami) A team of Hialeah veterinarians performed a groundbreaking medical procedure on a dog to help him walk again.

Brando, a 9-year-old German shepherd, received an innovative two-part stem cell therapy at Paradise Animal Clinic in Hialeah on Wednesday. Its the first time this type of therapy has been performed in Florida.

The dog had been paralyzed from the waist down since January and used a doggie wheelchair to get around.

Vets said that he had a skin infection that paralyzed his lungs and then spread to a disc in his back. The infection caused 80 percent of Brandos leg muscles to weaken.

We were totally emotionally destroyed. Kids were crying, wife was upset, I was upset, said owner Manuel Bouza. Obviously the issue was he was so sick whether we put him down because hes paralyzed or whether we deal with it.

Bouza said that they wanted to do whatever they could to help him. One day, he stumbled across a video on YouTube about a dog in Great Britain who had received a stem cell treatment and he became interested.

With no proven options for recovery, they decided to try an experimental stem cell procedure never performed before in Florida.

This is a last ditch effort, said Bouza.

During the procedure, surgeons took fat from Brandos stomach and processed out the stem cells which were then re-injected into his spinal cord. They hope the cells will regenerate tissue and help Brando become more mobile.

The idea is that stem cells are able to go to a given place in the body and repair, said said animal surgeon Jose Gorostiza. Hopefully they will help the cells that are there function again, the new ones.

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Paralyzed Dog Receives Stem Cell Therapy