Reported By: Russ Spencer | Edited By: Leigha Baugham

ATLANTA (MyFOX ATLANTA) - Adult stem cell therapy is considered the cutting edge for a whole host of illnesses and conditions. The therapy is not just for humans. A growing number of dog owners are turning to it when other treatments have failed to relieve their pets' pain.

These days, 6-year-old Behr is a healthy and happy dog, but the German shepherd was born with hip dysplasia, a condition that gradually erodes the hip joints. The condition causes dogs a lot of pain.

"He wanted to go out, but it hurt too much and he would just lay on his bed and whine a little bit and watch the other dogs running and jumping and carrying on," said Behr's owner, Belinda Lawler. "By the age of five, he couldn't run, or climb stairs or get in and out of the car without help."

Lawler turned to her veterinarian in Alpharetta.

Dr. J.C. Hines sees dogs large and small, but it's the big dogs, like Behr, who seem to have the most hip problems.

"We were unable to manually move those joints without him wincing with pain," said Dr. Hines.

Dr. Hines saw that the cartilage in Behr's hips had been worn away. "So what we had was bone bouncing against bone," Dr. Hines said.

Dr. Hines suggested stem cell therapy, a brand-new treatment that would actually help repair the joint by growing new cartilage in the hip socket.

"Cartilage starts growing from the stem cells which gives you a kind of insulation or cushioning effect," Dr. Hines said.

Dr. Hines started the procedure by removing about two tablespoons of fat from behind Behr's shoulder and sending it to Vet Stem, a lab in San Diego.

"They extract the stem cells from the fat and depending on the condition of the dog, the age of the dog, they get between 18 million and 32 million stem cells," said Dr. Hines.

The stem cells were sent back to the Dr. Hines' office, where the stem cells were injected into Behr. "The hard part for the owner is waiting four to six months for the stem cells to really kick in and do their business," Dr. Hines said.

"The progress has been absolutely awesome. He's gone from just being a couch potato on his orthopedic bed to being fully active again and it's just a joy to see," said Lawler.

Barely a year after surgery, Behr is a changed dog.

"The joy of seeing him be comfortable and seeing him doing so many of the things he used to do, is just, you can't put a price on that," Lawler said.

Stem cell therapy is expensive. Dr. Hines said the entire procedure costs $3,500. He suggested that it be used for a young dog like Behr, whose quality of life will be affected for many years to come.

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