Nichole Dobo, The (Wilmington, Del.) News Journal 11:41 a.m. ET Feb. 5, 2014

Dr. Nancy Brady at Animal Haven Veterinary Center takes blood from Grover, a 4 year-old German Shepherd, while he is held by vet technician Savannah Haines, before they harvested fat tissue for a stem cell replacement procedure on Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014.(Photo: Jennifer Corbett, The Wilmington, Del., News Journal)

Grover loves to play fetch.

But five months ago, while chasing a ball outside, the 4-year-old German shepherd blew out one of his back knees. He showed up with a limp at Animal Haven Veterinary Center in Bear, where he received treatment that helped, but he still had pain.

His owner, John Przybyliski, wanted a better outcome for his best friend. So, on Tuesday, Dr. Nancy Brady infused Grover's joint with stem cells she had extracted from his own fat tissue earlier in the day the first such procedure in Delaware to use an in-house stem cell treatment developed by a Kentucky-based company called MediVet America.

The cost: $2,249.

"It is financially a burden to us, because I am retired, but if this will help him, it will be worth every penny," said Przybyliski, who lives near New Castle.

The treatment is among a growing number of options for pet owners who more and more are willing to pay thousands of dollars to ease the pain of their furry family members, or improve their quality of life.

Supporters of stem cell therapy in pets say there is a growing body of evidence that supports the treatment in both humans and animals. Researchers continue to develop techniques and uses for stem cells, and experts say there is still more to learn.

"We figured, boy, if they can do that for human beings, it would be great if we could get that for him," Przybyliski said. "He's a young dog, and he had a lot of life to go out and play."

It's too soon to tell how the treatment will work on Grover.

"It's a means of providing compassionate care," Brady said of her practice's new service, which differs from another available in the state because it is performed in-house.

At Animal Haven, the treatment costs between $1,800 and $2,500, depending on the animal's size.

Another company, California-based Vet-Stem Inc., has been working with vets in Delaware to provide stem cell therapy since 2009. It is offered in about six places in the state, including Talleyville Veterinary Hospital, which charges from $3,000 to $5,000 for the treatment, which includes storing the extra stem cells for a year.

The two companies offer different methods for processing stem cells found in an animal's fat. MediVet provides a procedure that allows vets to process the fat in their office and complete the treatment in one trip. With Vet-Stem, the cells are sent overnight to a laboratory in California.

(Photo: Jennifer Corbett, The Wilmington, Del., News Journal)

Dr. Kathryn Stoltzfus, chief of staff at the Talleyville animal hospital, performed a stem cell treatment on an 8-year-old dog about four months ago, in hopes of easing his arthritis and irritable bowl syndrome. Since then, she said, the animal has shown some improvement.

"We were trying something to help him, and I think it did help him," Stoltzfus said. "He's improved significantly enough that he's able to do more physical therapy.

"In the end, the owners were happy."

But, Stoltzfus said, it is important to manage expectations. There is more data, for example, to suggest the stem cells would help with arthritis than irritable bowl syndrome. Pet owners should not expect stem cells to act as a magic bullet, she said.

Stoltzfus chose to go with Vet-Stem because she believes it provides better assurance in the measured level of stem cells provided in the treatments.

The FDA has not yet approved stem cell treatments for animals. The federal agency is working on writing guidance on it, said FDA spokeswoman Juli Putnam.

"The use of stem cells in veterinary medicine is a burgeoning field of study and technology," she said. "Many of these products meet the definition of a 'drug,' and the FDA's goal is to ensure that these products, like other drugs, are safe and effective."

For Grover, the stems cells were an alternative to a surgery that would have given the dog a "bionic knee," Brady said, an invasive procedure that would have cost $2,500 to $4,500 and needed a longer recovery time.

Przybyliski said the price and shorter turnaround time were what led him to choose stem cells over surgery.

"We didn't think we could keep him down long enough to heal," Przybyliski said.

When Grover arrived for treatment Tuesday, the first step was drawing some blood. That was put into a machine to separate platelets, which would be used later in the process. Next, Grover was placed on an operating table and sedated. Brady made a 2-inch incision in his shoulder and extracted fat from beneath the skin.

I don't think that animals should be less behind the curve. If we can do it in people, we can do it in animals, too.

Veterinary technician Sharyn Krueger worked with a MediVet representative, who was there to conduct training, to extract stem cells from Grover's fat. This involved chopping up the fat, treating it with an enzyme and placing it in a special machine. This happened on a countertop in the same room where Grover had been operated on moments earlier.

About two hours later, the stem cells were injected in Grover's knee, and he received an IV infusion of the stem cells. He might need more injections, Brady said, and leftover stem cells will be kept for future check-ups. The expectation is Grover will see benefits in two to four weeks, but it could take longer.

Some owners of a pet with a knee injury like Grover's might want to choose surgery over stem cells, and Brady supports that, too. She believes in providing options that give pet owners the choice.

For some pets, however, surgery might not be an option. The stem cells might be a last choice for a pet owner whose animal is suffering so much that euthanasia is being considered, Brady said.

Offering the treatment in animals at United States veterinary offices comes as more humans are seeking stem cell procedures abroad that are not yet approved here.

"I don't think that animals should be less behind the curve," Stoltzfus said. "If we can do it in people, we can do it in animals, too."

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