Research

Evidence library

Verified links to what leading institutions actually publish, plus the recent evidence that changed something — each with a plain-language note on what it means for your animal.

Stem cells

What MSC therapy has actually shown in dogs and cats, and where it has not.

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Exosomes

The honest state of the exosome evidence in companion animals.

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Market landscape

Who else sells this, what they claim, and what their evidence shows.

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SearchShowing 25 results

What changed recently

Including the things that are inconvenient for us.

Early evidenceMonoclonal antibodies2026-08-31

Atypical radiographic changes seen in dogs treated with bedinvetmab (Librela)

Reviewing the manufacturer's own safety database, researchers found 186 dogs with unusual joint X-ray changes, most often in the elbow or the ankle. Nearly two-thirds of those dogs were also on anti-inflammatory drugs and a quarter were treated off-label, so the picture is complicated rather than clear-cut.

JAVMA (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association) · Read the source

Early evidenceStem cells2026-08-20

Mesenchymal stem cells in veterinary clinical practice: evidence from naturally occurring diseases

This review sorted through every stem cell study done in real pets with real disease and found the strongest evidence is for arthritis in dogs and tendon injuries in horses. It also says plainly that exosome therapy in animals is still mostly laboratory work, with clinical proof far behind the marketing.

The Veterinary Journal · Read the source

Early evidenceFIP2026-08-12

Renal health in cats with feline infectious peritonitis treated with GS-441524

Eighty cats treated for FIP were followed for six months, and the share with raised kidney values went from 2.5% at the start to 8.8% by day 183. The treatment is still transformative, but this is good evidence that a cat's kidneys should be checked after treatment rather than assumed to be fine.

Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery · Read the source

Early evidenceFIP2026-07-30

The shifting paradigm of feline infectious peritonitis: new diagnostics and therapeutics

A disease that used to kill almost every cat it touched is now treatable, because of antiviral drugs developed over the past ten years. This review covers both the new medicines and the better tests that let a vet diagnose FIP while the cat is still alive.

Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice · Read the source

Laboratory evidence onlyMonoclonal antibodies2026-06-26

Bedinvetmab (Librela/Beransa) in dogs raises safety concerns, including rapidly progressive osteoarthritis

Thirteen specialists explain that the protein this drug blocks also helps keep bone and cartilage healthy, and that blocking it caused rapid joint destruction in people, rats and rabbits, which is why the human version of the drug was never approved. They ask for X-rays before and during treatment, careful side-effect reporting, and written informed consent from owners.

JAVMA (Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association) · Read the source

Laboratory evidence onlyGeneral2026-05-29

Variations in the management of canine osteoarthritis: a survey of 373 veterinarians

Veterinarians reported what they actually prescribe for arthritic dogs, and anti-inflammatories, omega-3 fatty acids and weight management remain the foundation. Surgeons and rehabilitation specialists were noticeably less likely to reach for the newer monoclonal antibody injection.

Frontiers in Veterinary Science (University of Florida) · Read the source

Laboratory evidence onlyMonoclonal antibodies2026-05-12

Emerging signs of rapidly progressive arthritic changes in dogs and cats receiving bedinvetmab and frunevetmab

This report extends the joint-damage concern from the dog arthritis antibody to the cat one as well. It is the link between the dog story and the cat story for this class of medicine, and it is why a cat owner should not assume the cat product was studied separately for this risk.

Veterinary and Comparative Orthopaedics and Traumatology (VCOT) · Read the source

Early evidenceMonoclonal antibodies2026-05-05

A critical appraisal of the safety of bedinvetmab

A structured review found genuinely conflicting evidence: courses shorter than three months looked safe in placebo-controlled trials, while safety-database analyses flagged more joint problems. The authors conclude that long-term safety is simply not yet known and should be studied with X-rays taken before and after treatment.

Australian Veterinary Journal (University of Sydney) · Read the source

Early evidenceStem cells2026-02-27

Long-term field safety study of allogeneic uterine-derived mesenchymal stem cells for refractory feline chronic gingivostomatitis

Thirty-five cats with severe, treatment-resistant mouth inflammation were followed for a full year after two stem cell infusions, with no serious side effects tied to the treatment and no sign of immune rejection or tumours. Two-thirds never went back on their other medications and 22% were judged clinically cured, though this was a safety study with no placebo group.

Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (Gallant with UC Davis VIRC) · Read the source

Approved / guideline-backedMonoclonal antibodies2026-02-10

A noninferiority trial of bedinvetmab versus grapiprant for osteoarthritis pain in dogs, using force-plate gait analysis

Using force plates instead of owner opinion, researchers showed the monthly injection works at least as well as the daily oral tablet for arthritis pain, but no better. Both helped dogs meaningfully, which is why the debate about this drug class is about long-term safety and not about whether it relieves pain.

Scientific Reports (NC State University) · Read the source

Early evidenceFIP2026-02-05

Ocular findings in cats with feline infectious peritonitis treated with GS-441524: 118 cases

Forty percent of cats with FIP had eye inflammation at the first exam, which most owners would never have spotted at home. Those eye problems improved significantly, and most of that improvement happened in the first week of antiviral treatment.

Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery (University of Zurich) · Read the source

Early evidenceMonoclonal antibodies2026-01-21

Safety assessment of frunevetmab (Solensia) for osteoarthritis pain in cats

Looking at 5,248 feline side-effect reports sent to FDA, researchers found skin problems, including itching, hair loss, dermatitis and ulceration, were the most commonly and most strongly reported. They also flagged arthritis and partial paralysis, neither of which appears on the package insert, though this kind of analysis raises questions rather than proving cause.

Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine · Read the source

No evidence locatedRegulation2026-01-13

Loyal's LOY-002 receives FDA acceptance of its target animal safety package

A drug meant to extend healthy lifespan in senior dogs has now cleared two of the three FDA technical reviews needed for conditional approval. Its main trial enrolled 1,300 dogs at 70 clinics, but the drug is not approved and cannot be prescribed yet.

Loyal (company announcement) · Read the source

Approved / guideline-backedRegulation2025-12-18

FDA updates its public list of risk-reviewed animal cell and tissue products

FDA's list of animal cell and tissue products that have passed a safety and quality risk review now holds four products, and all four are plasma or platelet products. No stem cell product and no exosome product is on it, and the review covers safety and manufacturing, not whether the product works.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration · Read the source

Approved / guideline-backedPeptides2025-11

Capromorelin promotes weight gain in cats with unintended weight loss: a randomized, masked, placebo-controlled trial

An FDA-approved appetite stimulant for cats was tested properly against a placebo and helped cats regain weight. This is what a peptide-type medicine looks like when it has actually finished the veterinary approval process, and it is a useful yardstick for peptides that have not.

Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery · Read the source

Early evidenceExosomes2025-11

Bridging biology and therapy: translational advances of extracellular vesicles in veterinary clinical practice

This review of exosome and extracellular vesicle work in veterinary medicine describes the field as mostly preclinical and early clinical, with growing research but limited approved therapies. It also notes there are still no standard methods for characterising or mass-producing these products, which is why two vials labelled exosomes may contain very different things.

Veterinary Research Communications · Read the source

Early evidenceStem cells2025-09-25

Clinical field study of allogeneic uterine-derived mesenchymal stem cells for refractory feline chronic gingivostomatitis

Forty-six cats whose severe mouth disease had not responded even to full tooth extraction received two stem cell infusions. About three-quarters of owners reported improvement by day 90, but the veterinarian-scored lesion healing was closer to 45%, and that gap between owner and vet scoring is worth knowing before you judge any treatment.

Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery · Read the source

Early evidenceGeneral2025-07

Osteoarthritis in cats: what we know, and mostly, what we don't know yet

A leading feline medicine group reports that arthritis affects well over a quarter of cats yet is rarely diagnosed, and that only about 29 publications exist on how to manage it. They also state that most proposed alternatives, including biologics, rest on human research or on studies in other species, and one bright spot is that an omega-3-enriched diet performed comparably to standard medication.

Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery · Read the source

Early evidenceMonoclonal antibodies2025-05-09

Musculoskeletal adverse events in dogs receiving bedinvetmab (Librela)

Comparing European safety reports for this drug against six other arthritis medicines, researchers found joint and bone problems reported roughly nine times more often. An eighteen-member expert panel reviewing individual cases unanimously suspected the drug of speeding up joint destruction, though this method shows a reporting difference and cannot by itself prove cause.

Frontiers in Veterinary Science · Read the source

Controlled trial in this speciesRegulation2025-02

FDA updates the U.S. Librela label with a post-approval experience section and an owner information sheet

In February 2025 the U.S. label for this arthritis injection was updated to add a post-approval experience section and a client information sheet. Veterinarians are advised to give owners that sheet and to discuss possible side effects before the injection, so you should expect that conversation and can ask for the sheet if you are not offered it.

American College of Veterinary Pharmacists · Read the source

Laboratory evidence onlyObesity2025

2025 Pet Obesity and Nutrition Survey Results

This is the current United States survey of how many dogs and cats are overweight, run by a nonprofit that has tracked the question since 2005. Excess weight is one of the three conditions with the largest overall welfare cost to pets, and unlike most conditions it responds to changes you control at home, so read the current figures here rather than repeating an older number.

Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) · Read the source

Approved / guideline-backedMonoclonal antibodies2024-12-16

FDA notifies veterinarians about adverse events reported in dogs treated with Librela (bedinvetmab injection)

FDA wrote to veterinarians about side effects reported in dogs of various ages given this arthritis injection, naming unsteadiness, seizures, other nerve signs, weakness, urinary leaking, and increased drinking and urination, with death and euthanasia among the reported outcomes. The letter does not publish a count of reports and a raw number of reports is not a rate, because this reporting system has no denominator, so the practical message is to discuss it with your vet and report anything you see.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Veterinary Medicine · Read the source

Approved / guideline-backedRegulation2024-10-22

FDA warning letter to Ardent Animal Health over stem cell and platelet-rich plasma products for dogs and cats

FDA told this company that its stem cell and platelet products for dogs and cats were unapproved new animal drugs, and quoted its own marketing, such as claims about rebuilding cartilage and paralysed dogs running, as the evidence. Importantly for owners, these were the pet's own cells given back to it, and FDA still treated them as unapproved drugs, so the phrase it is your pet's own cells does not mean a product is approved.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (MARCS-CMS 662394) · Read the source

Controlled trial in this speciesFIP2024-06-05

Compounded, veterinarian-prescribed GS-441524 treatment for FIP becomes legally available in the United States and Canada

From June 1, 2024, a compounding pharmacy began supplying FIP antiviral treatment on a veterinarian's prescription in the United States and Canada, which replaced years of owners buying from unregulated online sellers. That matters because unlicensed FIP products have been tested and found to contain amounts of the drug significantly different from what the label advertised.

AAHA NEWStat · Read the source

Approved / guideline-backedRegulation2024-04-05

FDA warning letter to Safari Stem Cell over canine and feline stem cells, platelet-rich plasma and conditioned media

FDA found this company's dog and cat cell products were unapproved new animal drugs and also poorly manufactured, citing missing sterility testing and no written production controls. The marketing FDA quoted back included claims about regenerating kidney tissue, resetting the immune system and letting paralysed pets walk again, which is a useful list of sentences to treat as a warning sign.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (MARCS-CMS 661023) · Read the source

Where to read more, from people who are not us

Every link was checked. None of them sells anything.

Universities

Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine — Cornell Feline Health CenterThe most widely trusted cat-health resource written for owners by a U.S. veterinary school, covering everything from kidney disease to behaviour.
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine — Cornell Feline Health Center — Health InformationCondition-by-condition cat health explainers you can read before or after your appointment, written in plain language by veterinary faculty.
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine — Riney Canine Health CenterCornell's dedicated dog-health center, which tells you which canine diseases are being actively studied and publishes owner guidance from that work.
Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine — Canine Health NewsA running feed of plain-language dog health findings from Cornell researchers, useful for checking whether something you read online holds up.
University of California, Davis — Veterinary Institute for Regenerative Cures (VIRC) — About VIRCThe leading U.S. academic institute for veterinary regenerative medicine, which is a useful benchmark for what genuine stem cell research looks like.
Colorado State University — Flint Animal Cancer Center — Flint Animal Cancer CenterOne of the world's leading centers for pet cancer, and a good place to understand what current treatment options really offer.
Colorado State University — Flint Animal Cancer Center — Current Clinical TrialsClinical trials your own dog or cat might be eligible to join right now, often at reduced or no cost to the owner.
NC State College of Veterinary Medicine — Comparative Pain Research and Education Center — Comparative Pain Research and Education Center (CPREC)The leading academic center for how animal pain is measured and treated, which is the science behind whether a treatment is actually helping.
NC State College of Veterinary Medicine — Comparative Pain Research and Education Center — Pain Assessment ToolsFree questionnaires you fill in yourself to score your own pet's pain and mobility, so you can track whether a treatment is working rather than guessing.

Guideline bodies

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) — AVMA policy: Regenerative medicineThe U.S. veterinary profession's own official position, which supports continued research while telling its members to employ caution in using these therapies.
American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) — 2022 AAHA Pain Management Guidelines for Dogs and CatsThe guideline your veterinarian is likely following for pain, with separate dog and cat pain assessment charts you can look at yourself.
American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) — Practice GuidelinesCat-specific care guidelines from the feline veterinary specialty body, which matter because cats are not small dogs medically.
World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) — Global Pain Council Pain Management GuidelinesThe international pain guideline, useful if you want to know what a thorough pain plan for your pet should include beyond one injection.
American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) — ACVIM Endorsed StatementsConsensus statements where specialists have reviewed the evidence together, which is what expert agreement looks like when it is done properly.
American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS) — Small Animal TopicsSurgeon-written explainers on conditions such as cruciate injury and hip dysplasia, helpful when surgery is one of the options on the table.

Regulators

U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Veterinary Medicine — FDA's Role in Veterinary Regenerative MedicineFDA states plainly on this page that no stem cell or tissue product for animals is FDA-approved, and explains what that means for a pet owner being offered one.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Veterinary Medicine — Q&A for Pet Owners on Animal Cells, Tissues, and Cell- and Tissue-Based Products (ACTPs)FDA's own plain-language question-and-answer page for pet owners, including the named risks of unapproved cell products such as infection and severe allergic reaction.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Veterinary Medicine — El papel de la FDA en la medicina regenerativa veterinariaThe FDA's own Spanish-language version of its regenerative medicine page, so a Spanish-speaking owner can read the rules in their own language.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Veterinary Medicine — Animal Cells, Tissues, and Cell- and Tissue-Based Products (ACTPs): Risk-Reviewed ACTPsThe short public list of animal cell and tissue products FDA has risk-reviewed; as of December 2025 it holds four products and all four are plasma or platelet products, not stem cells.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Veterinary Medicine — Cell and Tissue Products for AnimalsThe main FDA hub for animal cell and tissue products, which also links the warning letters FDA has sent to companies selling pet stem cell treatments.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Veterinary Medicine — Letters to Veterinary ProfessionalsThe running index of FDA safety letters to veterinarians, where you can see which animal medicines have had a new safety concern raised and when.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Center for Veterinary Medicine — Conditional Approval Explained: A Resource for VeterinariansExplains the difference between full FDA approval and conditional approval, which matters because companies sometimes describe an early review step as if it were approval.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — How to Report Animal Drug and Device Side Effects and Product ProblemsWhere you, as an owner, can report a bad reaction your pet had to a medicine or product directly to FDA yourself.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) — Public Safety Notification on Exosome ProductsFDA's standing notice that there are no approved exosome products and that exosomes sold to treat disease are unapproved drugs.

Research funders

Morris Animal Foundation — Golden Retriever Lifetime StudyOne of the largest long-term dog health studies in the United States, following the same dogs for years to find real risk factors for cancer and other disease.
AKC Canine Health Foundation — Knowledge HubOwner-facing summaries of funded dog health research, a reasonable place to check a claim you heard from a breeder or a forum.
EveryCat Health Foundation — Cat Health Research LibraryA cat-only research library from the foundation that funded much of the modern FIP work, including its warnings about unlicensed FIP drugs.

Databases

Royal Veterinary College, University of London — VetCompassA programme that turns millions of real veterinary visit records into breed-specific health evidence, so you learn what actually happens to pets like yours.
MSD Veterinary Manual — Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine in AnimalsA free reference-textbook chapter on animal stem cell therapy, giving you the same neutral background your veterinarian was taught.
Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) — 2025 Pet Obesity and Nutrition Survey ResultsThe current U.S. survey of how many pets are overweight, from the nonprofit that has tracked this since 2005.

The market, in numbers

USD 344.9 million (2024), forecast USD 1.1 billion by 2034 at 12.3% CAGRGlobal veterinary regenerative medicine market. Industry estimate, not government data — cite as an estimate.GM Insights, veterinary regenerative medicine market report, published April 2025

USD 336.86 million (2024), forecast USD 987.85 million by 2033 at 12.94% CAGRGlobal veterinary regenerative medicine market, independently estimated. Landing within 2.4% of the GM Insights 2024 base is meaningful corroboration between two syndicated research houses.Grand View Research, veterinary regenerative medicine market report

USD 97.8 million (2024), up from USD 88.3 million in 2023United States veterinary regenerative medicine market. The entire US market is under USD 100 million, growing about 11% year over year. This is the single most important sanity check on any claim that this is a large market.GM Insights, veterinary regenerative medicine market report

52.1% of the global market is stem cell therapy; dogs are USD 225.6 million of itSegment split of the global veterinary regenerative medicine market in 2024. Grand View independently put the stem cell share at 51.89%.GM Insights, veterinary regenerative medicine market report

USD 158 billion in 2025 (+3.7% year over year), projected USD 165 billion in 2026Total United States pet industry spending, from the industry-standard national survey run continuously since 1988.American Pet Products Association 2026 State of the Industry Report, via Pet Age

Approximately USD 41 billion in 2025, 25.9% of total pet spending, up 3% on 2024United States veterinary care and product sales. Useful as the real denominator for any veterinary product opportunity.American Pet Products Association 2026 State of the Industry Report, via Pet Age

USD 1,141,607 revenue against a USD 10,473,672 net loss in FY2026, with a going-concern qualificationPetVivo Holdings, the category's only publicly traded pure-play pet regenerative device company, five years after commercial launch and with national distribution. Revealed demand at current price points is thin, whatever the forecast decks say.PetVivo Holdings 10-K for fiscal year ended 31 March 2026, SEC accession 0001493152-26-031136

18,102,535 doses sold globally between February 2021 and June 2024, with 17,162 adverse events reported, equal to 9.48 events per 10,000 dosesScale of the canine anti-nerve-growth-factor antibody market and the manufacturer's own reported adverse-event rate. Note that a reported-event rate from passive surveillance is not an incidence rate.Monteiro BP et al., Frontiers in Veterinary Science 2025;12:1558222 (PMID 40343372)