Brevard Zoo bear receiving stem cell treatment for painful disease

The Brevard Zoo is hoping a high-tech therapy will help a bear get his groove back.

Stem cell researchers are hoping to get Brody the bear back on his feet. Brody has been with the zoo for about a year. His caretakers say he was rescued from Ocala National Forest last year. 

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As he ages, he’s having issues with his health. 

"We took some X-rays at that time and we found that his hip joints were a little but abnormal," said Brevard Zoo veterinarian Kyle Donnelly. 

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That's where stem cell therapy comes in.

Brody is now undergoing his second round of stem cell therapy: injections containing about five million stem cells were each given to his hip joints. 

"Brody is feeling ok, he still has ongoing issues that are going to be sort of a lifetime of management for him."

This treatment should help some of the pain Brody is experiencing, but experts won’t see results for a few days or weeks.

"he goal is just to keep him as normal and as comfortable as possible. He is a young bear with tons of energy and he wants to run around and play really rough. If we can get him to a point where he can exhibit all those normal behaviors, that would be the dream."