SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- A veterinarian in Santa Cruz performed its first stem cell injection on a dog and, according to the doctor and the dog owner, it was a success.

Cooper, a Bernese mountain dog, was having a hard time walking because of elbow pain. Crystal Myer, Cooper's owner, had two options – elbow replacement surgery or amputation.

Myer went looking for alternatives to give her 2-year-old dog another chance at an active life and found David Shuman with the Westside Animal Hospital.

Shuman took fat cells from Cooper's abdomen and injected the stem cells into the elbow joint.

"We couldn't even walk to the mailbox right down the driveway without him limping on the way back," Myer said. "Now we can take him on three-mile walks."

Shuman said he has performed the procedure on seven other dogs since he operated on Cooper.

Each dog has made an amazing turnaround, Shuman said.

The Food and Drug Administration only allows the operation to be performed on animals with osteoarthritis and ligament damage, but treatments for other injuries are being researched.

The stem cell procedure can cost from $2,000 to $3,000.