• Prolotherapy and How it Can Help Your Pet!

WHAT IS PROLOTHERAPY?

“Prolotherapy” is derived from the words “proliferation therapy.” This therapy literally causes supporting tissue to proliferate (via inflammation) around the affected joint in order to stabilize the joint and alleviate pain. It is one of the oldest, yet little known, modalities for the resolution of pain and lameness.

Some animals are not be good candidates for surgery. If they are too old or too active to manage the weeks of post-operative rest, prolotherapy is an excellent alternative as it is much less invasive and carries very low risk overall.

HOW SUCCESSFUL IS PROLOTHERAPY?

• For suitable candidates, prolotherapy has an 80-90% success rate of animals returning to normal function in cases of limping due to ligament injury or joint degeneration.
• Approximately 20-26% of owners report that their pet regains full use of their leg, with occasional lameness for a day or two after heavy exercise only.
• There is about a 3-4% failure rate, in which case surgery can still be pursued.
• Most surgeons have found that it has the same success rate as cruciate surgery would have.

WHEN IS PROLOTHERAPY INDICATED?

Prolotherapy is used to treat certain cases of cranial cruciate rupture/instability, chronic lameness, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, partially torn ligaments and a variety of other conditions.

Your pet will undergo a thorough clinical examination and have radiographs taken, to assess whether they are suitable candidates for this procedure. In some instances, for example, if there is any clicking in the knee joint, it means that the menisci in the joint are damaged and surgery is the more suitable option.

WHAT TO EXPECT…

Animals undergo a full general anaesthetic for the duration of the procedure. Generally, 3-5 treatments, 3-4 weeks apart are needed to fully assess the outcome.

Moderate to severe pain is the most common side effect and can last up to 7 days post-procedure. During this time your pet is provided with specific pain medication to keep them as comfortable as possible. It is important to bear in mind that it is the body’s inflammatory response to the treatment, that determines the success of this procedure. Therefore, it is important not to use non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, which are commonly used to address pain.

Crate rest of your pet after the procedure is not necessary. In fact, it is important that pets be encouraged to move around as much as possible but not with over-exertion such as running. One week after the procedure, walking and swimming should be encouraged as much as possible. Certain passive range of movement exercises are recommended and physiotherapy if possible.

SIDE EFFECTS AND POTENTIAL RISKS

• As this is not a very invasive procedure, risks are minimal.
• Blood tests can be done before the procedure to minimize the risk of the anaesthetic.
• If the needle enters the joint cavity, there is a small chance that the joint can become infected. To prevent this from happening and minimize the risk for infection as far as possible, we always prepare the site surgically before treatment. However, should an infection occur, antibiotics and other therapies are used to resolve it.
• Bleeding into the injection sites is possible and may lead to haematoma formation. This happens very rarely and is treated with ice packing.