Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) is a revolutionary treatment, which accelerates healing in joints and soft tissue. It is now a recognised way for vets to treat Arthritis and soft tissue issues in our beloved canine and feline friends.
It not only heals, but in many cases, it revolutionises how older dogs and cats live their life. If you’re an advocate for less invasive, safer, often less costly but effective, alternative treatment options to surgery or traditional anti-inflammatory therapy then Platelet-Rich Plasma Injections are a viable option for your pet.
Regenerative therapies are based on harnessing and amplifying the body’s natural ability to heal. There are several types of regenerative therapies being used, one of which is platelet-rich plasma.
What exactly is plate-rich plasma?
Blood is mainly a liquid (called plasma), but it also contains small amounts of solid components (red cells, white cells and platelets). The platelets are mainly known for their role in clotting blood, but platelets also contain hundreds of proteins called growth factors which are very important in the healing of injuries.
PRP is plasma with concentrated amount of platelets, and concentration of growth factors can be 5 to 10 times greater than usual.
How does PRP work?
To develop a PRP preparation, blood must be first drawn from your pet. It’s not a painful procedure and it is like taking blood for tests. The only difference is the amount of blood that has to be taken. Then we concentrate and harvest the platelets from blood by using specially designed kits. The solution we obtain is highly rich in platelets. It has been clinically proven that concentrations of platelets of greater then 3 times normal levels introduced into a joint can stimulate healing.
Injecting PRP into damaged tissues will stimulate your body to grow new, healthy cells and promote healing. As the tissue growth factors are more concentrated in the prepared growth injections, research has shown the body’s tissues heal faster.
What conditions are being treated with PRP?
PRP has been used in veterinary medicine in the last few years in patients with arthritis, especially those having problems with hip dysplasia, those that have had knee surgery and are having complications or poor recovery, and those with joint injuries that may not be surgical candidates for various reasons.
Is PRP Effective?
In human and animal studies it has been shown that PRP injections can make significant improvements in joints with arthritic changes and decrease lameness. In short, they allow us to restore mobility by stimulating healing and we all know mobility is a key part of our pet’s quality of life.