Tyler, a Cocker Spaniel, always acted like an old dog. He never played or jumped much. He had luxating patellas all of his life. HIs knee caps didn't have a deep groove, so instead of sliding up and down when he walked, they would slide horizontally. This abnormal joint motion was causing the cartilage in the knee joint to wear away.
Surgery on both knees would have been very costly; follow up rehab and recuperation would have taken 8 weeks. Surgery could stabilize the knee caps, but the existing arthritis would still cause pain.
Tyler had constant discomfort which limited his activity,though he did not cry in pain.
As a non-surgical option, I recommended prolotherapy. Most dogs with Tyler's problem improve after one treatment, but he could require up 6 treatments every 3 weeks. The therapy would be less costly than surgery.Tyler would would walk out of clinic the same day, require no narcotics, and have minimal sedation.
After one treatment, Tyler had better than expected results, becoming more active than he had ever been. HIs knees were stable and he did not require another treatment until winter, when slipping on the ice created knee inflammation. After 2 treatments over 10 months, he has remained pain and medication-free.
Damon, a ferret, would bite anyone who tried to touch his head. He was fine when touched anywhere else on his body. HIs owners thought he was moody and controlling. He actually suffered from TMJ disorder, a jaw problem which caused his lower jaw to slide too much when he chewed. Humans with the problem reportt headaches and jaw pain. Damon received prolotherapy and stopped biting.
Romi, a 13 year old Bichon, had cruciate surgery a few years before I started treating her. She had chronic pain and was overusing her other knee. She ended up tearing the ligament in "the good knee", just like 80% of dogs who do not receive true rehabilitative care post-surgically, Romi's owners wanted to avoid another surgery for their older girl, so i recommended prolotherapy. She required 3 treatments, and improved to a greater level than she had from her first cruciate repair years prior.
The majority of veterinarians in this country recommend surgical procedures for repairing ACL or cruciate tears, luxating patellas (trick knee caps), repeated dislocations or luxations of the jaw, elbow and hip dysplasia, and laxity of the wrist, shoulder and ankle joints.Prolotherapy can help pets with all these conditions.
Pet owners who visit my practice have heard about many non-surgical therapies which reduce pain and restore function to injured joints, slipped discs and torn cruciate ligaments.
Many clients are aware of animal acupuncture, chiropractic and physical therapy options which have helped pets live pain-free lives with better health and comfort.
Though I do occasionally suggest surgery for these types of injuries, the vast majority heal without being cut. For the small percentage of my patients who do not experience sustained improvement from rehab alone, prolotherapy creates the joint stability they need.
Prolotherapy is a very effective treatment used for chronic joint pain treatment, ligament and tendon injuries, and loose or weak soft tissue support for joints from trauma, overuse, strains,and joint development disorders. The most frequent uses of this treatment in my practice is for knee or stifle problems, and hip dysplasia, Prolo is a shortened name for proliferative joint treatment. Another name for the treatment is Regenerative Injection Technique or RIT. In this treatment, natural substances, like platelet rich plasma, rather than steroids, are used in the area of injury to stimulate a new healing response or regeneration of healthy tissue. Steroids in joints should be avoided, because they actually cause more cartilage damage.
Prolotherapy is used successfully in human medicine, as well. Not all MD's and vets are aware of or trained to administer this treatment, but those who have done additional studies have found it to relieve patient pain significantly.
If your pet has been diagnosed with any joint problem, look for a vet who uses prolotherapy and get a second opinion...before surgery.