If you’re looking for a way to treat your pet’s injuries, inflammation, and pain without depending only on medications, platelet-rich plasma (PRT) therapy is a safe and effective option.
What is Platelet-Rich Plasma?
Also called PRP, platelet-rich plasma is a type of therapy that uses a patient’s own platelets to provide pain relief and help heal injuries. Platelets are blood cells that play a significant role in clotting, which helps pets stop bleeding when they get hurt.
That’s not the only role platelets play. They also contain growth factors that help cells grow and divide, providing relief from pain and helping new tissues grow. At Dupont Veterinary Clinic, we offer PRP injections to help treat:
- Pain and inflammation
- Muscle, tendon, and ligament tears
- Osteoarthritis
Platelet-rich plasma can be an excellent alternative to surgical procedures and the chronic use of pain medications.
How Does Platelet-Rich Plasma Therapy Work?
Platelet-rich plasma therapy works by infusing platelets into an area that needs healing, mimicking the body’s natural response to an injury—but with a little more oomph. PRP contains a platelet concentration that’s 3-to-7 times higher than it is in regular blood. Best of all, the procedure is safe and effective because PRP uses the patient’s own blood.
The platelet infusion means that your pet’s problematic area gets an influx of growth factors—the hormones and proteins that stimulate cell and tissue growth. This can help shorten the time it takes for your pet’s body to heal from injuries. It can also reduce inflammation, chronic pain, and symptoms of arthritis.
PRP Process for Pets
To obtain platelet-rich plasma, our veterinary team will draw your pet’s blood. We put the blood sample through a special centrifugal machine designed for veterinary use. This process produces a platelet-rich plasma mixture, which the veterinary team will carefully inject into the affected area.
Depending on the injection site, your pet may need sedation for this procedure. Your veterinarian will consult with you to decide whether or not your pet needs sedation.
If your pet struggles with chronic pain, arthritis, or other conditions that PRP can help treat, reach out to our team at (260) 637-7676.