Just like human medicine, veterinary medicine also continues to evolve so that owners can ensure that their animals receive the most advanced and effective treatments for a whole range of issues. One of the best examples of this is in the development of PRP therapy and treatments like Pro-Stride, which are designed to help equines and other animals to overcome the challenges posed by joint problems and injuries.  
 

What is PRP Therapy?

PRP stands for Platelet-Rich Plasma, a safe and natural cell therapy that is used to relieve pain and promote healing in animals (and humans) who suffer from joint disease or have experienced an injury.

Platelets are a component of blood and are primarily responsible for the development of clots. They also contain a variety of growth factors which are involved in promoting new tissue growth and healing. In PRP therapy, blood is taken from your equine or small animal and then prepared, separating the platelets from the rest of the blood components.  This process can be done in under an hour, and the platelets are then injected back into the joints where they can get to work prompting cell regeneration and healing. 
Some of the benefits of PRP therapy include:

• Largely non-invasive and painless procedure

• Can be completed in a single veterinary visit

• Adverse reactions are extremely rare since your animal’s own blood is used

• Positive effects from PRP therapy can last up to 12 months

• Usually, only a single injection is needed

• PRP therapy can dramatically increase an animal’s quality of life
   

What is Pro-Stride and How Does it Work?

Pro-Stride is an advanced form of regenerative medicine that is typically used as a form of joint therapy for equines. This autologous protein solution contains a high concentration of cells, platelets, growth factors, and anti-inflammatory proteins to treat inflammatory processes in joints. It is completely natural, drug-free, and takes just 20 minutes to process, meaning that the treatment can be carried out in just a veterinary visit, where it is administered by injection.

Equines with degenerative joint diseases such as arthritis, experience inflammation and the breakdown of cartilage in the joint, which causes pain and further joint damage. The Pro-Stride solution is made from your horse’s own blood and concentrates its own natural anti-inflammatory proteins. When these are injected into the joint, the solution binds and stops the inflammatory proteins that are causing the destruction of cartilage and joint pain that your horse is experiencing.

The biggest benefit of Pro-Stride is that it doesn’t contain any steroids. Some types of steroids do degrade cartilage over time, so this means that this worry is absolved by choosing Pro-Stride. Instead, there are no long-term detrimental effects on joint cartilage and the effects of the treatment can even last longer than the conventional 6-month improvement typically seen in equines who have had steroid injections.

If you are interested in either PRP or Pro-Stride treatment and you have further questions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our dedicated veterinary team in Creswell, OR.