Getting Prepared for your Pet’s Prolozone Therapy

“The Best Preparation for Tomorrow is Knowing Today”

Food Before Your Pet’s Procedure

  • Please consider not feeding (or feeding a very light meal) the morning of the procedure if the sedation is prior to 12pm. This is to prevent an upset stomach. Please know that we often can still perform the procedure if your pet does eat, however please let the attending doctor and staff know!.

Morning Medications / Supplements

  • It is best to NOT GIVE any NSAIDs (carprofen, meloxicam, deramaxx, previcox, etc), aspirin or steroids (prednisone, prednisolone) 2 days prior (48 hours) and 2 days after a prolozone therapy procedure. Prolozone works by creating a healthy level of inflammation to signal the body to bring healing molecules to the site to promote healing. Giving the medications above may inhibit this cascade. If you have given these medications within this time frame, please discuss with your attending veterinarian for further instruction.
  • Please note it is OKAY to give all other medications including common pain medications and herbals such as methocarbamol, gabapentin, amantadine, tramadol, corydalis, pro-trauma, etc.

What To Expect

  • You can expect the entire appointment to last anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 hour, including sedation and recovery, with the actual prolozone therapy only taking 5-10 minutes of that time.
  • Your pets sedation is typically reversed with an injectable medication that allows them to feel themselves for the most part by the end of the day!
  • You may expect the following after prolozone therapy:
    • Patients may leave immediately after the procedure with no lameness noted for 1-2 days, then start to become slightly more lame again. The reason is the lidocaine helps numb pain, and as the lidocaine metabolizes in the body, the pain from the disease may return slowly.
    • Patients may leave limping more than prior to coming in! This is okay and should only last several days. In people, they describe the prolozone as causing intense pressure. In some dogs, they react to this pressure more than others. As the solution dissolves, so will the pressure, and the intensified lameness shall resolve back.
    • Prolozone therapy may take a full 30 days to show its effect. Depending upon the underlying disease and individual response, repeat prolozone therapies one month apart for 2-6 therapies may be recommended. Once the initial therapy is completed, patients typically return every 6 months to 1 year for a single booster prolozone therapy there after.

Prolozone Therapy

What is Prolozone Therapy?

Prolozone therapy is an injectable joint therapy designed to relieve pain. A solution is injected that causes an increased production of connective tissue (mesodermal cells). The subsequent increase in thickness and strength of the connective tissue stabilizes the joint, thus relieving pain.

How Does Prolozone Therapy Work?

Lameness is due to joint instability, or joint laxity. The instability or laxity is usually due to trauma of some sort (excessive jumping and/or landing, fast stops and turns, etc.). The laxity produces joint weakness, inflammation, and pain. The procedure works whether or not the joint has arthritis (degenerative joint disease) or not. This is because calcification does not produce pain to the degree that capsular inflammation does. It is for this reason that it is beneficial to many of our older canine patients.

The solution creates a situation of low-grade inflammation, not enough to cause increased soreness, but enough to stimulate the production of mesodermal cells. These cells increase the strength and thickness of the soft tissue components. Therefore, this type of treatment is a type of stem cell therapy. The increased strength and thickness result in joint stability. As joint stability is achieved, the pain diminishes.

Which injuries respond the best to prolozone therapy and how long does it take to achieve a response?

Each injection tightens the joint by about 22%. Satisfactory results are achieved in between 3 to 5 treatments, usually administered at monthly intervals, depending on which joint is involved. Knee injuries (anterior cruciate ligament and patellar luxation injuries) respond very well, as do arthritic hip joints. Arthritic shoulders and carpi (wrists) also respond very well. Elbows can be effectively treated early, but prolozone therapy is less effective in chronic cases. Weak backs and necks can also respond well to prolozone therapy.

What does a treatment consist of?

The dog is examined and then sedated with short-acting, reversible sedation. The appropriate joint is treated with a mixture of Procaine, Dextrose, and various homeopathic that benefit good joint health. The sedation is then reversed and the dog wakes quickly. The entire procedure is usually completed within 1 hour or less.