Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Whippet dog with wrist tendon injury treated with platelet injections
By Franini, Alessio et al.·Published in Frontiers in veterinary science·2023·Sporty Dog Veterinary Clinic, Italy·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Case report: Flexor carpi ulnaris tendinopathy in a lure-coursing dog treated with three platelet-rich plasma and platelet lysate injections.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 7-year-old male Whippet competing in lure-coursing was brought in for severe lameness in his right front leg, along with pain and swelling near his wrist. After trying rest and pain medications without success, the vet treated him with three injections of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) and platelet lysate (PL) over several weeks. The dog's condition improved significantly, with his lameness reducing from a grade of 3 to 0, and he was able to return to competition without any re-injury. This treatment appears to be a promising option for dogs with similar tendon injuries.
People also search for: Whippet lameness treatment · dog wrist pain PRP injections · lure-coursing dog injury recovery
Abstract
In the present case report a 7-year-old male Whippet competing in lure-coursing presented with third-degree recurrent lameness of the right forelimb, pain on palpation of the caudal aspect of the carpus and swelling of the forearm proximally to the accessory carpal bone. Clinical, radiographic, and ultrasonographic evaluation diagnosed a flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) chronic tendinopathy unresponsive to previously attempted conservative treatments such as oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) administration along with padded palmar splint application and rest. The dog was subjected to one injection of autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) obtained using a double centrifugation tube method, followed by two platelet lysate (PL) injections. Treatment was administered at three-week intervals. The healing process was assessed through clinical and ultrasonographic imaging (US) on the day of the first injection (T0), and at week three (T1), six (T2), twelve (T3), fifty-two (T4), and one-hundred-and-four (T5). Fiber alignment score (FAS) and echogenicity score (ES) were developed by modifying a previously published US assessment scale. At T1, ES, and FAS improvement was detected, and at T2, further improvements in ES and FAS were observed. Ultrasonographic results were clinically consistent with the improvement in lameness: lameness grade 3/4 was detected at T0 and grade 2/4 at T1. A lameness grade of 1/4 was detected at T2, and grade 0/4 was observed at T3, T4, and T5. Moreover, at T5, the dog returned to competition, and no history of re-injury was reported. Our results suggest that the treatment of FCU tendinopathy in lure-coursing dogs with a combination of consecutive injections of autologous PRP and PL could be feasible. Additionally, no adverse reactions were observed.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36742986/