What To Expect
Anicell is given as a subcutaneous injection near the site of injury. This means we don’t have to inject into the joint, resulting in a comfortable and low risk procedure. Though the risks are low, any time we break through the skin there is always risk of infection, swelling, or an immune reaction. The area will be shaved and cleaned prior to injection. For dogs who are calm and okay with handling no sedation is required. For dogs who are more reactive we may recommend oral sedation to help make the procedure less stressful for your dog.
Care After Injection
Most dogs have no significant side effects after their injection. Some dogs will experience swelling at the site of injection and soreness after the injection. We recommend walking or gentle range of motion to help direct blood flow to the area. Please do not give anti-inflammatory medication or ice the area after injection as this will diminish the inflammatory response that we want. If your dog is painful after the injection, we can prescribe other pain medications.
Activity Level After Injection
We want to encourage low impact activity after Anicell injections. If this is an acute injury, we recommend crate rest for 48 hours after the injection followed by progressive activity. For more chronic issues, we recommend allowing activity right away. Your therapist will give you recommendations for specific activities for your pet based on their needs.
Modalities Used
Modalities that promote blood flow to an area can be used in conjunction with Anicell. This may include shockwave, laser, or ultrasound. Which modalities we use will depend on your pet and their specific needs.
Medication Changes
Unless your veterinarian directs you otherwise, please stop anti-inflammatories. The anicell works by traveling to active areas of inflammation. Anti-inflammatories include prescriptions such as carprofen/rimadyl/truprofen, galliprant, deramaxx, previcox, and prednisone. If your dog is on prednisone please speak to your therapists prior to injection as for some patients it is not safe to stop prednisone or discontinue abruptly. Anti-inflammatories also include supplements such as dasuquin advanced and microlactin. The goal is that anicell will improve the pain and chronic inflammation so that prescription anti-inflammatories are no longer needed or at a lower dose. If still needed, anti-inflammatories can be restarted 6 weeks after injection.
Outcomes
Every dog responds differently to anicell. Some dogs will show immediate improvements in the first 2 weeks. Other dogs will slowly improve over the course of 6-12 weeks. Sometimes dogs don’t respond to the first injection. This is usually because there is another area of the body that has more inflammation. The anicell works on the part of the body that has the most active inflammation. In these cases, anicell will provide a free second injection for your pet. Anicell can be a great tool to use in conjunction with our other interventions and can help your dog get back to their normal activities.
