"Laser treatment in dogs is increasing dramatically for inflammatory conditions such as dysplasia in the back, knee and elbows. Low power lasers heal deep tissue and joint problems by painlessly penetrate below the skin.
Full Answer
Can laser therapy for dogs help with ear infections?
Veterinarians are also using laser therapy for dogs as part of their multimodal approach to address ear infections, which often recur or become chronic. Dr. Downing says that laser therapy for dogs can also help with: Surgical wound healing. Traumatic wound healing. Increasing the metabolism of specific tissues.
How can laser therapy for dogs help with wounds?
Downing says that laser therapy for dogs can also help with: 1 Surgical wound healing 2 Traumatic wound healing 3 Increasing the metabolism of specific tissues 4 Reducing the formation of scar tissue 5 Immunoregulation 6 Improving nerve function and nerve regeneration 7 Releasing of painful trigger points 8 Speeding the healing of infections
Is laser therapy for dogs safe?
For many canines, dog laser therapy is very relaxing. As areas of pain or inflammation become more comfortable, any anxiety and tension your dog may be experiencing tends to quickly dissipate. Are There Any Side Effects Of Laser Therapy For Dogs?
How often can I put laser treatment on my Dog?
And, the good news about laser therapy for dogs is there's no need to shave or clip the area to be treated and the dog doesn't need to be sedated during the process. That means that treatment can be applied multiple times a day or a number of times per week. Before treatment begins, the dog will be given a full physical along with X-rays if needed.
Is laser therapy worth it for dogs?
In minor cases, laser therapy alone may be enough to alleviate pain and stimulate the healing process. Because it works directly on injured or affected areas, laser treatments can help speed up healing, strengthen muscle and tissue, improve mobility and enhance your dog's overall quality of life almost immediately.
What does laser therapy help with dogs?
Laser therapy can treat acute and chronic injuries, sprains and strains, arthritis, swelling due to back disc problems, and muscular-skeletal abnormalities. It also helps to regenerate nerve tissue after surgery.
Is laser therapy painful for dogs?
Is laser therapy for dogs painful? No, it is not painful at all. And laser therapy can decrease your pet's pain.
What do vets use lasers for?
The main clinical benefits of laser use in pets include decreased inflammation, decreased pain, and improved wound healing.
How long does it take for laser treatment to work on dogs?
During the induction phase, it is recommended to treat every other day until the dog shows clinical signs of improvement. For most dogs, this is about four weeks but can vary from two to eight weeks depending on the patient.
Does laser therapy work for older dogs?
Laser therapy is a non-invasive holistic treatment used in pet rehabilitation to speed up the body's natural healing process and relieve pain. It's a great option for post-op dogs, older dogs, and dogs living with chronic conditions like arthritis.
How effective is laser therapy?
You might be surprised to learn, however, that upwards of 2,500 studies have demonstrated that laser therapy can be a highly effective approach for pain management and that it has earned approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of chronic pain.
Can I do laser therapy for my dog at home?
Class 3 lasers are designed for veterinary practitioners but can also be purchased for home use on pets and horses (these are not FDA approved to use on humans without a prescription).
What are the two types of lasers used for therapy treatments in pets?
Downing, the most commonly used therapeutic lasers in veterinary medicine are Class 3 and Class 4. The higher the power of the laser, the shorter the time that is needed to deliver a particular dose of energy into the animal's tissues.
Does laser treatment help wounds heal?
According to reports in the scientific literature, the application of low-level laser therapy in the treatment of wounds accelerates wound healing time by influencing both inflammatory and proliferative phases and also stimulates a more harmonious and organized healing process, ultimately producing better aesthetic ...
How can I help my dogs wound heal faster?
How To Heal a Dog Wound QuicklyStep 1: Wound Management. Keep the wound clean and moisturized by utilizing a non-toxic antimicrobial cleaning spray three or four times daily. ... Step 2: Antimicrobial Hydrogel. After cleaning the wound, apply a cooling, protective layer of antimicrobial hydrogel.
Benefits of Laser Therapy For Dogs
Although laser therapy has been available for 40 years, evidence to support its use for alleviating pain and accelerating healing has only recently...
How Does Laser Therapy Work?
Therapeutic laser therapy uses light energy, which is cold or low level, to work its magic. Light used at specific frequencies causes a physiologic...
Multimodal Pain Management
Laser therapy can be a big part of a multimodal pain management program, says Troy. “It can be paired with acupuncture, massage, chiropractic care,...
Why do dogs need laser therapy?
Because laser therapy increases the comfort and mobility of the pet with relatively few side effects, it can help when a patient that’s in pain also has heart, kidney or liver disease that prohibits the dog from using traditional therapies like prescription pet medications, Dr. Troy adds.
What are the benefits of laser therapy for dogs?
Dr. Downing says that laser therapy for dogs can also help with: 1 Surgical wound healing 2 Traumatic wound healing 3 Increasing the metabolism of specific tissues 4 Reducing the formation of scar tissue 5 Immunoregulation 6 Improving nerve function and nerve regeneration 7 Releasing of painful trigger points 8 Speeding the healing of infections
What is therapeutic laser therapy?
Therapeutic laser therapy uses light energy, which is cold or low-level, to work its “magic.”. Light used at specific frequencies causes a physiological change at the cellular level, explains Dr. Troy, an integrative veterinary practitioner.
What class of laser is used in veterinary medicine?
According to Dr. Downing, the most commonly used therapeutic lasers in veterinary medicine are Class 3 and Class 4. The higher the power of the laser, the shorter the time that is needed to deliver a particular dose of energy into the animal’s tissues.
How long has laser therapy been around?
Although laser therapy has been available for 40 years, evidence to support its use for alleviating pain and accelerating healing has only recently emerged, says Dr. Downing.
How much does a single procedure cost?
The costs of the procedure can also fluctuate. “Single treatments typically cost anywhere from $40 to $100 each,” says Dr. Downing. “Most practitioners bundle treatments and provide a discount to make the treatments more affordable. Then the treatments can be used at whatever pace seems optimal for the patient.”.
How long does a dog need to be treated for anal gland rupture?
For very acute, painful conditions like a ruptured anal gland, she treats the dog daily for three to five days, then several times the next week, and then increases the time between treatments until she’s attained her set goal. The first treatment for surgical wounds is done before the animal even wakes up.
How to treat a dog with a laser?
The result is a reduction in swelling which reduces pain. The lasers also stimulate nerve cells that block pain signals from being transmitted to the brain, thereby decreasing nerve sensitivity. Because there is less inflammation, less swelling and an interruption of pain signals to the brain, the dog will experience less pain. Laser treatments for dogs also stimulate the production of high levels of naturally-produced endorphins which further counteract your dog's pain .
How long does it take for a dog to get laser therapy?
Treatments vary in length, but most sites require 3 to 8 minutes.
Why do dogs need lasers?
The lasers also stimulate nerve cells that block pain signals from being transmitted to the brain, thereby decreasing nerve sensitivity. Because there is less inflammation, less swelling and an interruption of pain signals to the brain, the dog will experience less pain. Laser treatments for dogs also stimulate the production of high levels ...
What are the benefits of laser therapy for dogs?
Dog laser therapy can be used to treat a multitude of ailments, including: 1 Muscle, ligament and tendon injuries 2 Post-surgical and soft tissue trauma 3 Back pain 4 Ear infections 5 Gingivitis 6 Hot Spots and open wounds 7 Arthritis / hip dysplasia 8 Degenerative disc disease 9 Anal gland infections
What is a cold laser?
Laser therapy, also may be referred to as Cold Laser, Low-Level Laser or Class IV Laser Therapy. Each of these terms refers to the same therapy, using the same equipment to stimulates cell regeneration and increase blood circulation.
Is laser therapy for dogs invasive?
Veterinary laser therapy provides a non-invasive, pain-free, surgery-free and drug-free treatment that is used to treat a variety of conditions, and can be performed in conjunction with existing treatments.
Can dogs fall asleep during therapy?
The almost immediate relief of pain will allow your dog to be comfortable and any anxiety he or she initially experiences will quickly dissipate. Occasionally, some dogs actually fall asleep during their therapy sessions.
Why do dogs need laser therapy?
Laser therapy improves the quality of a dog's life as well as the life of its owner, because if your dog is happy, you are happy. Canine Health. Top Health Concerns. Bloat. Canine Cancer. Epilepsy. Canine Athlete & Performance Dogs. Your Dog’s Health. Caring for Your Dog.
How long does it take for a dog to get a laser?
"Depending on the area and the energy you are delivering, it can take up to 10 to 20 minutes ," says Dr. Troy. And, the good news about laser therapy for dogs is there's no need to shave or clip the area to be treated and the dog doesn't need to be sedated ...
How long does a dog need to be on a mat for laser therapy?
Dr. Newkirk describes a typical laser therapy session as lasting between three to 20 minutes.
What is the difference between cold laser therapy and hot laser therapy?
Cold laser therapy is a noninvasive procedure that uses light to stimulate cell regeneration and increase blood circulation. Cold laser therapy treats the surface of the skin, while hot laser treatments affect deeper tissues.
What is a low level laser for dogs?
Often called low-level laser therapy, cold laser therapy or Class IV laser therapy, by any name, is still a relatively new concept that is being used more recently to treat dogs with arthritis, tendon or soft tissue injuries and to promote wound healing. Is laser therapy a medical procedure?
Is laser therapy becoming more popular?
Laser therapy treatment is becoming more popular. With increased popularity, the equipment will become more affordable and then more widely available. "I would like to see this type of technology in every practice, just like prescription and injectable drugs.
Can a laser burn a dog's skin?
Laser therapy won't cause your dog any unwanted side effects. The laser used for this type of treatment will not burn your dog's skin. Not all veterinary practices have the facilities to offer laser treatment for your dog, as the laser equipment can be exceptionally pricy. Laser therapy treatment is becoming more popular.
How is laser therapy used to treat dogs?
Laser therapy is used in many different conditions to treat dogs, and basically, what we do is we shine the laser, which is a very focused light, to the dog's surface in that area that we are concerned about where they've had pain or an injury.
Why should I consider laser therapy for my dog?
Many times, these dogs are in a lot of trouble, as they are in a lot of pain, and subsequently, we have them on a lot of medications. If your dog isn't getting better, they're going to need more and more medications.
What are the different laser therapies, and when might the veterinarian recommend them for my dog?
There is only one major modality for therapeutic laser, and that is a low-level, frequency-specific laser. That's a lot to say, but what it means is it's not a laser that's going to burn or cut the tissue. Frequency specific means we're targeting specific cells in the area of injury.
What conditions can laser therapy be used to treat in my dog?
We have several conditions that we can treat. The one that I treat the most is the anterior cruciate ligament tears because we see them all the time. We also see arthritic dogs, so more senior dogs. Those are also my favorite because these dogs are on a lot of pain medications.
What can I expect from my dog's laser therapy appointment?
When we do laser therapy, we're usually doing about three to four different sets of frequency, and each of them takes about three minutes. So you're looking at anywhere between 15-20 minutes. If we're just doing the laser, usually we add the VAHM, so you're looking at about a 20-minute appointment most of the time.
How many laser therapy sessions will my dog need?
Again, that has to do more with the chronicity of the problem. If it's an acute problem, we're usually done in five to seven treatments. If it's a more chronic problem, and certainly if it's an ACL or back, we're probably looking at around 14 to 15 laser treatments. And like the veterinary orthopedic manipulation, we do spread these treatments out.
What are the risks of laser therapy?
Very little to none. We don't even have to wear goggles—that's how safe it is. We obviously can't shine it inside our eyes because that will harm us, but you can be in the room without any goggles. Certain lasers are higher-class lasers in which you need to wear goggles.
What is laser therapy for dogs?
Laser Therapy for Dogs. Laser therapy is a procedure that uses a laser to promote tissue healing by stimulating cell regeneration and increasing blood flow , explained the American Kennel Club Canine Health Foundation (AKCCHF).
What does laser mean in medical terms?
The word "laser" is actually an acronym that stands for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation ," which means that a laser is a concentrated beam of photon radiation in the form of light, said Innovative Veterinary Care (IVC).
Is cold laser therapy safe for dogs?
Cold laser therapy is a safe procedure. The frequency of light energy that's used has no risk of burning your dog. The biggest danger is retinal damage to anyone who looks directly at the laser beam. In order to prevent this, the laser operator wears protective glasses.
Does a vet offer laser therapy?
If your vet doesn't offer laser therapy, they should be able to refer you to a clinic that does. Be sure to speak to your veterinarian to see if laser treatment would be ...
Can dogs have laser therapy?
Laser therapy has no known adverse side effects, and your dog won't need any time to recover. While some dogs need multiple sessions before results can be seen, many dogs show signs of reduced pain and discomfort and increased mobility and activity after only one or two treatments.
Is laser therapy invasive?
Laser therapy is non-invasive, which means there's no need to cut into your pet.
Can dogs be held during laser therapy?
Laser therapy is a low-stress form of treatment for dogs. In fact, AKCCHF noted that many dogs find it relaxing and enjoyable. Dogs are typically allowed to either stand or lie down, and they may also be held by a family member during the procedure, whichever makes them the most comfortable.
What is a laser in surgery?
In short, it is a device that generates a beam of light energy at a specific wavelength. The first laser was developed in, and its use in human surgery became widespread in the late 1980's. The most commonly used veterinary surgical laser is the CO 2 laser. The wavelength of the CO 2 laser beam is absorbed by the water found in skin ...
Does laser surgery reduce pain?
This reduces pain impulses from the surgery site in the immediate post-operative period. Also, the decreased pain involved with laser surgery may allow the surgeon to remove small skin tumors using local anesthesia rather than having the pet undergo general anesthesia. Reduced Bleeding and Blood Loss.
How to determine if a dog has a skin infection?
For skin infections in dogs, your veterinarian will be able to determine the type of infection by taking a swab and analyzing this under a microscope. Once you know the kind, you can treat it accordingly.
What causes a dog to have a skin infection?
The most common causes for a dog skin infection are: 1 Dogs that already suffer from allergies 2 Dogs that scratch or lick at their skin a lot (usually because of allergies) 3 Dogs that have floppy ears (especially the heavy, pendulum-type ears) 4 Breeds that have lots of skin folds, such as a Shar-Pei, or a Bulldog
How to treat a dog with a bacteria infection?
Treatment for a Bacterial Infection. First, bathe your dog with a good quality medicated shampoo that contains an antibacterial agent. I found a great medicated shampoo to try is Derma Treat. Derma-Treat has antibacterial, antiseptic, and antifungal properties that treats many skin irritations in dogs.
Why does my dog scratch his skin?
Bacterial Infections. Bacterial infections are frequently a secondary condition to allergies caused by the dog itching and continually scratching. The more the dog scratches with allergies, the more chance there is of him breaking the skin, which can lead to a dog skin infection.
How to stop a dog's ears from drying out?
A gentle rinse will also help, especially in stopping the skin from drying out. Your vet may prescribe medicated anti-fungal drops if your dogs' ears are affected. An important note here, even If your dog's skin infection seems to ONLY affect her ears, you will still have to bathe with an antifungal shampoo.
How to tell if my dog has an infection?
You can usually tell which type of infection your dog is suffering from based on the visual symptoms (see above chart). This is, however, more difficult when the infected area is the ears as the visible signs are the same - shaking the head, scratching the ears, holding the head to one side, etc. Having said that, if itchy ears are accompanied by ...
What is a hot spot on a dog?
A skin infection that results in an angry red sore that spreads quickly is best treated as a hot spot . You can find more information on how to treat hot spots in dogs here. If you have a dog that loves to play in muddy puddles or just enjoys swimming, then you may be no stranger to skin infections.