LASER THERAPY

Laser therapy provides a non-invasive and drug-free option for treating a variety of painful and inflammatory conditions and can be performed with existing treatment protocols. Relief from pain and inflammation are often noticed within hours of a laser therapy session depending on the condition being treated and your pet’s individual health status. Whether your pet is recovering from trauma or injury, healing from wounds, or simply aging, he or she can benefit from this treatment option.

When is laser therapy recommended?

Any painful or inflammatory condition can benefit from laser therapy. It’s commonly used for following issues:

• Arthritis,      degenerative joint disease, and hip dysplasia
• Neurological      disorders
• Soft      tissue injuries
• Post-surgical      pain
• Fractures      and wounds

Many of our laser therapy patients are older animals with musculoskeletal ailments.
​Signs that your pet may have pain or discomfort that could benefit from laser therapy include:

• Abnormal      sitting or lying posture
• Circling      multiple times before lying down
• Restlessness
• Whining,      groaning or other vocalizations
• Limping,      unable to get up or lie down
• Difficulty      getting into car or down stairs
• Lack      of grooming
• Won’t      wag tail
• Licking      or biting a body area
• Lack      of appetite
• Trembling

How does laser therapy work?

Simply put, laser therapy stimulates the body to heal from within. We use a laser probe to send a concentrated beam of light through the skin’s surface to trigger a variety of cellular reactions (a process called photostimulation). Here’s what that does:

• releases      natural pain killers
• produces      energy needed for cells to function properly
• activates      cells that clean up damage from inflammation
• suppresses      processes that cause damage
• activates      processes that accelerate tissue repair and cell growth
• increases      circulation (and therefore oxygen and nutrient delivery)

Laser therapy provides some immediate relief from pain and inflammation. So as it’s administered, your pet will invariably relax and enjoy the treatment. Any anxiety that he or she may experience initially typically disappears quickly. In fact, we often find that stressed cats start to purr, and dogs fall asleep during their therapy session. After therapy, we often hear owners report, “He’s acting like a puppy again” or “She can jump onto a chair like she used to.”

 

How will my pet react to treatment?

How many treatments will my pet need? Single sessions can be helpful, but the effects of laser therapy are cumulative. Each treatment builds on the results of the previous one, and animals with chronic or severe conditions typically need a series of treatments. Your veterinarian may recommend a treatment for three consecutive days to start (to effectively jump start those healing processes we’re trying to stimulate), then treatments as needed until therapeutic goals are reached.

How much does laser cost?

Some conditions take more time to treat than others. Your veterinarian will determine what’s appropriate for your pet. You can buy single sessions or save on packages of three or six. The cost reflects the time it takes to input the appropriate protocol, administer therapy, and evaluate progress. But the resulting improvement in comfort and quality of life? Well, that’s priceless.