The Light Fantastic: Laser Therapy for Pets
Have you noticed your older kitty slowing down lately? Maybe your agility dog has an injury that just won’t heal. In these and many other scenarios, it’s possible that laser therapy could be an answer to your pet’s pain and discomfort.
Used for years in humans, laser therapy for pets uses Class IV laser light to stimulate healthy cell growth, repair damaged cells, and promote healing and pain relief. This therapy is now available at Dupont Veterinary Clinic, and we are thrilled to share its benefits with our patients and clients.
How Does Laser Therapy for Pets Work?
The laser light is delivered through a handpiece that is moved over your pet’s body, similar to an ultrasound. The light particles penetrate painlessly through your pets skin and tissues and are absorbed by damaged cells. The cells in turn are stimulated, and respond with a higher rate of metabolism. This results in decreased inflammation, pain relief, and accelerated healing.
Benefits of laser therapy abound for a wide variety of symptoms. Benefits include:
- Reduce swelling
- Decrease pain
- Increase blood flow and lymphatic circulation
- Lower the chances of infection
- Increase mobility
- Improve nerve function
- Accelerated tissue repair and cell growth
- immunoregulation
Laser Therapy for Your Pet
Laser therapy has no side effects and is completely safe. If your veterinarian finds that your pet could be helped by laser therapy, we’ll work with you to come up with a treatment plan.
Laser therapy can be used for any animal who is healing or experiencing pain. There is no sedation required, and each treatment generally takes less than 15 minutes. Animals seem to enjoy the treatments – many become so relaxed they even fall asleep!
Some conditions we commonly use laser therapy for include:
- Osteoarthritis
- Wounds
- Post surgical recovery
- Muscle, tendon, or ligament strains
- Abscesses
- Burns
- Chronic ear or skin infections
- Certain neurological conditions
- Dental disease
Laser therapy for pets can also be used in conjunction with other modalities to increase their effectiveness. For example, we often use an innovative treatment called UltraCare II as a complement to laser therapy, which targets all aspects of joint health.
If you have questions about laser therapy and how it may benefit your pet, please give us a call. We’re happy to help determine the best plan for your pet’s individual needs.