Everything You Need to Know About Dog Cold Laser Therapy
What conditions can laser therapy be used to treat in my dog?
Typically, here at Highland Park Animal Hospital, we use laser therapy for three common conditions.
- We use it for post-op wound healing, typically for spays or neuters. We use it at the incision site to help those incision sites heal faster.
- We also use it for chronic wounds, for example, dog bites, snake bites, things like that, which create a big, open, oozy wound. Typically, we'll use laser for that to promote healing.
- Lastly, we use laser therapy to help with arthritis pain.
How many laser therapy sessions will my dog need?
It depends on the condition we're treating. The way laser therapy works is by sending a light wave to the wound or the affected area, and that light wave promotes blood circulation there.
Increased circulation means you're going to bring in a bunch of healing factors and then take away inflammation. We're essentially using the body's ability to heal itself, just trying to speed up that process.
Typically, with arthritis, we'll use it on those painful joints, maybe every 3 or 4 days for about five or seven sessions, and then back off. For wound healing, we'll do it almost every day, sometimes even twice a day. It just totally depends on the condition and what your doctor recommends for you.
How long will a laser therapy session last for my dog?
Laser therapy is really quick. It's painless. Dogs don't feel anything. A session usually takes anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes.
What are the risks of laser therapy for dogs?
There's really no risk. Like I said, it's painless. It's not taking a drug. There are no systemic effects. It acts locally, so no side effects. For our safety, staff will put on goggles just so they don't look into the light directly, but again, you don't feel anything. It's usually used as an adjunctive therapy in addition to either pain meds, antibiotics, that kind of thing.
How will I know laser therapy is working for my dog?
Usually, with arthritis, you'll notice an improvement in mobility. Maybe your pet is going up the stairs, going up and down furniture more easily, and not limping.
With wound healing, it's pretty dramatic. In a couple of days, you'll notice that the wound isn't as oozy, it's not as deep, and it's starting to contract. You'll be able to see visual signs with that.
Why should I consider laser therapy for my dog?
Laser therapy is a great additional tool to use with a lot of the medications we commonly prescribe for some of these diseases. The reason why I like it is it's relatively quick. We can do a treatment typically within 10 and 15 minutes on your dog. We like to space these treatments out over a number of visits, which we will talk to you about during the exam.
Without medication, we're helping the body heal itself. That's why I really like it. It has relatively low side effects, which we'll talk about soon, but it's a great additional tool for your dog or cat.
What is the difference between the different therapies, and when might the veterinarian recommend them for my dog?
Here at Highland Park Animal Hospital, we have one type of therapeutic laser, the cold therapeutic laser. We use this a lot for chronic infections, skin infections, ear infections, arthritis, and most of our surgeries.
The other type of therapeutic lasers available is typically found in specialty centers. So if that's warranted for your pet, we would talk to you about referral for those specific types of therapeutics. Here, cold laser therapy is widely available for all of our patients and clients.
What can I expect from my dog's laser therapy appointment?
Typically, if we're going to set up a session, let's say your dog has arthritis, we will offer packages here at our hospital, whether that's a package of seven, 10, et cetera, in which we would help set the dates. What would this look like?
You may come in after our initial appointment, and if your dog needs laser therapy, we will bring your dog back. One of our technicians would perform the laser therapy on your dog, which, as I said, takes anywhere from 10 to 15 minutes.
After that's done, your dog is good to go home. There's no bandaging involved. Typically, there's nothing you have to do unless required by your veterinarian. That's what that looks like. You may be required or asked to come in every three or four days, weekly, or monthly, depending on what's going on with your dog.
Laser Therapy for Your Dog at Highland Park Animal Hospital
If you’re ready to schedule an exam or would like to learn more about our veterinary services, we’d love to hear from you. Call (214) 833-9821 or email info@hpanimalhospital.com. We look forward to caring for your pet.