Laser therapy. Is it for my pet?

Brolly receiving laser treatment for damaged nerves.

So what is laser therapy

Laser therapy makes use of intense beams of light of specific wavelengths to help reduce pain and inflammation in relation to injury or surgical sites. The settings of the laser are very specific and change for every animal.  Laser therapy is measured in joules delivered.  

Pain relief

This is probably the most common use for the laser.  It increases blood flow to the affected area, decreases inflammation and is soothing.  Many pets actually lay down or relax during their session as it gives almost immediate feeling of warmth on a sore joint or incision.  At AMCS we laser every incision in order to promote decreased pain upon recovery.  If your old pet suffers from anything from a torn ligament to arthritis laser therapy might be a great non invasive therapy to manage pain without as many medications.  It has been shown to decrease the need for pain medications in many patients that receive regular therapies for treatment and maintenance 

Decreased Healing Time

Laser therapy causes an increase in blood flow to the site of an incision or wound.  This can drastically improve healing time and we have seen it work great for everything from spay incisions to large wounds.  This increased blood flow does not mean that the wound bleeds simply put the healing properties of fresh blood are brought back to the surface of old wounds.   We recommend it for all wound repairs and for dogs that are so active we have issues keeping them calm for the recommended 10 days post surgery.  

Nerve Stimulation

When the nerves in the body misfire or have decreased action sometimes laser therapy can help those pathways regenerate.  This bodes to be true in dogs that have troubles walking or ambulating.  It is not a guarantee but is one of the few therapies shown to offer occasional improvement.  Regenerative nerve therapy is new but showing great progress.  We have personally seen a dog with nerve damage have great improvement with regular therapies.  He received laser treatments twice a week for a number of weeks in order to allow him better use of his back legs and he is now up and walking.    

So why should I do it for my pet?

Laser is referred to as a non invasive therapy.  It requires no sedation and minimal handling to complete the therapy.  It can reduce the need for medications such as non steroidal anti inflammatory like Metacam or pain medications like Gabapentin.  We recommend it for pets that are young and old alike.  We offer it for everything from that active spay patient to the old cat that is having a hard time getting in and out of the litterbox without pain medications.  Would your pet benefit?  Call us today at 403-527-4888  

How many treatments will my pet need?

Every pet is different and most therapies start at a few treatments a week, then the frequency decreases to anywhere to a treatment a week to every 3+ weeks.  The frequency depends solely on your pets recovery and response to therapy.