My office just purchased a therapy laser for use in our practice. I saw the demonstration of two different laser companies and I watched all of the testimony on the videos and such, but I still wasn’t sold on the idea. Both companies that came to our office claimed that their laser was “the best laser out there,” of course they can’t both be the best. We settled on one of the lasers and as an office we waited excitedly for our laser to arrive.During this time, I went through the accreditation process to “certify me” to use the laser per our office rules. While doing the online course I learned a lot about the laser and how it does what it does. I got a better understanding of how using laser therapy for dogs is helpful in treating many different things from chronic pain and inflammation to hot spots to faster healing of surgical sites. It can also help with the treatment of chronic ear infections and cystitis
Let’s get a little background on the laser real quick. The word laser actually stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. A laser is any device which can be made to produce or amplify electromagnetic radiation in wavelengths ranging from 180nm to 1mm by the process of controlled stimulated emission. Lasers have been used in the medical field in Russia, Europe, etc. for over 40 years, but have only been approved in the US since 2003. Therapeutic lasers received clearance in December of 2003, but have been used in Europe for over 10 years.There are two types of lasers:Surgical Lasers:A surgical laser cuts and destroys tissue by excess heating so it in a sense, replaces the scalpel during surgical procedures. The laser takes less time to make the incision and there is less blood loss because it seals the blood vessels as it goes. There are risks involved with the surgical laser such as hemorrhage, infection and perforation of organs.
Therapeutic Laser:The therapeutic laser does not pierce the skin, its energy is absorbed into the skin and stimulates normal cell function which leads to pain relief and quicker healing time. Damaged and compromised cells actually respond better to the laser therapy than normal cells. There are few risks associated with the laser therapy for dogs and none of these are life threatening. Sometimes there is a temporary increase in pain at the therapy site during application, and sometimes there is mild pain the day after treatment. Dogs with dark coats and dark skin pigments have an increased risk of being burned and it is possible to singe the hair if the treatment wand is not moved quickly enough over the treatment area.Therapy lasers can be used to treat many different things for your dog, but there are some instances where it should not be used.Never have laser therapy done over the abdomen or spine of a pregnant female.Never use around the eyes. (Direct contact to the eye can cause temporary or permanent blindness)Never laser over the thyroid , ovaries or testes.Never over tumors unless you are positive they are not cancerous or unless in late stages for pain relief.Since we have had the laser I have seen first hand how it speeds up healing time on surgical incisions, treats hot spots, helps with swelling and inflammation and helps with pain associated with arthritis.
We have only had our laser for about a month, but I am very optimistic about using it to help a lot of our canine patients and felines as well, get better faster!Therapy lasers have been used in the locker room on athletes for years to help with strains sprains, muscle pulls and other sports related injuries. We are just now starting to get into using the laser therapy for dogs and cats. If your veterinarian doesn’t have a therapy laser and you think it would benefit your dog, ask if they know of a practice that does or go online. I have seen it work and I would recommend a course of therapy to treat your dog. It can’t hurt, it can only make them better and that’s all that matters.
