How laser treatment can help your dog

Maybe you’ve heard about laser therapy for pets or maybe your dog already receives it. We will discuss the benefits of laser treatment in dogs in this article.

Professor Endre Mester discovered that if you shave the hair on the back of a rat, then use a specific dose of light to lighten the area, the hair will grow faster. This technology was first used in 1976.

The technology is much more advanced today than it was then, but its basic principle remains the same.

What is laser therapy?

The word “laser” actually stands for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Lasers are coherent, convergent, and monochromatic beams of light.

Laser devices emit a focused light beam that interacts with the mitochondrial cytochrome c complex at a cellular level. Laser light triggers biological reactions in your dog’s cells when it is absorbed by its tissue. The body produces a variety of beneficial chemicals at the cellular level that are then transported in the blood and lymph, thereby achieving broad systemic effects and not just local ones.

This cellular stimulation creates more energy and better cellular communication, which leads to improved growth and nutrition of tissues and cells, and extended cell life. In short, laser treatment has a stimulating effect on the tissues, favoring their healing or regeneration.

Laser treatment can improve:

  • ATP (Adenosine triphosphate) production
  • Cellular metabolism
  • Collagen production
  • Enzyme production
  • Protein synthesis
  • Blood flow
  • Lymphatic flow and drainage
  • Inflammation

How does laser treatment work?

Laser light can be used on a variety of injuries and lesions, making this technology help reduce inflammation and pain, heal wounds, and regenerate tissues.

Home laser therapy for dogs is mainly used with success in musculoskeletal conditions in dogs, such as:

  • Hip dysplasia
  • Arthritis
  • Articular pain
  • Elbow osteoarthritis
  • Tendon weakness
  • Back and neck pain
  • Intervertebral disc disease
  • Spinal problems
  • Knee pain induced by torn ligaments, arthritis, or tendonitis

Additionally to musculoskeletal disorders, cold laser therapy for dogs can also be used to treat:

  • Anal and perianal fistulas
  • Nerve lesions
  • Facial nerve paralysis
  • Ear infections
  • Pododermatitis
  • Inflammations
  • Skin wounds and burns
  • Periodontal diseases
  • Gingivitis and stomatitis
  • Acute pain due to accidents, trauma, or post-surgical pain

Why you should use laser

Laser therapy for dogs is a non-invasive, pain-free, surgical-free, and medication-free treatment used to treat a variety of medical conditions in pets. It has no known side effects and is considered safe and effective in veterinary medicine.

After the first session of laser therapy, 90% of canine patients experience symptom relief.

The laser treatment represents a great way to improve the quality of life of your suffering pet. Keep an eye out for these changes in your dog’s behavior to determine if it is suffering:

  • Abnormal sitting or lying position.
  • Bedtime agitation or generalized agitation.
  • Restlessness
  • Crying, moaning, or other vocalizations.
  • Lameness – the dog is unable to stand up or lie down.
  • Difficulty getting in the car or going down the stairs.
  • Apathy
  • Lack of appetite and weight loss.
  • Tremor
  • The presence of tumor masses, burns, or other lesions on its skin.

The use of laser therapy for dogs can also be used as an adjuvant method of treatment in conjunction with other forms of treatment to accelerate regeneration and healing. Laser therapy has cumulative effects, and acute conditions usually resolve within a few weeks of treatment. Regular treatments can control chronic conditions.

It is a very relaxing treatment for dogs. As the painful or inflamed area calms down and the inflammation and pain diminish, the anxiety and tension that your dog may have had quickly subsides.