Bringing home a dog means putting extra commitment, effort, time, and money on them. As much as possible, you want them to live the best quality of life they can. When they feel pain, easing it to make them feel comfortable is more important than anything else.
Laser therapy is one of the vet procedures getting famous as vet experts found its health benefits to dogs in recent years. So, how does it help improve your pets’ health?
Definition of Laser Therapy for Dogs
The term LASER is actually an acronym, which means light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. Laser therapy is a non-invasive, non-toxic, non-pollutant medical treatment that uses a strong light beam to burn, cut, or destroy tissues. Also referred to as “cold laser therapy,” both humans and animals can benefit from this procedure to treat and manage multiple diseases.
Experts studied and identified its mechanisms of action as an effective remedy for reducing pain and inflammation and healing of tissues. Unlike other surgical lasers that use higher frequencies to penetrate and reach deeper tissues, laser therapy doesn’t require vet surgeons to cut into your dogs. Instead, they simply shine a low-frequency laser beam over the skin or fur’s surface to treat the tissue underneath.
Your vet plays a crucial role in every procedure and treatment your dog goes through. That’s why you need to carefully choose a vet clinic that is fully equipped and with a team of specialists with a wide range of experience handling complex dog medical conditions, such as millerclarkanimalhospital.com.
Advantages of Laser Therapy for Dogs
In every session, laser energy increases circulation, drawing oxygen, water, and nutrients to the damaged area. According to studies, the following are the benefits of laser therapy for dogs:
- Decreases pain (acute and chronic)
- Helps reduce inflammation
- Helps promote muscle regeneration
- Improves circulation
- Accelerates wound healing
- Helps manage other conditions (tendon and ligament injuries, edema, lick granulomas, canine mammary tumors, osteoarthritis, otitis, dermatitis, decubital ulcers)
What to Expect on a Dog’s Laser Therapy?
Depending on your dog’s condition, vets may require them to have more sessions than the others. For example, arthritis sessions take longer that may last for about five minutes per joint, whereas wound healing or management is quicker at one minute to three minutes. Many arthritis patients may start from one or two sessions a week for a month then can visit the vet as needed in the following months.
Since laser therapy is non-invasive, dog owners should not worry about side effects. In fact, there is no associated pain with the procedure, and dogs will relax during the process. Sometimes, they can fall asleep during their sessions. Visit this page for more info about other surgery procedures on your pets.
For older dogs, consider taking them to the vet for laser therapy if they show these behaviors:
- Abnormal sitting or lying posture
- Restlessness
- Difficulty getting into car or downstairs
- Whining, groaning, or other vocalizations
- Limping or unable to get up or lie down
- Circling multiple times before lying down
- Lack of grooming
- Won’t wag their tail
- Licking or biting area
- Lack of appetite
- Trembling
Choosing the Right Vet Clinic for Your Dog
Not all vet clinics offer laser treatment, but only equipped ones. Ask your family and friends for recommendations. Online is also an excellent place to find a reputable vet clinic but ensure to ask for licenses and read testimonials and reviews from their previous clients. Go online and find a “vet surgeon near me” if you want to limit your search within your location.
Since different pets and owners have different needs, consider visiting some of your choices and observe if the facility is clean and organized. Ask about their services, office hours, and how they cover emergencies. Veterinarians are like other people with various personalities, so find out if their attitude and philosophy match yours.
