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Everything You Need To Know About Laser Therapy For Your Dog
Why should I consider laser therapy for my dog?
Laser therapy is used to help reduce inflammation from either chronic or acute situations. You should ask your veterinarian if your pet’s condition may improve with laser therapy.
Dr. Meagan Darby
Hebron Animal Hospital
What are the differences between the different therapies, and when might the vet recommend them for my dog?
Cold laser therapy is the only one that we offer here. It is used to help reduce inflammation and promote healing from chronic or acute injuries.
What conditions can laser therapy treat in my dog?
Chronic conditions such as arthritis and some lung diseases or acute conditions such as wounds, swelling, and bruising can be treated with laser therapy.
What can I expect from a laser therapy appointment for my dog, and how long will it last?
Each session will be performed by one of our registered veterinary technicians using a cold laser machine and using a probe to apply the treatment. The treatment is not painful to your dog. We do wear protective glasses as it causes retina damage with direct visualization. Depending on the size and nature of the site being treated, the duration will change accordingly. Large, more chronic wounds have longer sessions but none last more than 15 to 20 minutes, with most lasting between 5 to 10 minutes.
How many laser therapy sessions will my dog need?
The length of the treatment depends on the cause but we will determine by your veterinarian and the degree of response to treatment.
What are the risks of laser therapy?
If there’s already cancer cells in the area being treated, then laser therapy can spread up the growth of those cells. The only other risk would be from burning if the probe is not moved enough during the therapy. This has never occurred at our hospital.
How will I know if laser therapy is working for my pet?
You should start to see improvement in your pet’s comfort relatively quickly or if it is a wound, there should be less swelling in the area.
