Laser Therapy
Healing at the Speed of Light
As a pet owner, are you concerned about any of the following for your pet:
- • Long term effects of opioids or NSAIDS for pain.
- • Chronic pain conditions that don’t respond well to traditional pain meds.
- • Delayed healing times for traumatic wounds or surgical sites.
- • Rehabilitation from surgery, especially orthopedic procedures.
If these conditions, or several others, concern you, laser therapy may be a treatment option for your pet.
Bellevue Animal Clinic offers laser therapy as a drug free, non-surgical approach to improving your pet’s quality of life. Treatment for your pet is usually comforting and requires no sedation.
What is Laser Therapy?
Laser therapy, or “photobiomodulation,” is the use of specific wavelengths of light to create therapeutic effects. These effects include:
1) Pain reduction
2) Improved healing time
3) Reduced inflammation
4) Increased circulation
What ailments may benefit from Laser Therapy?
- • Osteoarthritis (most common use)
- • Post Surgical site pain
- • Wound healing in either acute (trauma) or chronic (lick granuloma) wounds
- • Rehabilitation from orthopedic surgery or traumatic wound
- • Periodontitis or Stomatitis (feline)
- • Any musculoskeletal pain, especially back and neck pain
How does Laser Therapy work?
Therapeutic lasers use red and near-infrared light waves of specific wavelengths to cause photobiomodulation, or the alteration of cellular and tissue physiology. Metabolic activity within the cell is increased and the transport of nutrients across the cell membrane is improved. This results in an increase in the production of cellular energy (ATP) leading to a cascade of beneficial effects that increase cellular function and cellular health. The type and depth of tissue that responds to laser therapy depends on the wavelength of the light that is delivered. Bellevue Animal Clinic uses a laser that combines the use of four different wavelengths (the most of any unit available). Each wavelength targets a specific physiologic action that promotes healing.
Does Laser Therapy hurt?
No. Laser therapy is pain free and no sedation is required. Occasionally, your pet may feel a mild warming sensation. The warming sensation is often more soothing than painful. Often, while administering the laser therapy, our patients become relaxed and lay down. We even had one patient that was so relieved, he fell asleep and began snoring.
How often should a patient receive Laser Therapy?
Laser treatments are cumulative and results are often noticed after 3 or 4 treatments. In an acute condition, your pet may be treated daily until the acute condition shows improvement. In more chronic conditions, treatments may be administered 2 or 3 times a week and tapered down as your pet improves.
What to expect?
Improvement is sometimes noted after the first treatment. However, in most patients the cumulative effect of laser therapy requires a few treatments. Bellevue Animal Clinic usually recommends a multi-treatment package (usually 6 or 12 treatments). Treatment times vary in length depending on a few variables, but most sites are treated within 2 to 5 minutes.
What are the risks of Laser Therapy?
There are 4 contraindications for laser therapy in our veterinary patients: 1) never point the beam directly into the eye, 2) never laser directly over the thyroid gland, 3) do not laser directly over a malignant tumor and 4) do not laser over a patient’s uterus while pregnant.
If you live in Opelousas or the nearby communities of Carencro, Church Point, Port Barre, or Breaux Bridge, and you think your pet may benefit from laser therapy, please give a call and schedule an evaluation.