Veterinary Laser Therapy

What is Veterinary Laser Therapy?

Veterinary laser therapy—sometimes called red light therapy, cold laser therapy, or low-level light (LLL) therapy—is an adjunctive noninvasive technique that has promising health benefits for cats, dogs, and other animals. It uses light in the form of laser beams to stimulate biological changes in tissues, including skin, bones, ligaments, and tendons.

Unlike more powerful lasers used during surgery to make incisions, veterinary laser therapy emits beams of light at a much lower intensity, with wavelengths typically between 600 and 1,000 nanometers.

When these laser beams are directed at a pet’s body, they get absorbed into tissues and stimulate biological changes including enhanced cellular growth, metabolism, and repair.

This process of using light beams to stimulate cellular changes is known as photobiomodulation.

How Laser Therapy Can Benefit Your Pet

Research and clinical experience suggest that laser therapy can support your pet’s healing and comfort in several ways:

  • Promotes blood circulation, enhancing oxygen and nutrient delivery to tissues
  • Reduces inflammation

  • Minimizes pain by encouraging the release of natural pain-relieving chemicals such as endorphins

  • Speeds up the healing of tissues and wounds, such as after surgery
  • Encourages muscle relaxation

When to use it

Laser therapy can be used for dogs and cats who are diagnosed with the following health conditions:
  • Surgical incisions
  • Trauma and soft tissue damage, including tendon and ligament injuries
  • Chronic health conditions like arthritis and hip dysplasia
  • Skin and coat problems, including hot spots and ear infections
Laser therapy may also be especially useful for older pets, pets with impaired organ function, and animals who cannot take certain (pain) medications.

What Happens During a Laser Therapy Session

When you bring your animal in for a pet laser therapy session, our compassionate staff will do everything we can to make your animal feel calm and comfortable throughout their visit. Laser therapy itself is entirely painless, and many pets find the treatment so relaxing that they fall asleep during their session!
While your pet rests in a comfortable position, one of our veterinarians waves a wand-like device over the target treatment area. Laser beams from this device will penetrate the desired tissues in your pet’s body, initiating a cascade of healing effects. A typical laser therapy treatment session lasts about 15 to 30 minutes.
We use a Companion Animal Laser CTS-DUO. It is the most up to date model and can treat all species we care for. 
 
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