If there was a safe, non-invasive way to help your pet feel better and heal faster, wouldn’t you want to know about it? Parkside Animal Hospital wants to share a little secret with you—it exists! Laser therapy for pets is gaining traction in the veterinary world, and we have the information you need to know to make an informed decision for your pet. 

Laser Therapy Explained 

The science behind laser therapy is really pretty amazing. Essentially, a handheld probe is used to deliver light energy to a targeted area of the patient’s body. In turn, this light energy helps to activate local cells through photobiomodulation, which encourages them to produce more of their own energy to do things like:

• Increase blood flow
• Decrease inflammation
• Lower pain
• Lessen swelling
• Encourage healing
• Fight infection

Laser therapy can be done in a single session, or for more long-term problems, may be administered over multiple sessions. 

Pros and Cons

Laser therapy for pets has quite a few positives. Treatments are generally fairly quick and are painless for the pet. No sedation is required. In fact, many of our patients seem to enjoy the gentle warming sensation. It is also a relatively affordable way to help our pet patients. 

There really are few downsides. Because laser therapy stimulates blood flow, it can be contraindicated in areas with cancer (or in an area where potential cancer has been removed such as after a biopsy for a dog or cat patient). It can also affect the retina, so safety glasses are recommended during use. Avoiding use over the uterus of a pregnant animal is also advisable. 

Does Your Pet Need Laser Therapy?

So what pets can benefit from laser therapy? Pretty much any animal suffering from pain, inflammation, or injury could use a treatment!

Our staff’s favorite applications for pet laser therapy include:

• As part of a recovery plan after an injury
• After a major pet procedure like spay and neuter surgery
• As part of a dental procedure
• To help back pain
• Helping senior pets with arthritis 

In general, more acute conditions (such as a new surgical incision) can be treated with a single treatment, whereas more chronic conditions (like osteoarthritis) need multiple sessions. 

Laser therapy can be a very valuable and extremely helpful part of a treatment protocol for a wide variety of situations. If you have questions about laser therapy and your pet, don’t hesitate to contact us. We are all about this safe and non-invasive option to help our patients.