Laser Therapy for Dogs: Benefits, Risks, and How It Works

Laser therapy has many uses in humans, so it is no surprise that it is being used more often in veterinary medicine to treat dogs and other species, too. The word “laser” is actually an acronym that stands for light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation. In simpler terms, therapeutic lasers use light at specific wavelengths to target specific tissues in the body. 

This type of laser therapy is often beneficial to treat painful conditions as well as certain kinds of inflammation. And while there are some great benefits to laser therapy, it is important to know that it is not used as a cure, but as supportive treatment that can help improve healing and reduce pain in conjunction with other treatments. Read on to learn all about laser therapy for dogs.

What is laser therapy?

Laser therapy uses light at specific wavelengths to target certain tissues in the body. Most of the time, the purpose is to promote healing and minimize pain by reducing inflammation and improving circulation. There are many other kinds of laser therapies that may have different targets, such as photodynamic therapy, which is aimed at destroying certain pathogens or cancer cells. 

When a veterinarian treats a dog with laser therapy, there is usually a planned protocol for the dog’s treatment. This includes a certain number of sessions using a specific wavelength of light for a specific amount of time during each session. Treatment may occur over a number of days, weeks, or months, depending on the dog’s condition and how they respond to treatment. 

Related article

Alternative Therapies Can Zen Out Your Pet, Too

Wellness treatments like acupuncture, Reiki, and sound baths are helping pets heal and bond with their parents.

How laser therapy works

The type of laser therapy used to promote healing and reduce swelling is known as photobiomodulation, or PBM. In this treatment, a laser with a specific wavelength of light is used to target certain tissues at the site of a wound or painful condition. These particular wavelengths of light act at the cellular level to stimulate the production and release of factors needed for tissue repair. They can also improve circulation, which helps reduce swelling and activate white blood cells that remove damaged tissue and promote healing. 

Benefits of laser therapy

The main benefits of laser therapy for painful conditions and wounds are speeding up healing and reducing pain in a number of different ways.

Pain relief

Laser therapy can reduce inflammation, which causes redness, swelling, and increased sensitivity to an area that is injured. Lasers can also help stimulate the release of endorphins, which reduce feelings of pain and desensitize certain nerve fibers to painful input. 

Improved mobility

Laser therapy may help improve mobility by reducing pain and inflammation, allowing a dog to move without discomfort. It can also promote healthy tissue formation, including collagen synthesis, which plays a major role in the strength and stretchiness of tissues. 

Accelerated healing

By increasing circulation to injured tissues, laser therapy promotes faster healing. This is because it allows rapid clean-up of damaged tissue and growth of healthy tissue. 

Reduced inflammation

Laser therapy may improve circulation, which plays a big role in reducing inflammation. 

Related article

Can Dogs Get Acupuncture?

Find out if this complementary and alternative medicine is right for your pup.

Conditions treated with laser therapy

Laser therapy is mainly used for the therapeutic treatment of pain or to promote wound healing in the following conditions.

Arthritis and joint pain

Laser therapy can reduce inflammation and sensations of pain, making it helpful in chronically painful conditions like arthritis and other forms of joint disease. 

Soft tissue injuries

Laser therapy can speed up the healing of soft tissues, reduce pain and inflammation, and promote new tissue formation. 

Post-surgical recovery

Laser therapy is used after surgery to promote the healing of incisions and may also help to reduce post-surgery pain and inflammation.

Dermatological issues

Certain skin conditions cause pain, inflammation, and damage to the skin, making them potential targets for laser therapy as well. This works best on smaller, focal areas of damage, such as lick granulomas. 

The laser therapy procedure

Laser therapy is performed in a veterinarian’s office and involves multiple sessions over many days, weeks, or months. Most veterinarians will follow the protocol below. 

Initial assessment

For a new patient, the initial assessment will include a thorough physical exam, along with other diagnostic tests needed to confirm a dog’s diagnosis. The veterinarian will also want to know the dog’s medical history, including the duration of the problem, any other treatments you have tried or are currently using, as well as any other medical conditions the dog has had. Based on these findings, the veterinarian will design a treatment protocol with a specific wavelength of light and recommend a certain number of treatment sessions.

Treatment sessions

Each treatment session will last a specific amount of time and should be scheduled at regular intervals. Based on a dog’s progress and response to the treatment, the protocol may be adjusted. Some conditions, such as a wound or surgical incision, may heal completely within seven to 14 days — and laser therapy is then discontinued. Other chronic conditions, such as arthritis, will never completely heal and will need ongoing management. Dogs with chronic conditions may benefit from regular laser therapy as part of their long-term treatment plan.  

Risks of laser therapy

Laser therapy is considered relatively safe when used appropriately. Many of the risks can be avoided when the proper type of laser is used at the correct wavelength. Here are some risks to keep in mind. 

• Burns: Dogs with darker fur and skin will absorb more energy from the laser, which can lead to damage to their fur and burns to their skin in more extreme cases.

• Damage to sensitive tissues: Lasers can damage delicate tissues in the eyes, developing fetuses, as well as glands that produce hormones and other important secretions. They should never be applied to these areas. Dogs and all humans in the room should wear eye protection during laser treatments.

• Lack of efficacy: Although there are some convincing studies on the benefits of laser therapy in dogs, there are no standards for how best to use laser therapy. This means that different vets may use laser therapy with varying degrees of success, based on their level of experience and the quality of their equipment. It is important to work with an experienced vet who uses specific wavelengths and protocols to target different conditions or find a specialist in pain management and rehabilitation. 

Alternative therapies for dogs

Laser therapy is often one of many tools used to treat a dog’s condition. This multi-modal approach to managing pain and improving healing helps maximize the benefits by using lots of treatments instead of relying on only one approach. This is especially important in chronic conditions such as arthritis or back injuries, where long-term strategies need to balance effective treatments while minimizing negative side effects. Below are some alternative or complementary therapies.

Pain management

There are many ways to approach pain management for dogs, and the most effective protocols will incorporate a whole bunch of them. This includes pain medications, acupuncture, massage, physical rehabilitation, supplements that may reduce inflammation and promote mobility, and modifications to a pup’s home and routine to make daily activities easier. 

Wound healing

Veterinarians use many approaches to encourage wound healing. The most important step is to keep wounds clean and avoid contamination with pathogens. All wounds should be properly cleaned and decontaminated by a veterinarian. Depending on the type of wound and complicating factors, a vet may prescribe antibiotics and other medications to promote healing and reduce the risk of infection. Some wounds may require drains, bandaging, and/or stitches to promote healing, too. This is combined with treatments aimed at reducing pain and inflammation, such as pain medications and ice or heat therapy. 

Bottom line

Laser therapy can provide useful benefits in managing pain and wound healing. There is still a lot to learn about how to use laser therapy most effectively for different conditions. So, laser therapy is best used in conjunction with other treatments aimed at reducing pain, promoting mobility, and improving wound healing. 

References

• Alves, J, et al., “A randomized double-blinded controlled trial on the effects of photobiomodulation therapy in dogs with osteoarthritis,” American Journal of Veterinary Research, vol. 83, no. 8, 28 June 2022. doi.org/10.2460/ajvr.22.03.0036.

• Dompe, C, et al., “Photobiomodulation—Underlying Mechanism and Clinical Applications,” Journal of Clinical Medicine, vol. 9, no. 6, 3 June 2020. www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/9/6/1724.

• Draper, WE, et al., “Low-level laser therapy reduces time to ambulation in dogs after hemilaminectomy: a preliminary study,” Journal of Small Animal Practice, vol. 54, no. 1, 26 December 2012. doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-5827.2012.01242.x.

• Koh, R., “Applications of Therapeutic Laser in Your Daily Practice,” World Small Animal Veterinary Association Congress Proceedings, 2018. 

• Wardlaw, J, et al., “Laser Therapy for Incision Healing in 9 Dogs,” Frontiers in Veterinary Science, vol. 5, 28 January 2019. doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2018.00349.