Prairie Ridge Veterinary Clinic

While laser therapy for pets may sound like something straight out of science fiction; it is, in fact, becoming a common and effective treatment for companion animals across the country. Dr. Yetter and the Prairie Ridge Animal Clinic staff are excited to introduce therapeutic laser services to our patients. And, while you may not think you are as excited as we are; it’s probably because you don’t know what pet laser therapy is and why it is so incredible.

About Pet Laser Therapy

Therapeutic laser therapy became FDA approved in 2002, and is widely used in the United States as a treatment option in human medicine. Recently, pet laser therapy has been becoming more and more popular in veterinary medicine as well.

A therapeutic laser uses light energy in the form of photons to influence cells in a particular region of the body. Prairie Ridge Animal Clinic uses a Companion Class IV laser. This is the most powerful type of therapeutic laser on the market and the only one made specifically for pets.

How Laser Therapy Works

During a laser therapy session, a handheld probe is used to focus light energy on a selected area of a patient. When the energy reaches the cells in the area, it elicits certain changes which result in faster healing, decreased inflammation, lessened pain, and less infection.

Laser treatments are often very quick and non-invasive. This makes it a great treatment modality for many pets with all kinds of diseases and conditions. Because there is no pain or discomfort involved, pets normally do not need to be sedated or even heavily restrained (most seem to enjoy the process, in fact).

While some pets may feel better immediately following their first treatment, many conditions do require multiple sessions; especially pets suffering from chronic conditions, such as arthritis. Laser therapy can be used as a stand-alone treatment option, but is most effective when used as a complement to traditional modalities of healing and pain management.

Which Pets Can Benefit From Laser Therapy?

Any condition or disease that results in pain or inflammation can potentially benefit from therapeutic laser. Conditions that we look forward to using pet laser therapy to treat include:

• Arthritis/Degenerative joint disease
• Soft-tissue injuries such as ACL injuries

• Orthopedic injuries such as a bone fracture

• Healing after surgery

• Chronic skin and ear problems

• Dental disease

• During wound healing

Because there are no recognized side effects, laser therapy is an attractive treatment option for many pets and problems. We hope that you are just as excited about our new laser as we are. If you have any questions or think that your pet could benefit from laser therapy, please let us know. We are happy to discuss our new therapeutic laser with you.