Cold laser therapy in dogs...experiences?

[hunterjumper21]

Hey everyone,

I have two 11 year old Newfoundlands that are in extremely good health, except for arthritis in their hind legs and hips. My vet recently recommended I look into doing some cold laser therapy to see if it helps with their mobility. They are both currently on duramax, get a joint supplement, and one is on a low dose of tramadol. Has anyone had experience with laser therapy in bigger dogs (or any dog in general) and would like to share their opinions?

I’ve been trying to do some research on the side and from what I’ve read sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn’t, and if it works they will probably require the therapy until it’s their time to go.

Thanks in advance!

[BuddyRoo]

Not sure where you are, but my previous veterinarian (in MI) started offering cold laser therapy and I ran into more than one client who swore by it. I have no first hand experience though.

It takes some digging to find any articles that are published by veterinary colleges on this topic.

I found this: http://www.vetmed.ufl.edu/2011/10/24/laser-therapy-helps-dogs-with-disc-disease/

http://www.animalmedcenter.com/faqs/category/class-iv-laser-therapy

There’s just not a lot out there that I can find as far as studies supporting efficacy. But perhaps if you ask your veterinarian, he/she can refer you to some?

I did a search for papers at Michigan State University (veterinary teaching hospital) and came up empty too.

So I dunno. I suppose that if you’ve got the $$ and want to try it, it won’t hurt. But I just can’t find much empirical data out there.

[3DogNight]

We have a 15 yr. old Lab who tore her CCL late last fall. Because she is not a candidate for surgical repair, we opted to go with laser treatments and low doses of Tramadol. She’s been getting treatments for about four months now. Started off at 3/week and gradually decreased. Now she goes once every two weeks. She went from about 10% use of her leg to close to 80% use. We have since stopped the Tramadol, but she does get Dasuquin daily. I don’t think her recovery would have been so positive without the laser treatment.

[ken]

I’ve had this therapy for my horse & myself & swear by it! My equine chiropractor (used to be a human chiropractor) has one. I badly strained my back & just 1 laser treatment helped immensely. I would not be afraid to try this on my dog. Good luck!

[Incantation]

Cold laser really helped my 10yo, Mastiff recover from a bicep tendon injury 1 1/2 yrs ago. I didn’t know it could be helpful with arthritis. I may look into taking her for more treatements as she has arthritis in her back now.

[SquishTheBunny]

Our rehab specialist uses the cold laser and feels it has really aided in the success of the rehab treatments.

I would recommend this, along with a visit to a boarded veterinary rehab specialist. Often muscle pain develops from overcompensating and these can be worked out with proper stretches, muscle building, posturing and of course the cold laser.

[Flurry84]

As soon as my vet added laser therapy to her chiro treatment regimen for her clients, most saw a good bit more improvement. I know I did with my large breed and also with a medium sized breed I had. She recommends using both chiro and laser for optimum results, although not every vet is as good at chiro as she is. She also used acupuncture in conjunction with these therapies. All have helped mine through the years. Good luck with your Newfies.

[Mosey_2003]

I know my horse sure likes it…