Holistic Healing of a Husky Through Laser Therapy

Gibson is checking himself out in an edition of a regional newspaper! 

 

Why is Gibson featured? I wrote an article that was published in a newspaper about K-Laser USA Therapy  and the healing effects is has on animals, and one such patient is my boy, Gibson. Gibson had been experiencing some severe hind end weakness, including inability to take stairs, splaying when he walked on floors, and having a difficult time getting up. Since he is an Epi-dog and on a medicine regiment, helping him to heal without medication was my hope. I'm fortunate in that I have a wonderful veterinarian team and a lead veterinarian who is leading the way in our area with this type of alternative holistic healing and pain treatment. 

 

Gibson waiting for his treatment next to poster of how it works.

 

Today, a large number of us pet parents seeks out alternative, or holistic, methods to treat our own health concerns and now turn to those same methods for our pets’ illnesses and injuries as well, either in place of, or in combination with, traditional medicines. Choices include chiropractic treatments, acupuncture, therapeutic massage, and laser therapy. While laser therapy sounds like something straight out of a sci-fi movie, it actually is grounded in real-time, and is a hands-on, non-surgical, drug-free non-invasive, therapeutic practice that has been benefitting human patients suffering from inflammation, pain, and injuries in Europe for more than 30 years. The benefits of laser therapy have been well documented, and it is now widely practiced here in the United States healthcare field since being FDA approved in 2002.

Each year, more and more medical, chiropractic, and physical therapy facilities—and more recently, veterinarian hospitals—are offering laser therapy to treat a number of health conditions. Here our vet has been a leading trailblazer in this field, with pet patients coming driving from several counties over to receive the treatments. All of the veterinarian technicians on staff at our vets are certified to administer the highly successful K-Laser therapy treatments.

  Laser therapy, or “photobiomodulation,” according to K-Laser™USA, is the use of specific wavelengths of light to create therapeutic effects on a cellular level. It is quickly growing in popularity as a preferred method of treatment for a myriad of animal-related issues and symptoms, including inflammation and pain from arthritis, hip dysplasia, edema, sprains, muscle strains, and post-dental care, as well as for wound care and post-op healing. It can also treat whole areas as well as targeted areas of care, sending energy into the damaged area to promote the process of healing. 

[K-Laser] creates therapeutic effects on a cellular level.

 

Treatments are based on the type of injury or medical issue, the animal’s weight, and the color and density of the fur coat in order to determine the right amount of laser to penetrate through to the cells. The animal lies down in a relaxed state for the treatment, which is applied by a wand instrument connected to a programmable computer. As a safety precaution, protective goggles must be worn during laser sessions by the administrator and human companion. Once started, the application can last for several minutes (depending on the size of the affected area) and is pain-free for the animal.

Gibson with his vet tech, Jessica.

            

Gibson’s main vet tech and K-Laser administrator, Jessica, a licensed veterinarian technician at our veterinarian hospital for more than nine years, has been seeing positive results in their pet patients, which is currently a total of 42 pets, since the hospital began offering the laser treatments last December. “We treat a number of dogs with arthritis-type pain in the hips, knees and spines; hip dysplasia; injuries; and inflammation. After dentistry, in cases of gingivitis or inflammation, we’ll do a quick little treatment to help heal the gums. In some cases, through use of laser therapy, it helps to reduce inflammation right away and healing time is faster.”

Gibson is a frequent visitor to our vet’s office with check-ups for his Canine Epilepsy and low thyroid levels, as well as my constantly monitoring his weight. When he started having some issues with his hind end becoming weak, so much so that it caused his legs to splay when he tried to stand up, resulting in his dragging himself to move, I consulted with our lead vet. Since Gib, who is just 5, could no longer walk up and down stairs without falling, and spent most of his days lying down, getting up only if absolutely necessary and with great difficulty, I was quite concerned. 

Upon initial examination, Dr. R. diagnosed the weakness due to a possible old injury that caused the inflammation and back end weakness. He suggested the laser therapy, and after the initial first round of treatments, Gibson began showing signs of improvement. After each session, his legs and hind end became stronger and he began to walk normal again. He currently goes in for bi-weekly maintenance sessions and can now go on walks, manage stairs again, and even run and play in the yard with the four other Huskies in his family – something he has not physically been able to do for the better part of a year.

 "In some cases, through use of laser therapy, it helps to reduce inflammation right away and healing time is faster."

 

And laser therapy is not just for dogs. A kitten was treated by the staff for an injury to its hind leg that had an open wound. “After a few treatments, the healing was more rapid and the wound gradually closed. The laser is also very good for superficial wounds,” notes Jessica.

Even a pot-bellied pig was brought in for a treatment!  

While the list of ailments the laser therapy can treat is long, there is an instance when it should not be used. Jessica elaborates, “We would not want to use it on a growth or mass that is cancer. We would not want to stimulate growth of the cancer cells.”

Gibson meets fellow laser patient Holloway & his guardian.

   

  The proof of holistic treatments for pets is in the patients, like Gibson. Using a drug and surgical-free method of treatment has even more upsides than the obvious as it does not have any residual side effects. And, when used in combination with prescribed medications, adds Jessica, “The laser therapy can help to reduce the amount of medication an animal may need

 

To demonstrate what a laser session is like, I've put together a video from several of Gibson's sessions to give you an idea

 

 

 

 

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