Pet Laser Therapy in Penn Valley, CA

Laser therapy might sound like something straight from a science fiction novel, but it is a commonly used practice for pets and humans! This approach uses specific types of lasers to help increase blood flow to the targeted area and speed up the recovery process. In addition, laser therapy is non-invasive, and many pets find their treatments to be relaxing and calming.

At Penn Valley Veterinary Associates, we want to ensure that we give you the best options to help care for your pet throughout their lives. That is why we are pleased to offer laser therapy for your pets. If you are interested in this groundbreaking procedure, call today to schedule an appointment.

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Understanding Laser Therapy

Laser therapy uses a special band of light that is called a low-level laser or cold laser. This type of laser is commonly used to help treat pets with arthritis, soft tissue injuries, tendon damage, or to promote the healing of wounds or surgical procedures.

The laser beams at this level are specifically designed to travel to a certain depth into the animal’s tissue to penetrate the tissue and generate a specific amount of heat. The stimulation and heat help to increase the circulation of oxygen and nutrient-rich blood to the targeted area and allows for more rapid healing of the area.

In a slight twist of history, laser therapy was actually first used on humans rather than tested on animals first. Laser therapy has gained notoriety with humans as being an effective and safe procedure, and the same results are found in the pet community.

How Treatment Works

Once we have scheduled your pet for a laser therapy treatment, you will come in at your scheduled time. We will bring you back to an exam room and prepare the treatment. The actual laser is a small handheld device that is placed over the targeted area for a few minutes. During this time, we find that pets enjoy all of the individualized attention. They can sit on your lap or lay wherever they are comfortable.

The laser is held on the area to be treated for between three and eight minutes, and multiple areas can be treated during each session. While many pet owners will notice an improvement after the first session, most temporary issues will take just a few sessions to resolve, while chronic issues or arthritis require a more systematic approach.

Typically pets who have arthritis will begin with an increased number of treatments over the first weeks to help get the condition under control, and then we can begin a maintenance phase where we may need only one treatment a week or just every other week to maintain the progress that has been made.

Recovery

Fortunately, there is no real downtime for pets. Many of our clients found that their animals went home and started to participate in an activity that they had not shown interest in since the onset of their pain. For some animals, this may mean they go back to a favorite toy, or suddenly show interested in chasing a ball. Cats can often return home to have more vigor and playfulness, or maybe they can jump back up to their favorite napping spot. However, pets seem to enjoy the initial treatment and become more relaxed after each treatment about coming to our office.

Overview

If you have a pet who is experiencing pain or a soft tissue injury, schedule an appointment with Penn Valley Veterinary Associates today and see how we can help your pet heal from an injury and improve their quality of life. Our professional and caring staff are often the difference our clients expect from their veterinarian.