Dear Friends of Loyal Companion Animal Care,

We are excited to introduce you to the newest tool we have to aide in our goal of providing great quality of life, relief from pain, and quick healing to all of our patients... it is Class IV Laser Therapy.

Class IV Lasers are currently the fastest growing modality in both the Veterinary and Human Medical fields. They employ different wavelengths of light that penetrate tissues of the body to allow therapeutic benefit. The wavelengths of light stimulate blood circulation to the treatment areas as well as stimulate different biochemical reactions in these tissues. The light's effect, put simply, stimulates the body's normal pain relieving and healing processes to occur at an accelerated rate. This translates in to what we see as the positive effects of treatment – pain relief and speed in healing. During treatment the only sensation noted by the patient is a mild warming of the treatment area, and often soon after (sometimes during!) a noticeable improvement in comfort level.

Given the method of action of the Class IV Laser, it has limitless possibilities for use in the care and treatment of our patients. Since acquiring the laser last winter we have used it for our patients with back/neck pain, osteoarthritis, and traumatic and soft tissue injuries. It has been a successful addition in treating pets with these problems and in many instances allowed faster recovery times as well as lower doses of pain medication. It also has application for our patients undergoing wound healing whether it occurred from trauma or was a result of surgery or dental work. We have had the opportunity to use the laser after spay and neuter surgeries, ear hematoma surgeries, wound repairs, and dental extractions. It has proven to speed healing time in all of these procedures as well as provide additional pain relief during the healing process. It is important to note that the use of laser is contraindicated after mass/tumor removal as we would not want to stimulate cancerous cells.

If you have any questions, or would like to discuss how our new Class IV Laser could help your pet, please do not hesitate to contact us!

Dr. Craig Miller and Dr. Madden