Adventures in Canine Laser Therapy

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Last week, prior to getting his chiropractic adjustment done, the vet added laser therapy to Maestro's list.

It is a non-invasive treatment for his arthritis and Inter-vertebral Disc Disease (IVDD). In a nutshell, laser therapy stimulates sick cells to heal, to regenerate. The vet told us about a dog that was paralyzed. After laser therapy treatments, the dog was able to walk again, although it failed conventional nerve tests. That's because the damaged nerves were too far gone, so the laser therapy jump-started the cells to create a new bridge of neurons.

Maestro had cold laser therapy. At first, the vet used a wand that emitted light.

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Maestro visibly relaxed on the table throughout the treatment. Then, the vet used a pen that delivered a laser/Acupressure combo treatment. He didn't like that part so much, but it did make a huge difference afterwards.

Today, Dr. Catherine said that Maestro didn't need a chiropractic adjustment. Just the laser therapy and infrared treatment.

Here are a couple of articles that describe laser therapy for cats, dogs and humans in more detail:

AKC's Laser Therapy for Dogs Article

History of Laser Therapy

Laser Therapy for Dogs

Pet Arthtritis: Laser Therapy

In case you're wondering, yes, laser therapy is available for humans too.

The Light Relief machine I've been using on Maestro is a type of laser therapy. However, it's just at a much lower level..

Check out this newscast on pet arthritis and laser therapy:

US News

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Weird News

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More ABC News Videos

Mille grazie to Dr. Catherine at Canine Aquafitness for allowing me to take photos today.

Diggin' the Light Therapy

A while back, I snagged my father's Light Relief infrared therapy machine to ease my achy muscles and joints. However, it would appear that someone else in the house is enjoying the benefits of light therapy:

You can read more about the benefits of light therapy for people and dogs with arthritis here. The Coles Notes version is that the lights penetrate deep inside to reduce pain and inflammation. It also helps stimulate the cells to heal,

Cooking for A Dog with Arthritis

Lately, I've been exploring what changes to make to his home-prepared diet. From my preliminary searches, I have found that cayenne pepper, red peppers, turmeric and cumin contain either anti-inflammatory properties or have cleansing properties.

It also appears that grains needs to be completely cut out. Omega-3 oils and Glucosamine are a must.

Lean meats are a must too. Oh, Maestro will be happy to hear that he can still eat cartilage.

The following are a few articles that I have found regarding the types of foods and herbs to feed an arthritic dog. I'll post more as I come across them:

Arthrtis in DogsDiet Guidelines for Dogs with ArthritisTreating Canine Arthritis Naturally

A quick update on Maestro's treatments: Maestro seems to be responding well to his medication since being diagnosed with IVDD and osteoarthritis. Administering his medication is a snap with Pill Pockets.

He was pretty good at the Canine Aquafitness Centre too, where they did some heat therapy and chriopractic adjustments. However, for one moment, he was reluctant to have the vet complete the adjustment to his neck area. He turned around to face her and his expression clearly said, "You can adore me, but do not touch my neck." He was all perky afterwards.

The vet recommends that he try laser therapy. It's gentler on his joints.

Intervertebral Disk Disease in Dogs

Today, Maestro was officially diagnosed with Intervertebral Disk Disease and osteoarthritis. It sounds terrifying, and no doubt, was what caused me to feel faint upon getting the news and examining the x-rays.

I brought him in because I thought he had pulled a shoulder muscle and it just wasn't healing. Good thing I did bring him in - herniated disks are as painful to our furry friends as they are to us!

Our vet says that I/V Disk Disease is extremely common in dogs - just as it is in people (and cats)! As far as treatment goes, there are several options for pet owners and their furry loved ones:

• Surgery: From what I've read and heard from the vet, this is reserved for pets in severe pain.

• Medication: A combination of anti-inflammatory, pain relief and muscle relaxants are given.

• Alternative Therapies: Three treatments that I've heard about include chiropractic treatments, aqua-therapy and acupuncture.

Maestro is currently on medication and seeing as he's still fairly mobile, we will explore the alternative therapies prior to exploring surgery. Having said that, from the looks of the x-rays, I have to consider surgery as a viable option.

In the meantime, rest, level surfaces, gentle walks are on the roster. That, and losing the winter fat to ease the pressure on his joints.

No running, jumping, stairs or shaking his favourite toy to bits. I'm going out on a limb to say no bongo drum practice either.

For more information, visit:

Intervertebral Disk article on Veterinary Surgical Centers

Intervertebral Disk Disease

Dog Arthritis: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments

P.S. I can't stress enough the importance of getting pet health insurance!