Benefits of Laser Surgery for Pets

Laser surgery has transformed the way in which many medical procedures are performed, and the benefits aren’t just limited to humans. Laser surgery is increasingly being used in veterinary treatments across the United States and offers pets and their owners a range of benefits over conventional surgical techniques.

It’s important to be aware that laser surgery is different than laser therapy. Laser surgery is used to ablate (remove) or cut living tissue, while laser therapy is non-invasive and uses laser energy to create a therapeutic effect.

Laser Surgery Can Be Used To Treat A Wide Range Of Conditions

One of the biggest benefits of laser surgery is that it can be used to treat a wide range of different health conditions in pets. These include, but aren’t limited to the following:

• Anal gland infections
  
  

• Cystitis
  
  

• Declawing
  
  

• Degenerative disc disease
  
  

• Dental problems, including gum disease (periodontal disease)
  
  

• Ear infections
  
  

• Muscle, ligament, and tendon damage
  
  

• Stomatitis
  
  

• Wound healing
  
  

Your veterinarian will be able to advise you if laser surgery could be an option to treat your pet.

What Are The Benefits Of Laser Surgery For Pets?

There are a number of advantages to choosing laser surgery for your pet’s much-needed veterinary procedure.

Less post-operative pain: No loving pet owner wants to see their furbaby in pain, but after surgery, some discomfort is normally inevitable. Fortunately, laser surgery has been proven to help reduce post-operative pain in animals. The laser not only cuts the tissues but can also be used to seal the nerve endings as it does so, reducing the ability of pain signals to travel to and from the surgical site.

Less blood loss: Bleeding can be a real issue in some surgeries, but the laser can be used to cauterize blood vessels as the surgery is performed, preventing excessive bleeding. This can also lower the risk of post-surgical bleeding as a potential complication.

Lower risk of infection: Any sort of open wound is at risk of infection, which can occur when harmful microorganisms enter the incision and the bloodstream. However, by superheating the tissues, the laser can also destroy any bacteria that are present, limiting the likelihood of infection.

Faster recovery: Many studies show that animals who have had laser rather than conventional surgery are able to recover quicker. This is believed to be largely due to the reduction in post-operative pain and inflammation that enables them to heal more quickly.

Increased accuracy: Laser technology can perform the surgery with pinpoint accuracy and remove the risk of human error, making laser surgeries generally considered safer with better outcomes for the animals that have them.

Most pets can have laser surgery: The versatility of laser surgery means that it is safe for the vast majority of animals, including dogs, cats, birds, horses, ferrets, rabbits, guinea pigs and even some lizards including iguanas.

If you would like to learn more about the benefits of laser surgery for pets, our dedicated veterinary team would be happy to help. Please contact Richfield Animal Medical Center in Richfield, Ohio at 330-659-6606 to schedule an appointment