If you have pets, you know how much a pet can mean to us. They are our family members, and at times they might even be more important to us than human members of the family. They are like our constant companions, so it is only natural that we’ll want to take very good care of them. And when they get sick or injured, or when they get old so that they need constant care, we try our best to give them the best kind of care and treatment to make sure of their well-being.
Our pets, especially cats and dogs, can fall victim to different diseases such as infections, inflammation, arthritis, etc. Also, they might face accidents and injure themselves no matter how well and cautiously we look after them. They might cut their pads, scratch their legs, twist their ankles, jiggle their shoulder, and many more. When these happen, it might be really worrying for you. But to ease the problems of your pets and lessen your worries, there are many solutions you can go for, light therapy being a really great one among them.
Light therapy has recently gained huge popularity due to its manifold uses. It is widely used to treat skin problems, mental health problems, sleeping problems, etc. But you will be surprised to know that light therapy is also widely used in various animal treatment processes.
Actually, the usage of light therapy got into the veterinary world during the mid-1980s. Especially infrared and red light therapy devices are mostly used to treat pets and other trained animals. Red light therapy can penetrate the skins of the pets and treat different wounds and infections, while infrared light can enter joints, bones, and ligaments to treat problems in them.
How Light Therapy Actually Works in Pets
There are different types of light therapies, and each of them offers different types of benefits. However, for pets, only red and infrared lights are used mostly. They are used to create a natural response in the body by using the body’s own resources. Some treatments through light therapy work to activate the natural defense system of the body, while others work to reactivate complex nervous systems that can trigger a process of healing or rejuvenation. Red Light therapy can also reduce pain by producing nitric oxide. Let’s see how else red light therapy can help pets.
Cellular
Light therapy can trigger the release of ATP, and it helps transport energy to cells. It also provides the needed chemical energy that stimulates different reactions in the cells. With the help of increased ATP, the cells start using the nutrients faster and get rid of the waste materials faster too.
Collagen
Light therapy can stimulate collagen production in our pets’ bodies. Collagen is a vital protein that helps to repair injured tissues in their body. By growing collagen production, light therapy helps to form healed tissues at the damaged place.
Wound Healing
The production of phagocytic cells is stimulated by light therapy, and as a result, helps to effectively recover cells that are degenerated or dead. This feature helps a lot in treating various infections. Before starting the healing process, you need to make sure that the infections are properly eliminated. There are fibroblasts in connective tissue that can form collagen layers and help the regeneration process. Fibroblast activities can also be stimulated by light therapy.
Circulation
The blood circulation of pets can be increased by using light therapy of certain wavelengths. If you can get to increase the blood flow to the sick or infected areas by using light therapy, the injured cells get healed quickly. Also, more oxygen and other important nutrients are transported to the affected areas by the enhanced blood flow, so it helps the area to heal better, and wastes also get removed. Nitric oxide helps to keep blood vessels elastic and flexible, and light therapy stimulates the production of nitric oxide too.
Nerve Tissue
Endorphin is the body’s long-term chemical for pain-relieving, and light therapy triggers the generation of endorphin. This therapy can also improve peripheral neuropathies in a similar manner.
Specific Reasons to Use Light Therapy On Your Pets
Light therapy might be able to help your pets with some specific conditions that might be tough to get rid of with conventional methods. For example, if your beloved dog gets arthritis, which is really common among old ones, light therapy can help you a lot to reduce the pain of your dog. Light therapy can also help to shape and heal the tissues, help your pet to get rid of tendon problems. The other conditions that can be treated with light therapy include-
- Muscle Pain
- Skin Infections
- Skin Rashes
- Articular Pain
- Energy Production
- Inflammation
- Injuries and Wounds
- Osteoarthritis
- Collagen Production
Veterinary Practice and Light Therapy
Light therapy has been used in veterinary practices for decades. But in recent years, it has become very popular, and as a result, people have become more accepting of light therapy. Also, light therapy technology has improved drastically and provides more benefits than before, and the light therapy devices have become more accessible too.
Nowadays, most vets use light therapy to treat a wide range of conditions that might affect your pet, which ranges from skin problems to chronic pain and acute injury and wounds. Vet schools also provide full education and training on light therapy treatments so that they can be properly applied to pets. You must consult your vet before you use light therapy on your pet, or better even if you let the vet do the job.
Final Words
Light therapy has been great in solving many problems in humans, and they are also really effective in solving numerous problems in animals. If you want to take proper care of your pet and make sure that they don’t suffer much from the mentioned conditions, you can resort to light therapy as a great solution. You can provide them a sound and healthy life easily by using it.
