Edinburgh vet using lasers to ease pet pain and aid recovery

IT has been used by the national Korean football team and America's Olympic show-jumping team.

Now, an Edinburgh vet has become the first in Scotland to use the class IV therapeutic laser.

The device was introduced at the Oak Tree Veterinary Centre on Queensferry Road a fortnight ago as an alternative, or accompaniment, to drugs.

It has already been used to treat around 14 dogs and one cat, most of which were suffering from arthritis or back pain.

Alistair Marks, principal veterinary surgeon at the centre, said he was excited about the potential of the laser to provide drug-free or drug-reduced treatments.

The device can help small animals suffering from a number of conditions, including mobility issues such as arthritis, pulled muscles and tendon tears, as well as inflamed skin conditions such as allergic dermatitis and wet eczema.

The device shines an infrared light on to the affected area, which penetrates deep beneath the skin and into the cells.

Among the top biological effects of laser therapy are anti-inflammation, pain reduction, accelerated tissue repair and cell growth, and faster wound healing.

Mr Marks said: "We like to take advantage of things that are going on elsewhere in the world to further the care that we give. We have been very pleased with the device so far - the majority of cases treated have shown immeasurable and noticeable improvement.

"The device can be used post-surgery to make wounds more comfortable and can also accelerate the healing process for small broken bones."

Mr Marks first learned about the device at the annual North American Veterinary Conference in Florida in January 2009.

Mr Marks added: "The hope is that it may partly or completely replace some of the drugs that could cause animals problems. We do have a few patients who are very intolerant to drugs.

"We are hoping that it will allow animals with chronic problems to be helped where drugs are not working. The acute cases - surgery and wounds - is where it is likely to be an additional therapy, perhaps reducing the amount of drugs used."

The device was first used in the UK in the spring of last year by a vet in Halifax, West Yorkshire, and has now been installed at six UK vet centres.

A similar laser is widely used on people in hospitals in the United States.

The human laser can be used to treat lower back strains, sport injuries and arthritis, as well as being used post- surgery.

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