SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - When John and Susan Davenport were traveling from California to their winter home in Buckeye, they noticed something was wrong with Rosie, their 11-year-old longhair dachshund.
“In the middle of the night, I woke up to find she couldn’t move at all," said John. "Rosie was pretty much paralyzed in her back legs.
Rosie had suffered a slipped disc, a devastating condition her owners had seen before. Rosie's mother had been put down a few years ago for a similar back issue.
“It was a choked up feeling," John said. "We kind of didn't want to think what the outcome would be.”
The outlook was grim: Rosie would need back surgery which would've cost thousands of dollars with a 50/50 chance of success.
The Davenports decided to try cold laser therapy. Their veterinarian in California had used it before when Rosie had an issue with one of her hind legs.
“Watching her mom suffer just wasn’t something we wanted to do. It was something we wanted to try,” said John.
Cold laser therapy is a less invasive procedure than surgery. Fitted with a pair of sunglasses to shade her eyes, all Rosie has to do is lay on the table and relax as the technician massages her back with laser that looks similar to a ultrasound.
This session lasted about 10 minutes.
“It helps to reduce swelling and inflammation and pain,” said Benjamin Savard, a veterinarian at Raintree Pet Resort & Medical Center.
Savard says he’s been using the new laser therapy for about three years. He says the laser feels warm and can also increase the blood flow to the injured area and speed up the recovery.
The Davenports say Rosie was able to walk again after a few sessions and is now back to normal. The laser therapy worked and was more affordable than surgery.
“We did a series of six treatments, about $250," Savard said. "We're doing the individual ongoing treatments, which works out to $40 apiece."
Oftentimes when a pet parent has to choose between paying an expensive procedure for their pet or euthanasia, sadly, they choose the latter.
Dr. Savard estimates he’s has been able to save more than a dozen dogs from being put down because of the success and affordability of the laser. He also says the laser therapy is not the cure-all for all pets; it's just another tool in treating man's best friend.
“It's another way we can bring some relief to many of our patients, often without having to use drugs that have lots of side effects because it's a perfectly safe treatment,” said Savard.
The cold laser therapy can also be used to treat a number of other issues your pet may face like arthritis and gum disease.
For more information, visit the Raintree Pet Resort & Medical Center's website.