Vet 101: My Magic Wand

Our guest post by Dr. Letrisa Miller touches on a type healing that’s worked well for me and cats I’ve known.

Have question about your cat? Send it to [email protected]

My Magic Wand by Letrisa M. Miller, MS, DVM

I always wanted a real magic wand. To wave a wand and magically make a sick cat instantly well would be wonderful! But magic wands work only in the realm of fairy tales. Right?

It seems a magic wand might exist for some patients. I’ve recently seen three patients that think I have one.

The first cat came to see me after a year of feeling so bad that he was hardly grooming. He could not jump and could barely walk (and when he tried, couldn’t walk straight. His rear legs were extremely weak. I examined him and found that he had a back injury near the last rib. He had pain and swelling from this chronic injury and when I put slight pressure on the area he reacted by trying to bite me.

How did I have him walking normally and grooming himself in less than two weeks without drugs or surgery? My magic wand, of course.

The second cat was developing severe constipation and would not use his litter box. I could not even touch this cat’s carrier without him trying to attack me, and he was terrified of anything in my hand. I had to anesthetize him in order to touch him. On examination, I found severe lumbar back muscle knots and inflammation of the fat around his anus that was causing a great deal of pain.

After trying conventional pain medications and anti-inflammatories, we were making little progress—and still had to use anesthesia for every exam and treatment. So, I turned to my magic wand, and within a few weeks he not only would let me pet him but he’d started to use his litter box. The picture below is of him getting the magic wand treatment.

The third cat was unable to lift his tail for over a year and walked with stiffness. His housemates picked on him, and he hid in the shadows. After one week with the magic wand, he could lift his tail above the level of his back and was out showing his housemates that he isn’t such a pushover.

So what is this magical wand? It is a therapy laser. Therapy laser is not a new modality for treating pain and inflammation, but most still don’t know about it and many who do think it is too good to be true. I was in the latter camp for several years, but then I had a demonstration on my own back. All I could say was “Wow!” It really is like magic. I felt no pain at all for 12 hours!

How can shining organized light at particular wavelengths on tissues relieve pain and decrease inflammation (as well as speed healing)?

The key to laser is the effect it has on cells. The light increases metabolism in the mitochondria, increases circulation, and increases release of endorphins. It decreases swelling and stops pain by acting on tissue circulation and metabolism and somehow desensitizing or calming nerve cells. It does all of these things by stimulating light-absorbing compounds in the cells. The technology might sound too good to be true, but it really works!

There are two types of therapy laser. Cold laser is a class III, or low-energy, laser. These lasers are good for surface treatments, but don’t penetrate very far into tissues. Class IV lasers (like the one I have in my practice) are more powerful and penetrate the tissues more deeply. Class IV lasers can also be used for surgery in some configurations. The following links provide more detail about how therapy lasers work:

http://proceedings.spiedigitallibrary.org/proceeding.aspx?articleid=1276129

http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2011/04/05/veterinary-use-of-laser-therapy-for-pets-expands.aspx

http://lasertherapyforcats.com

But for me, I just think of it as the magic wand I always wanted.

Visit Dr. Miller at her website Connecticut Feline and Surgery

# # #

I wish there was a magic wand to stop asking for Pettie votes. Soon my friends, we’re coming to an end very soon!

Meanwhile, here’s the Pettie Awards Voting Link We shine our laser light of thanks on you 🙂