Post by Sherry on Jan 22, 2012 20:01:02 GMT -5
From mustelidmusk:
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Finally getting time to write something
Cold/Low-light Laser therapy is pretty new stuff in the US, and it's considered to be in "experimental stages". I know that cold laser is used more frequently in other countries, but from what I've read, there's still a lot to be learned.
Typically, cold laser therapy is used on soft tissue to treat inflammation and pain. It stimulates healing and cell repair as well.
One of the biggest controversies over Cold laser is whether or not cold laser therapy can stimulate/accelerate the growth of cancer. While many (most?) agree that laser therapy is unlikely to initiate cancer, some studies have demonstrated an acceleration of cancerous growths in both in vitro (laboatory) and in vivo (living) studies.
That being said, cold laser therapy used incorrectly can actually slow healing and cause damage when used inappropriately. The machines can be put on different settings, treatments can be applied to different areas of the body, and the treatment can vary by the amount of time the tissue is exposed to the laser treatment. Other contributing factors in laser treatment include how many treatments are given and how frequently the treaments are given. As you can seem there are quite a few variables involved with laser therapy.
We used laser therapy on my Shaman. Shaman had a stubborn lesion on his tail along with his advanced cardiomyopathy. I was not worried about the possibility of stimulating a cancer since Shaman's days were numbered - his heart was larger than a cat's. Shaman was given weekly treatments for 2.5 months. Each treatment cost only $25.00 (no office charge on top of that either- it was cheap.) He responded very favorably to the treatments. His energy levels increased by a remarkably noticeable level after treatment. By the end of the week, his energy levels would drop. Shaman received therapy on his tail, his rump/hind quarter, and thymus every week. The treatments were uneventful (I would just hold him in s position so they could shine the laser on him. ) His tail cleared up after about 4 treatments. he continued to benefit from the treatments and enjoyed a happy and playful quality of life until his heart could no longer sustain him.
So, My thought on this is as follows:
1. laser is really experimental, and ferrets love to grow cancers.
2. there are a LOT of variables involved when using laser, and use of laser on ferrets is probably REALLY RARE (little knowledge)
3. My OPINION on using laser on ferrets is as follows: I would be concerned about trying laser on ferrets that may have a cancer (adrenal cancers are typically very slow growing). Since cancer is very common in ferrets, I'd probably wait for the therapy to be more widely used on ferrets before trying it on my own babies. HOWEVER, If your ferret is already dying from a non-cancerous issue (like my Shaman was), laser may be be something you may want to try.
-jennifer
***********************************************
Finally getting time to write something
Cold/Low-light Laser therapy is pretty new stuff in the US, and it's considered to be in "experimental stages". I know that cold laser is used more frequently in other countries, but from what I've read, there's still a lot to be learned.
Typically, cold laser therapy is used on soft tissue to treat inflammation and pain. It stimulates healing and cell repair as well.
One of the biggest controversies over Cold laser is whether or not cold laser therapy can stimulate/accelerate the growth of cancer. While many (most?) agree that laser therapy is unlikely to initiate cancer, some studies have demonstrated an acceleration of cancerous growths in both in vitro (laboatory) and in vivo (living) studies.
That being said, cold laser therapy used incorrectly can actually slow healing and cause damage when used inappropriately. The machines can be put on different settings, treatments can be applied to different areas of the body, and the treatment can vary by the amount of time the tissue is exposed to the laser treatment. Other contributing factors in laser treatment include how many treatments are given and how frequently the treaments are given. As you can seem there are quite a few variables involved with laser therapy.
We used laser therapy on my Shaman. Shaman had a stubborn lesion on his tail along with his advanced cardiomyopathy. I was not worried about the possibility of stimulating a cancer since Shaman's days were numbered - his heart was larger than a cat's. Shaman was given weekly treatments for 2.5 months. Each treatment cost only $25.00 (no office charge on top of that either- it was cheap.) He responded very favorably to the treatments. His energy levels increased by a remarkably noticeable level after treatment. By the end of the week, his energy levels would drop. Shaman received therapy on his tail, his rump/hind quarter, and thymus every week. The treatments were uneventful (I would just hold him in s position so they could shine the laser on him. ) His tail cleared up after about 4 treatments. he continued to benefit from the treatments and enjoyed a happy and playful quality of life until his heart could no longer sustain him.
So, My thought on this is as follows:
1. laser is really experimental, and ferrets love to grow cancers.
2. there are a LOT of variables involved when using laser, and use of laser on ferrets is probably REALLY RARE (little knowledge)
3. My OPINION on using laser on ferrets is as follows: I would be concerned about trying laser on ferrets that may have a cancer (adrenal cancers are typically very slow growing). Since cancer is very common in ferrets, I'd probably wait for the therapy to be more widely used on ferrets before trying it on my own babies. HOWEVER, If your ferret is already dying from a non-cancerous issue (like my Shaman was), laser may be be something you may want to try.
-jennifer