Injuries, inflammation, and pain can lurk below the surface where they are not visible to the naked eye and companion animals such as cats and dogs are not always able to show or tell me where their pain is coming from.
Digatherm®’s thermal imaging system, which is now available at Companion Animal Medical Centre, allows me to provide pinpoint treatment to injuries and inflammation that were not easily visible.
Digatherm® is a thermal imaging camera connected to veterinary-specific software which measures body surface temperatures and converts temperatures into thermal images which use assorted colors to highlight areas of inflammation. These thermal images are then used to create a physiological map of your pet.
Laser Therapy Treatments For Pets
Laser therapy, also known as photobiomodulation or PBM, is a drug-free and non-invasive treatment that uses measured doses of light to reduce pain, treat inflammation, and accelerate the healing process. Targeted laser therapy treatments can be used to reduce, or in some cases even eliminate, the need for NSAIDs.
Photoceuticals such as laser therapy have been validated through clinical studies and have been shown to be safe and to produce reproducible outcomes.
The veterinary team of Companion Animal Medical Centre in Milford, OH uses the Multi Radiance family of products to optimize and provide the right laser therapy solution for each stage of recovery.
Use Case of Thermal Imaging to Identify the Problem Area and Results After 1 Laser Therapy Treatment
This dog was diagnosed with intervertebral disc disease, which is more commonly known as a herniated or slipped disc in the spine. This condition can be extremely painful for canines.
The veterinarian who provided the diagnosis unfortunately did not send me radiographs.
By using the Digatherm® thermography camera, I was able to locate the injury and provide pinpoint treatment with the use of Class I Laser Therapy, which reduces inflammation and accelerates the healing of injured tissue.
The following thermography images were taken five minutes apart.
Look at the difference after ONE treatment!
Red represents areas of excessive heat or inflammation. Orange and yellow areas are also inflamed, while blue, green, and teal areas are healthy and normal.
Laser Therapy Immediately Reduces Inflammation
Focus on the back of the canine patient pictured above. In the thermal image taken before laser therapy was performed, the inflammation caused by a slipped disc is visibly seen in the red, orange, and yellow areas in the thermal image.
After just five minutes of Class I Laser Therapy, the previous inflammation has been greatly reduced in severity. The affected areas that were highlighted in red are almost completely gone and the orange and yellow affected areas have noticeably improved.
Imagine how much better this pup feels already after one brief treatment! With multiple treatments, this canine will be back to his normal playful self.
