Especially in the cold winter months, joint diseases such as osteoarthritis, spondylosis, hip dysplasia & Co. cause our dogs a lot of trouble. Older dogs also have a lot of problems, especially in wet and cold weather. The joints are stiff and ache with every movement. But there are many ways to give your dog relief besides traditional painkillers.
One of them is heat therapy. It is a component of thermotherapy. This also includes treatment with red light. Since you as a dog owner can use them well at home with your dog yourself, I would like to put together all the important facts for you here.
Red light at the dog – almost every household has a red light lamp
Yes exactly, I mean such a quite conventional red light lamp, as almost every household has. This is quite enough to give your dog significant relief from joint pain.
How the red light works on the dog:
The heat goes about 1-2 cm into the depth. That doesn’t sound like much at first, but if you look at the dog’s front leg, that’s pretty deep.
By means of heat through the red light you achieve an increase in blood circulation. This is due to the fact that the vessels dilate due to the heat. The blood can flow faster.
Inflammatory substances are thus removed and the oxygen supply is also increased.
The muscles relax due to the heat and pain is relieved. In addition, heat leads to an inhibition of inflammation in chronic inflammatory diseases, since the heat removes the inflammatory substances. Attention: not in case of acute inflammation!
Also the joints have a lot from the heat, because the joint mobility is increased. This happens because the heat makes the joint fluid less viscous and connective tissue structures such as ligaments and tendons more elastic.
This will reduce joint stiffness and make your dog more mobile and agile.
Fields of application of heat treatment are therefore e.g.:
- Muscle tension
- Pain
- aching joints
- General joint diseases that are not inflammatory, such as spondylosis or osteoarthritis – outside the acute episode
- chronic rheumatic diseases
- reduced mobility e.g. in older dogs
Red light and other heat treatments are taboo for e.g.:
- acute inflammation heart failure
- Edema, bleeding, hematoma
- Fever
- Tumors
during pregnancy (induces labor)
How to use the red light correctly on your dog
With red light you can treat very well even larger areas of the body. The treatment should last about 15-30 minutes. You can treat your dog with the red light 1-3 times a day.
Basically, you should look individually how your dog accepts the treatment and take this into account in the duration and intensity of the treatment.
During the treatment with red light you must not leave your dog unattended. This is the only way you can protect it from overheating and overreaction.
Position the red light lamp about 30-40 cm away from the dog. It is optimal if the infrared rays hit your dog at a 90 degree angle. Check with your hand if you find the chosen distance comfortable.
Conclusion:
Red light is a great and inexpensive way to effectively and gently treat your dog’s sore joints and gives them great relief If you are unsure about using red light on your dog, consult with your canine physical therapist or veterinarian before treating them.
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