Senior Pets have special needs, just as senior people do.  Older pets face many of the same medical challenges that older humans experience: Arthritis, Diabetes, Heart disease, Liver and Kidney Failure, and Cancer,  to name a few.  Modern medicine and nutrition give us the means to treat these conditions in our pets, just as in people!  Through regular twice-yearly exams, monitoring lab work, strategic nutritional management, and advanced medications, our pets are living happier, longer than ever!
   We, at Cimarron Animal Hospital, realize that every one wants to do the best for their pets.  We also realize that, with all the diagnostics and medications that we have to offer now, the expense of “doing the best” can be daunting.   So, we are excited to offer our new Senior Wellness Plan- our way helping to make all of those Senior Years expenses a little more affordable.  The Senior Wellness Discount Plan is our way of saying “thanks” to our clients for their years of investing in their old friends.

   Every mature pet can benefit from special nutrition.  Some need prescription diets. These can be expensive-less so with the Senior Plan.

   Most mature pets can benefit from additional nutritional supplements as our knowledge of nutrition and neutraceuticals has scientifically demonstrated benefits.  Covered under the Senior Plan.

   Many mature pets take prescription medication for arthritis or have chronic conditions that need period blood work or other laboratory monitoring twice a year or more.  This can really add up-but not so much with the Senior Wellness Plan.

   Some older pets need radiographs to diagnose or monitor joint disease or heart disease.  Just once a year, that can be a pain expense-15% less if you’ve invested in your pet’s Senior Wellness Plan.

   Most  Senior Pets have some degree of dental disease.  And, just like in humans, dental infection leads to premature exhaustion of the liver and kidneys as they constantly strain oral bacteria out of the bloodstream.  Oral bacteria also love to settle out on heart valves, contributing to heart failure.  Pets with good hygiene live years longer than those with chronic dental disease.  As this is one of the year’s biggest expenses (especially if periodontal antibiotics or extractions are needed), we offer 15% off those more expensive treatments for our Senior Wellness Plan Members!

Senior Dogs are prone to Heart disease, Liver disease, Hypothyroidism, Diabetes, Kidney Failure, and Arthritis, so
Our Canine Senior Plan includes :

• 1 Comprehensive Wellness Exam
  1 Senior Wellness Blood and Urine Screen
  1 Fecal analysis for intestinal parasites
  1 Heartworm Test
  1 6- Month Wellness Exam
  1 Dental Ultrasonic Cleaning and Polishing

Senior Cats are prone to Diabetes, Hyperthyroidism, Kidney Failure, Hypertension (which leads to kidney failure and heart disease), and Arthritis.  Cats are also notorious for hiding their illnesses unitl they are beyond help, so
Our Feline Senior Plan includes:

• 1 Comprehensive Exam
  1 Senior Wellness Blood and Urine Screen
  1 Blood Pressure Check
  1 6- Month Wellness Exam
  1 Early Renal Disease Urine test
  1 Dental Ultrasonic Cleaning and Polishing

When you invest in your pet’s full Annual Senior Wellness Recommendations, both you and your pet benefit:
                                SAVE:

•   15% on Lab work and Radiographs
    15% on Advanced Dental work like Periodontal treatment and Extractions
    10% on Prescriptions and Nutritional SupplementsCon

Contact Us Today for details and prices on our Senior Wellness Plan for your favorite dog or cat!

For the longest, healthiest, happiest life for your beloved pet, pick a diet that is:

• High Quality, Premium brand name                                                                        
• Life Stage/ Age Appropriate
• Breed/ Size appropriate

HIGH QUALITY,  Premium brand foods really are a lot different than grocery store brands and department store generics.  In general, they use higher quality ingrediednts (usually human grade); they have few, if any artificial preservatives; there are fewer artificial colors; there is more science behind the formulations, resulting in more balbanced nutrition, and they are more accountable to you, the consumer, than sotre brand companies. 

Our Favorite Premium brand of food at Cimarron Animal Hospital isRoyal Canintm– for dogs and cats.  Royal Canintmuses only human grade ingredients, no artificial preservatives.  The company has never had a food recall!  They are the fast growing pet food company in the world today– for good reason.  Veterinarians stand behind them because their food is based on the latest nutritional awareness.  Their Cat foods address the special needs of cats:  lower calorie, lower carbs, higher protein (to fend off diabetes- an epidemic in middle aged overweight housecats), increased undigestible fiber (to minimize fur balls), larger kibble size (to encourage chewing and stave off dental disease).  Royal Canin’stm Dog foods address the special orthopedic needs of rapidly growing puppies, larger kibbles and tartar protection in small breed formulations (to encourage chewing in these particularly dental disease- prone pets).

LIFE STAGE/ AGE appropriate food is key to ensuring a pet gets the nutrition needed for his stage of growth. 

Puppy/ Kitten foods:are formulated to accommodate the rapid growth that occurs in the first 6 months of a dog or cat’s life.  Puppies and kittens need higher calories and specially balanced minerals. By the time puppies and kittens are about 1 yr old (especially after spaying/ neutering), all those calories are unnecessary. 

Adult / Maintenance Fromulas:  An adult pet, no longer growing, needs an adult maintenance food with fewer calories and a less intense mineral load. 

     Middle aged cats have special concerns with regard to diet as they are prone to Diabetes mellitus as they gain weight. Diabetes classically strikes obese, middle aged males (orange tabby cats are 30% more likey to develop Diabetes than any other breed!)  A lower calorie, a lower carbohydrate, higher protein diet that more closely approximates the nutritional profile of wild cats than over- the-counter, heavy-grain foods can prevent Diabetes!  Knowing this, Royal Canintm has a fantastic line of Veterinary Cat foods to fit the bill. (“Kitty Atkins”, we call it!)  They have even taken into consideration that neutered and spayed cats (and dogs, by the way…) have a 25- 30% lower metabolism within 48 hours of neutering. This means that they need 25-30% fewer calories.  We can’t recommend these cat diets enough!

Senior/ Mature Formulas:  As cats and dogs head into their Senior years, around 7-9 years of age, depending on the breed of pet, their bodies have special care needs.  Cats are prone to kidney disease, which is very responsive to diet.  A good quality Mature Cat food can go along way toward protecting senior cats from kidney disease.  We’ve even seen early kidney disease go into remission, just by switching patients to Mature cat food– no additional treatment!  Senior Dogs are prone to arthritis and obesity.  They benefit from diets lower in calories and higher in omega 3 fatty acids.  

BREED/ SIZE APPROPRIATE foods are becoming more and more available and are worth the extra money in the premium brands.

   Large Breed Puppy Foodsare formulated to slow bone growth, allowing the muscles to keep up, providing more support for the large bones that are forming.  This protects Large, rapidly growing breed puppies from hip dysplasia, panosteitis and other developmental bone diseases.  The limited calories in these formulations also helps protect against “over-nutrition”-  the roly-poly puppy- as scientific studies have shown that overweight puppies are more prone to developmental bone disease than their lean counterparts.  Another little known (or discussed) secret is that the formula gurus at Royal Canintm are sensitive to the fact that Big Dogs make Big… Piles in the yard….  So, Royal Canintm Large Breed dog foods are highly digestible, leaving less waste for you to clean up!

   Large Breed Adult foods continue to control calories to protect against obesity and the arthritis that occurs secondary to Metabolic Syndrome in dogs.  Both Large Breed Puppy and Adult formulations are also fortified with inflammation- fighting omega 3 fatty acids!

   Breed specific Royal Canin pet store linesfor dogs and cats protect them against the common medical disorders seen in those breeds.  For example, Yorkie formula has tartar protection since this breed is especially prone to disastrous dental disease by age 3 yr.  It is also lower in calories because the Royal Canin people recognize that Yorkies are prone to obesity.  The Persian cat formula has extra tartar and hairball protection.  See the Royal Canin website for more formulas and their specifics.

QUALITY, LIFE STAGE, BREED SENSITIVE.  These are the keys to optimizing your pet’s nutrition and minimizing your vet bills over the course of your pet’s long life!

Cimarron Animal Hospital Carries all Royal Canin Prescription Diets and the following Veterinary Wellness Early Care Formulas because we believe these diets are a notch above the pet store lines (enough to make them worth every extra penny!)   These are the diets that we feed our pets because we think they are the best!

                                  Feline Young Male (superior nutrition for both males and females)

                                    Feline Mature

                                                                             Canine Large Breed Puppy

 

Leptosporosis organisms can cause fatal or permanent, progressive kidney failure.  It is difficult to treat and often not enough can be done fast enough to save a patient’s life.  To further complicate matters, it is not the first disease your Arizona veterinarian will think of to test for because it is so rare here.

Signs of disease include lethargy and poor appetite, increased drinking and excessive urination and dehydration.  As the disease progresses and kidney failure ensues, pets will start vomiting, may have diarrhea, seizures or disorientation.

If your pet shows any signs of Lepto and has traveled to the Cottonwood, Az area, be sure to TELL YOUR VETERINARIAN so she can test for Lepto sooner, rather than later.  This will give your pet the best chance for survival.

Lepto is a Zoonotic disease, meaning that animals can pass it on to humans.  And, it is just as dangerous to humans as to animals!

The disease is acquired by humans or animals being exposed to the urine of infected animals (which means your infected dog can pass it to you or contaminate your yard/ pond/ pool), or drinking or swimming in water contaminated with the urine of infected wild animals or livestock (the primary source of infection for people and animals).

If your pet travels to the Cottonwood/ Verde Valley area, protect against Leptosporosis:

•  Don’t allow him to drink out of irrigation ditches, rivers or other open water sources. 
•  Ask your veterinarian to vaccinate your pet against Lepto.  Most Arizona vets do not vaccinate against this disease routinely because of our historically low risk.  The Lepto vaccine is also very “reactive”, meaning that a fair amount of patients receiving the vaccine develop a reaction such as temproary (1-5 days) lethargy, poor appetite, fever, achiness, and a lump at the site of the vaccination.  You can ask your vet for a dose of antiinflammatory to be given with the vaccine to help minimize the side effects.

Please Call us at 886-1125 if you have additional questions about Leptosporosis and your pets.

Cimarron Wishes You Safe Travels with your Pet!

There are hundreds or thousands of different over the counter Glucosamine/ Chondroitin preparations available.  How do you know which one to get?  It’s tempting to just buy the least expensive one on the shelf.  But cheaper is not better when it comes to Glucosamine/ Chondroitin supplements. 

First, Glucosamine and Chondroitin should always be given together as they are both  constituents of normal cartilage.  And, the idea behind usng them in the first place is to provide the body with the building blocks of cartilage in the hopes of allowing the cartilage to heal.  There is a lot of debate as to whether eating your cartilage building blocks, sending them through your digestive tract, ever gets them to inflamed joints.  This is because Glucosamine and Chondroitin are both very large molecules that are mostly digested, not absorbed, as they pass through the GI tract.  So, most of the Glucosamine and Chondroitin eaten is eliminated– in the backyard, in the case of our dog patients.

Very few companies go to the trouble of specially processing the Glucosamine and Chondroitin, cleaving off superfluous portions of the molecules, to make the Glucosamine and Chondroitin more highly absorbable– more “Bioavailable” — because the process is very expensive.  Furthermore, as Glucosamine and Chondroitin are nutritional supplements, sometimes called Neutraceuticals, there is no agency (like the FDA) so supervise the processing, or even label claims on the products sold over the counter.

Most veterinarians agree that there is one company, NutraMax, that provides a superior, highly bioavailable Glucosamine/ Chondroitin product.  This high bioavailablility is what sets their product line apart from all the rest.  The company has gone to the trouble and expense to carefully process the molecules.  They have gone to the expense of performing clinical studies to demonstrate the effectiveness of their product as well.  Other companies haven’t done that. 

This quality assurance and effectiveness assurance to make for a more expensive product than you can buy at the drug store.  Only you can decide if you want to pay more for a product that is most likely to work the best, or pay less for a product that make work somewhat, with much of it ending up. literally, in the dirt.  This is not always an easy choice, given the over all expense of treating a large breed dog with osteoarthritis for life with usually more than one nutritional supplement and  maybe pain medications.

An open discussion with your veterinarian will help you determine the best Glucosamine/ Chondroitin supplement for both you and your dog!

Itching often means Allergies!

Omega 3 Fatty Acids are all the rage, now.  Nutritionists, Dermatologists and Internal Medicine Specialists, Gerontologists are all recommending Omega 3 Fatty Acids to treat everything from skin conditions to heart disease, arthritis and senility.  Omega 3 Fatty Acids are just as helpful for our pets! 

 We Americans, people and pets, don’t get a lot of Omega 3’s in our diets, owing to the lack of fatty sea food in most of our diets.  Our diets are over-loaded in pro-inflammatory Omega 6 Fatty Acids.  The body’s cells will use whatever Fatty Acids are present to build new tissue and repair damaged tissues.  If Omega 6’s are predominantly available, they will be used, putting all tissues in a state of relative inflammation.  If, however, we eat a higher proportion of Omega 3 Fatty Acids, those will be used to repair and rebuild our tissues.  These Omega 3 – rich tissues will be less prone to inflammation.  This process of replacing pro-inflammatory cells with anti-inflammatory cells takes time as the body naturally turns over old cells, so Omega 3 Fatty Acid supplementation is a life-long investment in better health (for people and pets!).

 Pets with osteoarthritis, skin allergies, hypothyroidism, pancreatitis and other fat metabolism problems, liver and kidney disease all benefit from high doses of The Omega 3 Fatty Acid fraction “EPA” (Eicosapentaenoic Acid). Twenty milligrams per pound (20 mg/ lb) of body weight is a rough dosage for EPA to achieve an anti-inflammatory dose.  This dosing can be achieved by giving your pet Fish Oil capsules.   ** Read the label on the product your choose:  All Fish Oil supplements have different amounts of EPA and DHA and Omega 6 Fatty Acids!  Avoid fish oil supplements made with mercury containing mackerel and tuna oil.  Veterinarians often carry safe, convenient pump-on-the-food forms of High Potency Omega 3 Fatty Acid supplements just for pets.  

 “DHA” (Docosahexaenoic Acid) is the best Omega 3 Fatty Acid fraction for pets with senility and heart disease (just like people).   The same product that provides an anti-inflammatory dose of EPA

PUmp-on, High potency Omega 3's for pets

will also have a good dose of DHA for the heart and brain cells.  And, what senile older dog couldn’t also use some help with arthritic joints or organ dysfunction?

 Omega 3 Fatty Acid supplementation is fast becoming known in the human and veterinary medicine fields as the best, most efficient, all-around Awesome nutritional supplement that we can use.

 Help your pet live a more comfortable, longer, happier life with Omega 3 Fatty Acid supplementation. 

 This is a very common question asked by pet owners– if not aloud, certainly in their own minds.  Many people, when presented with an estimate from their veterinarian, are certain that their vet is trying to “rip them off”.  It is not uncommon to get estimates anywhere from $250- $400 for an uncomplicated “Dental” for a middle-aged, healthy dog or cat from a good quality veterinary clinic.  Caution to you and your pet if you get a Dental procedure estimate for less than that– your pet will probably get exactly what you pay for– not much.

So, what DO you pay for?

The Cleaning:

First there is the Dental Cleaning, the actual processes of ultrasonic scaling and polishing the teeth just like a human dentist does.  This is the best, fastest way to clean a pet’s teeth.  Hand scaling would take too long and is usually not very effective for the degree of dental disease that most pets have by the time they present for treatment — anywhere from stage 1 gingivitis to severe periodontal disease with tooth loss. (see  http://www.cimarronah.com/dental-care/ for more on dental disease) The cost for the actual Cleaning is about the same for cats and small dogs as we humans pay our dentist.  The cost for large dogs tends to be a little more because they have 42 teeth (compared to humans’ 32 and cats’ 30) to clean.

Anesthesia:

Unfortunately, our pets don’t just sit on the table and let us spray water with a high pitched machine into their mouths, so they have to be anesthetized to do the Cleaning.  This is where it starts to get pricey.  Anesthetizing a pet involves, at the most basicclinics, administering a couple of preanesthetic sedative injections, an anesthetic induction injection, placing an endotracheal tube and administering general anesthesia for 30- 45 minutes (longer if there are other procedures done).  At  higher quality veterinary facilities, the patient will also receive an IV catheter to allow administration of intravenous fluids to keep internal organs safe from the depressive effects of the anesthesia. Furthermore, there will be an anesthesia technician dedicated to doing nothing but monitoring the pet during anesthesia and recovery, while someone else does the dental procedure. (Many lower cost vet clinics do not have an anesthesia tech.  The person doing the procedure also monitors the patient’s anesthesia.)  Higher quality clinics will also monitor the patient’s vitals with various safety equipment: EKG, Blood Pressure monitor, Pulse Oximeter, Core thermometer, Respiratory monitor, etc. (Minimal, if any, anesthetic monitoring equipment is used in lower cost clinics– trusting solely to the attentiveness of the human who is concentrating on cleaning the teeth.)    There is also nursing care such as keeping the patient warm (just like humans who undergo general anesthesia, pets’ body temperatures fall under anesthesia), monitoring during recovery, and often some bathing or clean up when elimination “accidents” happen.

Pre-Anesthetic Exam and Bloodwork:

 But, before we even get to anesthetizing the patient…  We need to ensure the pet’s health as best as possible throughout the anesthetic procedure.  So,  every pet, even those that are apparently healthy on the outside, should have a Pre-Anesthetic Exam and  Blood Screen. Here’s another $65- $150, depending on the age of the pet and any preexisting health conditions.  

Other Procedures due to Disease Present:

Consider that 80% of pets over  3 years of age have some degree of dental disease, much of which may not be apparent in the awake, licking, panting, moving patient.  Most dental disease can not be determined until the animal is under anesthesia and the veterinarian or dental technician can probe under the gums, take dental radiographs, or remove enough hard, calcified tartar to actually SEE the teeth.  We are often “going in blind” with regard to what is going to need to be done to treat the dental disease.  This is where the cost of a “Dental Cleaning” can really vary and escalate, without a good way to predict.  Pets may need subgingival curettage, root planing, periodontal antibiotic infusion or tooth extractions, which can range from simple to surgical, in order to relieve pain and persistent infection. And, since we’ve already gone to the trouble and expense of anesthetizing the pet, it’s better to just do the needed treatments while we are there, rather than going through it all again in a month or two.

In Summary, then

the cost of the Dental Cleaning in every pet’s Dental Treatment plan DOES cost about the same as yours.  It’s all the other stuff that has to go along with it that adds to the bottom line.  And, unlike human dentistry, where we have to schedule additional appointments for our root scaling or  extractions, often with different doctors (ultimately costing us hundreds to Thousands of dollars), animals need to have it all done at once because of the need for anesthesia. 

When veterinary bills and the human dental bills to treat the same degree of dental disease are compared, the cumulative human bills will be much higher. Dogs’ and Cats’ Dental treatments ultimately cost a lot LESS for the same amount of work, given the same degree of dental disease. Even the worst veterinary dental cases of periodontal disease usually can be managed for under $1000.

“OK.  But I get to pay my dentist over the course of time, as I have portions of the treatment done.  I just can’t pay $500 – $1000 to my Vet all at once!”

Medical Expense Savings Accounts available at Cimarron

We recognize that Pet Dental Treatments are financially challenging.  So, Cimarron Animal Hospital offers Medical Expense Savings Accounts to help you save toward your pet’s needs– whether it’s dental treatment or other medical needs or just to have an emergency cushion.  Our Client Service Representatives can set you up with a plan that you can manage, given your life circumstances.  Together, we can help you do the best you can for your pet.

 Heartworm disease, once considered a rare threat in Tucson, is here.  Heartworm disease can be fatal to dogs, cats, ferrets, and other exotic animals as these “earthworm” sized worms grow in and ultimately block blood vessels leading from the heart into the lungs.  Even worse, treating pets for the Heartworms can be fatal as well.  The best news is, though, that Heartworm disease is completely preventable with a tasty once-a- month chewable pill!  Your veterinarian can test your dog (or cat, though indoor cats are at very low risk) and get him started on a prescription of Heartworm prevention medication.

 Hookworms, intestinal parasites that also , have also been uncommon in our arid desert environment,are now much more prevalent (I have seen more cases of Hookworm in the last 2 months than in the last 16 years of practice in Tucson!) in our local dogs.  Pets adopted from large group environments, like shelters, pounds, or pet stores are more likely to be infected. These pets may not show any symptoms while spreading the parasite around the environment where they defecate (like parks and apartment complex grounds).   However, Hookworms are dangerous parasites, deriving their nutrients from ingesting their host animal’s blood, causing anemia and immune system stress.  Furthermore, Hookworms can cause serious disease (blindness, liver failure, skin disease) in humans, who can become infected by coming in contact with the larvae living in the grass where dogs with Hookworms have eliminated!   All new pets to a household should be tested and treated as soon as possible.  Existing dogs should have a stool sample checked annually or whenever there is diarrhea, especially if they visit dog parks, city parks, grooming or boarding kennels or live in apartment complexes.

 Conveniently, the same tasty tablet that prevents Heartworms also treats and prevents Hookworms! 

Protect your pets and your family:

Contact us today to arrange Heartworm and Hookworm testing for your pet so we can get him or her started on Preventive medication right away!

There are a number of behavior tricks and aids as well as medication that, when used appropriately, can help.

First, set up a “Safe Zone” for your dog. Usually a cozy, snug place in the most sound proof area of your house works best. Often times, that is a closet or under a bed. It’s OK if your pet hides out during storms– it’s his natural way of coping. Give him a soft blanket and provide water in Safe place.

Distract your pet from the worries of storms by offering a favorite chew toy at the early onset of his anxiety. Toys that you can fill with different foods work great because you can switch up the interest level with different fillings. In hot weather, pre-fill the toys with lite cream cheese and keep in the freezer! Engaging your pet in a lively game of fetch or even some Basic Obedience training during storms (start before his brain shuts off in terror) gives you a chance to give him rewards for doing things that are easy and relaxing for him in the face of the scary noise. Over time, this will teach him that storms are not only “no big deal”, “My humans play with me during storms– ball time!”

Desensitization training starts long before the storm season. Turning on storm CD’s, quietly, in the home, when the true weather is sunny and pleasant will help desensitize your dog to the noise of storms (and fireworks and gunfire, etc). Gradually increase the volume as his anxiety level decreases. This will not help the dogs who’s fear is based on other storm factors, such as barometric pressure change, cloud cover, water falling from the sky, etc. But, it will help those with primarily noise phobias.

Calming masks are available through Premier Pet Products. These are caps that cover the eyes, that psychologically relax some dogs. Along the same line, many of my clients wrap their dog’s bodies with an Ace bandage– gently– don’t restrict the movement of the chest during breathing. This firm wrap seems to give them security when you aren’t there. This is only a choice for indoor dogs as it would be too hot for outdoor dogs in the summer. There are also neoprene body wraps available through your veterinarian (used to protect wounds from licking) that can be tried.

D.A.P, “Dog Appeasing Pheromone”, is a synthetic pheromone made to mimic the soothing hormones released around nursing mama dog’s bellies. As puppies nurse and move around on mama’s tummy, they stimulate the release of this hormone. Available in a fine mist spray, on an impregnated collar, or from a wall outlet diffuser, this pheromone can help some dogs relax. Buy a diffuser to put in an outlet in your dog’s Safe Zone. A collar around his neck can offer full time benefits for some dogs, while the mist can be sprayed on Calming Caps, body wraps or bedding.

For dogs whose anxiety levels are too high for the above tips and tricks, there are medications that can help. The old-fashioned treatment involved tranquilizers. Enough sedative to make the dogs go to sleep certainly reduced the signs of their anxiety, but more progressive behavioral specialists now agree that anti-anxiety medications that allow the dog to stay awake, but improve his coping skills are better. The best benefit is that they reduce the anxiety level to allow the dog to engage in Distraction techniques so they can learn that storms are not scary, hopefully allowing a reduction in their anxiety behaviors over time.

See your veterinarian if Behavior Modification tricks and tools aren’t enough for your Thunderstorm Phobic dog. It may take some time, trying different medications to find the right combination of behavior modification techniques and drugs that are just right for your dog, but there is light at the end of that dark closet full of panicked dog breath!

Body Wrap Technique http://www.crvetcenter.com/bodywrap.htm
Another testimonial http://www.usatoday.com/life/columnist/pettalk/2009-03-31-thunder-dogs_N.htm

• Laser Therapy uses “cold” laser light of low intensity to stimulate tissues to heal. Healing occurs by a number of physiologic mechanisms.
• Laser light dilates blood vessels in the area of application. Dilated blood vessels can carry de-oxygenated blood away and bring in freshly oxygenated blood faster. The departing blood will also carry away deleterious by-products of injury and bring in fresh cellular nutrients, allowing cells to rejuvenate faster.
• Lymphatic vessels are also dilated, allowing edema-forming lymph fluid to escape injured tissues, reducing swelling. This reduces pain.
• Laser light desensitizes local nerves so that they cannot fire as quickly, thereby sending fewer pain signals to the brain.
• Healing tissue fibers called collagen align themselves in a more linear, uniform, “normal” direction when exposed to laser light, reducing scarring and improving the tissue strength of newly healed wounds faster.
• Bacterial growth (and probably viral reproduction) are inhibited by exposure to laser light, making laser treatment helpful in treating non-healing wounds, contaminated wounds and burns.
• Laser light stimulates the “battery pack” of cells, called mitochondria. The mitochondria can then produce more ATP, which helps cells do more work. Cells can then get rid of biologic waste products more quickly and efficiently. They can heal and turn over depleted by-products faster. They can also reproduce faster, resulting in faster healing.

By these mechanisms, Laser Therapy provides us, at Cimarron Animal Hospital, another weapon against pain, either as a drug-free option or with standard treatments to enhance comfort beyond the ability of drugs alone. Laser therapy has been very helpful in treating our patients with:

• Osteoarthritis
• Post Surgical Pain
• Rattlesnake Bite (where pain, swelling, infection and subsequent tissue necrosis are all significant factors in recovery)

Wounds can be encouraged to heal faster, stronger, with less infection and less pain:

• Non-healing wounds
• Dog fight wounds
• Anal sac abscesses
• Cat fight abscesses
• Burns
• Ear infections

If your pet has any of these conditions and you would like to offer him another form of relief and a faster road to recovery, Call Us to schedule your consultation to find out how laser therapy can help maximize your furry family-member’s quality of life. Visit our contact us page to setup an appointment.