Description of Intravenous Photobiomodulation Therapy as an Adjunctive Treatment in 16 Dogs with Intervertebral Disc Disease

Introduction: Photobiomodulation therapy, or low-level laser therapy, is the application of light to stimulate cell function and treat a pathology. While implementation of localized low level laser therapy is becoming more common, the use of intravenous light to elicit a systemic healing response has not been described. The objective of this case series was to describe the use of intravenous photobiomodulation therapy as a novel adjunctive treatment to promote healing for dogs diagnosed with intervertebral disc disease (IVDD).

Materials and Methods: Sixteen dogs with a diagnosis of IVDD were included in the descriptive case series. Diagnosis of IVDD was obtained via computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. All dogs were treated using intravenous photobiomodulation therapy (IVPT) with or without implementation of physical rehabilitation techniques.

Results: At 6-weeks neurological re-evaluation, 11/16 dogs were ambulatory, one dog exhibited involuntary spinal locomotion, and one dog was non-ambulatory paraparetic. Prior to re-assessment, 3/16 dogs were euthanized. Of the eleven ambulatory dogs, ten were non-ambulatory prior to intervention, including three dogs with absent deep nociception.

Discussion/Conclusion: No deleterious effects were noted in patients treated with adjunct IVPT. The Results of this case series are similar to Results in dogs with IVDD treated with conventional methods. Further investigation into the utility, effectiveness, and other potential applications of IVPT is warranted.

Acknowledgement: The photobiomodulation device was provided by UVLrx VETS.

Publication History

Article published online:
26 October 2022