I want to give a bark out to all my senior friends out there! I am going to share some exciting news with you about how I got off pain meds for my arthritis!
But first, a little back story on yours truly. Just over a year ago, I got really sick. My mom didn’t know what was wrong but she knows me so well that she knew something was wrong. She didn’t waste any time and brought me to this place that is called an emergency vet (if you know me, you know I don’t like anything with the “V” word!). They brought me in and checked me out, hooked me up to an IV, gave me some fluid and anti-nausea meds.
They shaved my belly and did this thing with a wand called an ultrasound. They took lots of my blood and even my poop BOL. I was there for a day and a half (ugh!). When I was feeling better, I got to go home with mom.
The doctor told my mom that she believed it was the combination of pain meds and other meds that my primary vet had me on that caused me to get so sick. The doctor said that I needed to come off all of my meds and then after a little while I could start taking some of them but never again the Carprofen. My mom called my regular vet to meet with her about all this and let’s just say that they didn’t see snout to snout about my health so my mom found me a new vet!
Mom tells me that my new vet is a holistic vet (whatever that means!). So, my mom brought me to meet her and her name is Dr. Crowley and she co-owns the Beverly Animal Natural Health Center in Beverly, Ma. Dr. C is really nice and I like her (well as much as any pup can like a vet!!). My mom and Dr. C were talking about my arthritis in my hips and Dr. C recommended that I try this thing called laser therapy. We had never heard of it before but Dr. C said it has been in veterinary medicine for more than 30 years. Well after hearing that, mom and I decided to try it!
And, OMG it has changed my life. I mean, I no longer take any pain meds on a daily basis. Mom gives me the laser therapy 2x per week and it is amazing. I mean, usually I sleep through it, but it takes my pain away instantly. Dr. C says that it reduces the inflammation which is the primary cause of my osteoarthritis. Sometimes, if it’s really humid outside or really cold, I get the laser therapy an extra time. Every once in a great while if I seem really sore or if I have been playing with Lola a lot, my mom gives me a Gabapentin but truly this is maybe a pawful of times!
Laser therapy has been so amazing for me that even my Grammy and Grampy are using it on themselves! My Grammy has osteoarthritis in her hands and before she started using laser therapy she couldn’t even make a fist and now she is pain free and can make a fist and hold her knitting needles, which she tells me she couldn’t do for a long time. And, my Grampy, his arthritis is in his shoulder and big toe BOL. His arthritis has also gotten much better since using the laser.
In the beginning mom was taking me to see Dr. C for the laser therapy (at this time, I was also doing swim therapy) and the good folks over at Good Dog Aquatic told mom where they got their laser from and mom called and got me a laser for home so this is why I am able to get my laser while I sleep. Boy do I have mom wrapped around my paw!!!
So, just wanted to let you all know about Laser therapy and that it isn’t just for arthritis! It has many uses and can help heal many things and also helps to speed up healing post surgery. If you are taking lots of pain meds and want another alternative, be sure to tell your mom and dad about Laser. It’s life changing!
Bye for now!
Kiki