The Cutting Edge... Laser Surgery for Pets!

Image of a cat.

It's doubtful that anyone would picture their family veterinarian swinging a light saber on the bridge of some galactic cruiser, but he or she may just have a similar technology available to help keep your pets comfortable during surgery.


For more than 30 years, human doctors have used various types of surgical lasers to help people heal faster and with less pain. Lasers are now used routinely to help correct eyesight, remove skin blemishes, and even destroy unwanted hair. But, it has only been within the past 10 years that veterinary medicine has started to utilize this same technology to provide a similar level of comfort for their patients.

Using a laser during surgery instead of a scalpel blade provides many advantages to the surgeon. First, due to the precise nature of lasers, the veterinarian is able finely tune the amount of tissue that is affected by the surgery, thereby reducing the damage to any of the surrounding area. Second, lasers will actually help to control bleeding by sealing off the tiny capillaries and vessels that may leak and ooze during normal surgeries. Third, lasers help to reduce the amount of swelling that is associated with any sort of surgery. By avoiding bruising and tearing of body tissue, lasers help the veterinarian to minimize inflammation. Fourth, since lasers vaporize cells, any latent bacteria that might want to start an infection will also be vaporized, helping to minimize potential post-operative infections. And finally, lasers reduce the amount of pain involved in surgeries by actually sealing the ends of nerves in the affected tissues. This stops the propagation of the pain impulse and will actually help the pet to heal faster!

By far, one of the most common uses of the surgical laser in the veterinary hospital is to perform declawing of cats. Although this elective surgery has many proponents and opponents, almost everyone would agree that the advent of using the laser for declawing procedures has helped minimize the trauma associated with the surgery. As mentioned above, lasers will actually seal small nerves, keeping them from transmitting painful impulses. Cats that have been declawed with a laser are often running and playing within hours of surgery. In contrast, older techniques of declawing cats have potentially kept a cat uncomfortable for several days afterwards.

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Our Regular Schedule

Monday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Tuesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Wednesday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Thursday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Friday:

8:00 am-5:00 pm

Saturday:

8:00 am-1:00 pm

Sunday:

Closed

Testimonial

Read What Our Client Say

  • "Best Vet team ever!! Thank you Dr Setlock for always being there and taking such wonderful care of all my furry baby's!!"
    Yvette Manzella (Facebook)
  • "Quality care from an amazing staff. The service we've received is second none. Despite this, it is still the most affordable vet I've found. Don't hesitate to bring your pets here, they are cared for by people who genuinely care about animals."
    Jeff Makoroff
  • "It can be difficult to find a veterinary clinic that has wonderful doctors and staff, but Wolf Animal Hospital has it all! I especially appreciate all of the hard work from Dr. Herron. She is patient and kind, and she is always willing to answer every question you might have. She helped me find techniques that allowed my 12 year-old dog to lose weight and helped us choose the best arthritis medication for him. I know my family and I appreciate everything she has done for our pets, and we'd recommend her to anyone looking for a knowledgeable and friendly veterinarian!"
    Andi Cluster
  • "Dr reisterer is very nice and knowledgeable. Very reasonable cost also. No BS fake tests done to increase your bill"
    William Bennett
  • "Dr Setlock is the absolute BEST! He and his team, many of whom have been with him for many years, are both talented and caring. He has wisdom of the years and is able to give a long view of certain problems and how to tackle them. I have been a loyal client since 2004, with multiple rescues, fosters, special needs dogs, and dogs who have developed various disorders through the course of their lives. I wouldn't trust my many fur babies to anyone else!"
    Lisa Dworkin