Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital's Furry Free Press Spring 2014

WHEAT RIDGE ANIMAL HOSPITAL’S

Furry Free Press

Therapeutic Laser
Cory Pinel, DVM, DACVS-SA

In this issue…
• Therapeutic Laser............................................. 1-2
• Feline Chronic Kidney Disease ........................ 1&3
• Congratulations to Sean Cabello, CVT, VTS ......... 3
• Wheat Ridge Animal Hospital ‘s Donor Day ........ 4

Feline Chronic Kidney Disease
Jennifer Ginn, DVM, DACVIM
As a veterinary surgeon, there are very few patients that I
see that could not benefit from a reduction in pain, lessening of inflammation, and increased speed of wound
healing. In many situations, finding a safe AND effective
solution is not easy. While “go-to” or “tried-and-tested”
medications like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
(NSAIDs) such as Rimadyl, do a great job of helping the
situation, not every patient can tolerate these medications. While the evidence is growing that a benefit exists
in using these medications long-term, sometimes they are
not enough. In other situations, like wound or bone healing, these medications may actually have a detrimental
effect and it may be better to use them sparingly. Enter
the therapeutic laser.
Laser is an acronym standing for Light Amplification by
Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Lasers exist just about
everywhere, but are used in health care as either a surgical (i.e. “cutting”) laser or as a therapeutic laser. Within
therapy lasers, there are low level lasers and high intensity lasers. The higher intensity lasers (such as Wheat Ridge
Animal Hospital’s Class IV/LiteCure unit) are more powerful - allowing greater depth of tissue penetration and
shorter treatment times.
Simply put, laser is nothing but light. A very specific
Continued on page 2

Chronic kidney disease is the most common type of kidney disease in cats, occurring in a significant number of
our senior feline patients. The underlying cause of chronic kidney disease is often unknown, but some common
contributing factors might include stone formation and
obstruction in the upper urinary tract, and urinary tract
infections that affect the kidneys. Kidney disease is considered chronic in nature when markers of kidney dysfunction persist for greater than 3 months. When cats develop kidney disease, they first lose their ability to concentrate their urine, which is eventually followed by a
rise in kidney values and signs related to retention of toxins that are normally filtered by the kidneys. Signs that
you might notice in your cat include drinking more water
and the presence of more and larger clumps in the litter
box, indicating increased urination. Other signs include
decreased appetite and weight loss, however many cats
with chronic kidney disease may still maintain a good
appetite. You may also note decreased energy level,
Continued on page 3