• DVM360_Conference_Charlotte,NC_banner
  • ACVCACVC
  • DVM 360
  • Fetch DVM 360Fetch DVM 360
DVM 360
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care
By Role
AssociatesOwnersPractice ManagerStudentsTechnicians
Subscriptions
dvm360 Newsletterdvm360 Magazine
News
All News
Association
Breaking News
Conference Coverage
Education
Equine
FDA
Law & Ethics
Market Trends
Medical
Politics
Products
Recalls
Regulatory
Digital Media
dvm360 LIVE!™
Expert Interviews
The Vet Blast Podcast
Medical World News
Pet Connections
The Dilemma Live
Vet Perspectives™
Weekly Newscast
dvm360 Insights™
Publications
All Publications
dvm360
Firstline
Supplements
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vetted
Clinical
All Clinical
Anesthesia
Animal Welfare
Behavior
Cardiology
CBD in Pets
Dentistry
Dermatology
Diabetes
Emergency & Critical Care
Endocrinology
Equine Medicine
Exotic Animal Medicine
Feline Medicine
Gastroenterology
Imaging
Infectious Diseases
Integrative Medicine
Nutrition
Oncology
Ophthalmology
Orthopedics
Pain Management
Parasitology
Pharmacy
Surgery
Toxicology
Urology & Nephrology
Virtual Care
Business
All Business
Business & Personal Finance
Hospital Design
Personnel Management
Practice Finances
Practice Operations
Wellbeing & Lifestyle
Continuing Education
Conferences
Conference Listing
Conference Proceedings
Resources
CBD in Pets
CE Requirements by State
Contests
Veterinary Heroes
Partners
Spotlight Series
Team Meeting in a Box
Toolkit
Top Recommended Veterinary Products
Vet to Vet
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Advertisement
By Role
  • Associates
  • Owners
  • Practice Manager
  • Students
  • Technicians
Subscriptions
  • dvm360 Newsletter
  • dvm360 Magazine
  • Contact Us
  • Fetch DVM360 Conference
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Privacy
  • Do Not Sell My Information
  • About Us
  • MJHLS Brand Logo

© 2023 MJH Life Sciences™ and dvm360 | Veterinary News, Veterinarian Insights, Medicine, Pet Care. All rights reserved.

Provide cutting-edge pain relief with therapeutic lasers

July 1, 2010

With this pain management modality, promoting healing and your bottom line is a zap.

If you're looking to add services that benefit your patients and improve your bottom line, consider laser therapy. With more veterinary surgery options available and with pets living longer—and, thus, experiencing more chronic conditions—it's important that practices eye ways to improve healing and pain management.

Dr. Jeff Werber, owner of Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles and a Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member, has been using a therapeutic laser in his practice for two years. When he first spoke to a laser manufacturer representative, he says, he was intrigued but unconvinced. After all, his practice already offered acupuncture, which he'd found to be an effective complementary pain treatment.

So Dr. Werber consulted a colleague who belonged to the American Academy of Pain Management (AAPM). She was overwhelmingly positive about this new modality. Class IV therapeutic lasers are FDA-approved and considered to be of minimal risk to both patient and operator. Plus, they're nontoxic and are associated with essentially no side effects. A small veterinary unit today costs between $15,000 and $18,000.

Advertisement

FIGURING THE COSTS

When Dr. Werber purchased his laser, the vendor also provided accessories such as safety glasses, along with training for his staff. Unlike acupuncture, laser therapy doesn't have to be performed by a veterinarian in the state of California, freeing up doctor time. While some practices sell laser therapy packages at a rate of $250 to $450 for six to 10 treatments, Dr. Werber prefers to sell individual treatment sessions. He informs clients that most cases require four to five sessions but that he's seen results after just one or two.

Dr. Werber charges about half his acupuncture fee for a laser therapy session. Why so much less? He says that the initial training costs are significantly lower, that the therapy doesn't have to be performed by a veterinarian, and that he wants the benefits to be available to as many of his patients as possible. And there hasn't been a problem convincing clients to give it a go. "Like the acupuncture and nutraceuticals we offer, clients see this as a natural approach," Dr. Werber says.

QUICK PAYOFF, BEAMING CLIENTS

The equipment paid for itself quickly—within about 10 months, Dr. Werber says—despite the steep initial discount he offered to familiarize his clients with the service. His practice currently uses the unit several times a day, and he's received great feedback from clients.

"One of my clients came in with her Bichon Frise—it was limping and had joint inflammation due to patellar luxation," Dr. Werber says. "She couldn't convince her husband to do surgery, but they agreed to try laser therapy and acupuncture. By chance, my associate was off the day of the first treatment, so we just did the laser therapy. She came back for the second treatment with a big smile on her face. She said her dog was running up and down the stairs for the first time in two months."

WHEN AND HOW IT WORKS

Dr. Werber uses his therapeutic laser to treat cauda equina conditions, arthritis, and cases of acute inflammation, and he uses it postsurgically to improve healing. The therapy itself is simple to perform, he says. You identify the area to be treated, push a button or two, and the unit adjusts the setting accordingly, making it easy for any member of the technical staff to master.

Dr. Werber suggests speaking with other veterinarians who offer the service in your area to learn what they think about their equipment and get an idea of the receptiveness of local pet owners. You also can request a demonstration from a local salesperson to look at a particular laser unit. And finally, contact distributors to see if there are any deals to be had. You may be one step closer to making patients more comfortable—and your bottom line more robust.

Related Content:

Pain ManagementBusinessPractice Finances
An AI solution is speeding up insurance claims processing
An AI solution is speeding up insurance claims processing
Hiring employees in line with your brand
Hiring employees in line with your brand
Thriving when life is hard
Thriving when life is hard

Advertisement

Latest News

Morris Animal Foundation appoints new chief program officer

CDC issues warning over cat-transmitted sporotrichosis

An AI solution is speeding up insurance claims processing

3 categories of inappetence in dogs

View More Latest News
Advertisement