# The Effect of a Class IV Therapeutic LASER on Post-Surgical Wound Healing Processes in Canis familiaris and Felis catus: A Preliminary Study

## TL;DR

This study shows that class IV laser therapy can speed up wound healing in dogs and cats after surgery, improving recovery and comfort.

## Contribution

The study is the first to demonstrate the effectiveness of class IV laser therapy in accelerating wound healing across different species and conditions in veterinary patients.

## Key findings

- Laser therapy reduced skin thickness and improved skin color in surgical wounds.
- It accelerated hematoma resolution and increased regional temperature and skin elasticity.
- Laser effects were consistent across species, age, sex, and body condition.

## Abstract

Post-surgical wound healing is a critical aspect of veterinary patient recovery and comfort. This study evaluated the clinical effect of class IV laser therapy on wound healing in dogs and cats after surgery. Over an eight-day period, laser therapy led to reduced skin thickness, more vivid pinkish skin color, faster resolution of hematomas, increased regional temperature, improved skin elasticity, and decreased fluid accumulation. These findings suggest that class IV laser therapy enhances tissue repair, vascularization, and local recovery mechanisms. The effects were consistent across species, ages, sexes, and body condition, indicating that this non-invasive tool may help improve healing and animal comfort in routine veterinary practice.

Class IV laser therapy has emerged as a promising non-invasive tool to promote tissue repair, but its effects on post-surgical wound healing in small animals remain underexplored. This preliminary study investigated the impact of class IV laser therapy on surgical wound healing in 49 dogs and cats. Each surgical incision was divided into a Laser Zone (LZ) and a Control Zone (CZ). Wound healing was assessed at three timepoints (T0, T1, T2) using standardized clinical parameters: skin thickness, skin color, presence of hematoma, regional temperature, skin elasticity, and presence of fluids. The LZ consistently showed reduced skin thickness, more vivid pinkish skin color, faster hematoma resolution, increased regional temperature, improved skin elasticity, and decreased fluid accumulation compared to the CZ. These effects were observed across different species, ages, sexes, and body condition scores, indicating robust biological consistency. The results suggest that class IV laser therapy accelerates post-surgical wound healing by modulating inflammation, enhancing vascularization, and supporting extracellular matrix remodeling. This technique may serve as a valuable adjunct to conventional wound management in veterinary practice. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore long-term outcomes.