Is Low-Level Laser Therapy Useful as an Adjunctive Treatment for Canine Acral Lick Dermatitis? A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Sham-Controlled Study
January 2021
in “
Veterinary dermatology
”
TLDR Low-level laser therapy did not reduce licking or improve lesions in dogs with ALD but did increase hair growth.
In a 2021 study with 13 dogs suffering from canine acral lick dermatitis (ALD), researchers investigated the effectiveness of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) as an additional treatment alongside conventional therapy, which included systemic antibiotics and trazodone. The dogs were divided into a treatment group of 7 dogs receiving LLLT and a control group of 6 dogs receiving sham therapy over 10 visits in four weeks. The study concluded that while there was no significant difference in the reduction of licking behavior, lesion size, or lesion thickness between the two groups, there was a notable 24% increase in hair growth in the treatment group compared to the control group, with a significance level of P = 0.0081.
