Light Therapy for Stressed Out Pets? You Bet!

I first learned of Light Therapy when looking for an alternative to surgery for one of my Rotties’ torn ligaments. Little did I know at the time that not only would Light work for her ligament, but for her anxiety issues, as well!

The Backstory

My husband and I rescued June as one of two Rottweilers listed as a bonded pair. The running theory is that June is the mom of the other Rottie, Cash.

Although Cash was well socialized, June was definitely not. They both came with some issues and we have little to no idea what their past had been like, but with June, it was obvious from the get-go that she had suffered some abuse. She was absolutely terrified of men, as well as anything new. In fact, she barked at my husband whenever he stood up, sat down, coughed, sneezed, walked in the room, came down the stairs, or did just about anything (and this continued for 3 years!). He is a kind and gentle man and loves dogs – how he endured the near constant reactivity from June is a testament to his patience.

We don’t think the dogs had ever been in a house with stairs, or one with a TV (not necessary a bad thing!), and June thought flashlights were going to, I don’t know, vaporize her? She had a really hard time – with almost everything.

Oh, and on a vet visit an x-ray revealed that she had a pellet from a pellet gun still lodged in her haunch! That poor girl, unfortunately, seemed to have earned her fear and anxiety.

All of this did not make for a particularly easy post-adoption period, especially when, at the time, both dogs weighed over 100 lbs and displayed “typical” Rottweiler behavior when unsure of a situation – they did the “bouncing lunge”, accompanied by very strong barks and growls. It could be a bit unnerving.

They are sweet, sweet dogs and very snuggly now (with people they know), but they needed lots of patience and consistency (not unusual for most rescue dogs of any breed) and, for June, controlled exposure to almost everything.

The Transformation

June may never be completely “normal” when it comes new things and situations, but her most significant transformation occurred after I tried Light Therapy on her head, and it has changed her relationship with my husband, and helped her in ways I never anticipated.

When I started with Light Therapy I had a few tools – a small pad with red LEDs (no infra-red), and a set of Photopuncture torches that I didn’t yet know how to use.

I had to introduce June to Light very slowly (remember, she was terrified of flashlights, etc) but once I did, she was no longer afraid of bright light and actually associated them with something she likes – Light Therapy!

After I received education from Photonic Therapy Institute, I felt much more confident about how and why Light Therapy and Photopuncture work. I bought a couple of sets of polychromatic (more than one color/wavelength of light) pads.

One set had 6 pads and a controller that allowed me to have up to 6 pads plugged in at one time. I still have that set of pads and they get used daily for at least one member of the family (in our house, family includes the dogs).

I had seen how well the original small pad worked for June’s ligament tear but for reasons that aren’t entirely clear to me, it didn’t occur to me to try Light on her head for anther year or so! In any case, I started wrapping her head in one of the 6 pads – a “tricolor” pad – it has blue, red, and near-infrared LEDs. As you can see from the photo below, she has no anxiety about having the pad on her head – in fact, she usually falls asleep part way through the 20 minute session!

This particular set of pads also has various frequencies pre-programmed into the controller/power unit. Now, some people don’t believe the evidence indicating that frequencies can have an effect on tissue or state of mind.

I do believe it because I use frequencies on my dogs and they absolutely have a few they LOVE and a few they do not. Human ears may not be able to pick up many of the frequencies, but dogs’ ears certainly can and do.

I will do a separate blog on which frequencies I use and why, and which ones turn both my pups into relaxed and happy fluffballs.

Back to June!

After the first session, she was immediately more calm and less reactive (even with my husband). Consistent use – once or twice a week to start with, and now only every once in awhile, helps her to be more comfortable with new situations.

The other interesting thing is that she continues to show new behaviors – it’s like she’s relaxing into acting more like a “typical” dog! She’s displaying new goofy behaviors, playing more, and interacting more with my husband, including snuggling with him on the couch and “talking” to him in yawns, mimicking, and “mumbling”. It is not only hilarious, but so heart-warming that they finally get to have a warm, loving relationship. And all of this at the age of approximately 8 years old! She still barks when he comes home, but that quickly turns to wags and greetings.

One last point: Chronic stress can, and usually does, lead to health issues and that’s true for animals just as much as for people. Yes, there are drugs to help with anxiety, and we had June on one of them for quite a while, but it was no longer necessary after we started using Light Therapy.

Anytime I’m able to safely, naturally, and non-invasively help my pets and my family, I will, and Light Therapy has allowed me to do that!

If you’re curious about how I introduced June to the lights, or have other questions, I’m happy to answer!