Skip to content
Featuring Demian Dressler, DVM and Sue Ettinger, DVM, Dip. ACVIM (Oncology), authors of The Dog Cancer Survival Guide

Cold Laser for Cancer in Dogs: What To Know

Updated: August 16th, 2021

Summary

Does cold laser therapy used on cancer tumors cause them to grow, or to shrink? Dr. Dressler explains when — and when not — to use this type of tool.

So, should you use cold laser therapy to TREAT dog cancer? On today’s Dog Cancer Answers episode, Dr. Demian Dressler explains why … or why not.

The short answer is that it depends upon the tumor itself. There is no one right answer.

If your veterinarian can penetrate to the tumor itself using their equipment — maybe. (Not all tumors are within range of the cold laser!)

If the tumor doesn’t have a lot of blood vessels attached, cold laser could be useful. It would stimulate blood flow and help kill the tumor.

But if there are lots of blood vessels in the area … cold laser therapy could help the tumor to grow by sending TOO MUCH circulation!

So this is something you have to really go over with your veterinarian. Dr. Dressler recommends asking your veterinarian the following BEFORE approving cold laser therapy for your dog’s cancer treatment:

  1. Is this a highly vascular tumor? [Many vets can’t/won’t be able to do a CT scan to check out the area for blood vessels.]
  2. Will your equipment be able to reach the tumor?

If your vet hems and has about the answer to either of these questions, it’s probably not worth pursuing. If you don’t know where the tumor is, how vascular it is, or if it’s within range of the cold laser therapy equipment … why do it at all?

You can read the whole transcript on the episode page on the Dog Cancer Answers website.

Here’s the video version of the podcast:

Please subscribe to, rate, and review Dog Cancer Answers in Apple Podcast or on your favorite pod-catcher. It really does help the show!

Warm Aloha,

Molly

PS: Feel free to share this article or the podcast itself with your veterinarian and their staff.

Have a Great Question for Dog Cancer Answers Veterinarians?

Call the Listener Line at 808-868-3200


Leave a Comment





  1. Brenda on January 10, 2023 at 7:49 am

    Can you use cold laser on osteosarcoma on a dog

  2. Bev on March 31, 2022 at 6:05 pm

    Will cold laser work on Lymphoma?

    • Molly Jacobson on April 1, 2022 at 12:58 pm

      Hi Bev, I’m not a veterinarian, so I couldn’t advise you about this. However, lymphoma being something that pops up in the lymph nodes, which are often near large blood vessels, tells me that it might not be helpful. I would ask your veterinarian who is offering cold laser therapy the two questions Dr. D recommends above: Is this a highly vascular tumor? [Many vets can’t/won’t be able to do a CT scan to check out the area for blood vessels.] and, Will your equipment be able to reach the tumor?

Scroll To Top