04/02/2026
Growth plates are soft areas at the end of the long bones that contribute to lengthening of these bones during growth. How long they remain open depends on species and breed, with an average of 12 to 18 months and up to 24 months in some large breed dogs. While the growth plates are open they are vulnerable to injury. This can affect the rate of closure of the growth plates and lead to bone or joint deformities.
Although laser therapy is a very useful and generally safe modality for pain relief the heat generated by the laser, and laser’s effect on rapidly changing cells may be damaging to sensitive tissue. Research in rats suggests that a single laser treatment used for acute pain may be safe, but continued use of certain wavelengths can result in early closure of the growth plates. This is why we do not use laser on young animals with open growth plates.
