Canine expert Anna Webb highlights how the charity Dogs on the Streets London (which provides outreach care for the homeless community and their dogs) makes use of the Photizo Vetcare device for issues such as pain relief and wound healing. This blog first appeared on the Photizo website and is reproduced here with thanks.
Dogs on the Streets London
Dogs On The Streets London (DOTS) is an independent voluntary street project charity that’s dedicated to helping the homeless and their dogs in London. Founded by Director Michelle Clark in March 2017, DOTS was the first project to provide essential care to homeless people’s dogs living on the streets of London.
Moreover, DOTS reaches out to the homeless community through their Regular Street-run Stations and brings wide-ranging vital support to the homeless and their dogs across London as well as Oxford, Kent and Milton Keynes with other places due to operate in the future.
Wide-ranging help for the homeless community
These stations offer everything to help homeless owners care responsibly for their dog. From routine veterinary checkups and ongoing vet care for chronic conditions, DOTS also offers emergency care in the event of an accident or trauma. The stations also provide a regular supply of dog food and essential items to make their street life ‘home from home’. From dog bedding to toys, collars and leads, DOTS also offers a state-of-the-art mobile grooming unit at their stations.
Voluntary veterinary care
DOTS relies on the voluntary support of vets, vet nurses, groomers and trainers at these stations and their fully equipped mobile veterinary van where the dedicated team provides a lifeline for these street dogs. Having noticed the ‘Photizo to the Rescue’ campaign in the press, Michelle Clarke contacted Danetre Health Products to discuss whether Photizo would help the many elderly dogs on the streets.
Embracing holistic vet care
Michelle Clark, Founder and Director of DOTS explained:
“The street dogs that DOTS supports literally mean everything to their homeless owners. Being out in all weathers and sleeping rough takes its toll. Many are senior Staffordshire Bull Terriers that suffer in the cold and become painfully stiff. With winter approaching, I was looking for a solution to help in addition to anti-inflammatories. These dogs are so stoic, they will carry on regardless, not to let their homeless owners down.
“I am keen to embrace all means of helping our dogs from conventional medicines to herbs and homeopathy. I was interested to learn more about Photizo’s potential, particularly in its ability to reduce pain naturally.”
Launched at Crufts 2017, the aim of ‘Photizo to the Rescue’ is to help rescue centres. Offering the potential of Photizo to speed up the rehabilitation of dogs in their care, these dogs would hopefully find their forever homes more quickly. Naturally, DOTS fitted the criteria and Ruth Milner, at Danetre Health Products was delighted to help. She explained:
“When Michelle Clarke called I was so moved by their work that we sent a unit next day delivery for the DOTS team to trial. I explained that Photizo is the result of years of research. It uniquely combines the latest advances in LED technology to offer a modern Phototherapy device, which is safe and simple for anyone to use. It would help DOTS in alleviating stiff, arthritic symptoms naturally, but it would also accelerate healing for cut paws from debris and wear and tear on London’s streets.”
Helping with osteoarthritis
One of the first to use the Vetcare tool on the streets was DOTS volunteer Anna Wright, a Registered Vet Nurse from Mimram Veterinary Centre in Welwyn in Hertfordshire, who commented:
“Having attended the training seminar on Photizo presented by Brand Ambassador, Anna Webb at the DOTS office in Enfield, I was keen to start using it and see the results.
“The idea of red light therapy was relatively new to me, however, I was looking forward to seeing how the street dogs reacted to it. Babe, a 10-year-old Staffie, who suffers from quite severe osteoarthritis in her legs, was the first dog I wanted to try Photizo on. Babe appeared to welcome the red light on both hind and forelimbs. As I focused on her joints, she seemed to visibly relax and enjoy the light therapy, indicating, in my opinion, some degree of relief from her arthritic pain.”
Helping with elbow dysplasia alongside hydrotherapy
“Lola another Staffie, who is almost seven, suffers from elbow dysplasia and is having regular hydrotherapy sessions (funded by DOTS). This weightless exercise increases the range of movement in the joints helping to increase muscle tone without putting weight on the joint. I was keen to get her started on the red light therapy and I did a few doses on one elbow. She was a bit unsure at first but it’s something we are working on. The more used to it she gets, hopefully the more beneficial it will become to her.
“I’m excited to see the ongoing effects of incorporating Photizo into our regular treatment plans for some of the dogs. If it can provide some much-needed pain relief for them and potentially help to reduce some of their doses of anti-inflammatory painkillers, that would be hugely beneficial for them in the long term.”
How does Photizo work?
Since its launch in 2013 Photizo Vetcare has made an impact with vets, vet nurses and animal physiotherapists as a powerful non-invasive treatment tool that promotes natural healing across a host of musculoskeletal conditions. Reducing arthritic symptoms, stiffness, and the effects of age-related conditions like spondylosis, Photizo works by increasing the circulation to the affected areas, which in turn reduces inflammation and offers immediate pain relief.
Photizo Vetcare creates biological effects at a cellular level to stimulate the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the cellular energy that is needed for healing and cellular regeneration. The Vetcare also increases the blood supply to wounds, muscles and joints, reducing swelling and inflammation. Helping with pain relief via the stimulation of endorphin and serotonin secretion, the combination of light treatment with Photizo Vetcare increases the blood and lymph vessels’ diameter. This in turn increases the removal of debris whilst promoting the inflow of oxygen and nutrients helping cells to function at optimum levels.
In addition to its analgesic effect, Photizo also releases endorphins and produces a calming effect. DOTS noticed the almost immediate calming effect Photizo created on Poppy, aged 12 years, who suffered extreme separation anxiety when apart from her owner.
Calming Poppy, the inspiration behind DOTS
When Poppy’s owner was temporarily hospitalised back in 2016, she was fostered by Michelle Clark which led her to develop her work with the homeless community through DOTS. Using Photizo noticeably calmed Poppy when she became stressed out.
A versatile and handy treatment tool
Photizo is proving particularly useful for DOTS to use at their stations across the capital, as it’s such a handy pocket-sized device that’s battery operated and totally portable. For example, its red light has made quite an impact at their regualar station on the Strand every Sunday with passers-by turning heads and attracting attention.
According to Ruth Milner of Danetre Health Products:
“What’s so important is to know how versatile Photizo Vetcare is as a cost-effective tool that’s proved itself in veterinary practice in the treatment of post-surgical wounds and injuries. We’re sure that Photizo will make an ongoing positive contribution to DOTS and help London’s street dogs stay mobile and healthy for longer.”
Useful links
Photizo blogs
Rescue animal blogs
Dogs on the Streets, DOTS
Year of the Dog CAM4animals and individual supporters made a small contribution towards the making of this film which celebrates the very strong bond between street dogs and their owners.
Special offer on Photizo Vetcare
Photizo have very generously given CAM4animals supporters a special offer of £25 off their Vetcare handset. Please use CAM4animals25 as your special discount code. When you do, they will also make a donation to CAM4animals for each handset sold using this code. You can see the sort of things this donation will be spent on here, and find out how to support us in other ways.
We’d like to thank Photizo for this specical offer.
Anna Webb
Anna Webb (www.annawebb.co.uk) is a canine behaviour, training and nutrition expert as well as a broadcaster and author. She has studied natural nutrition and therapies with the College of Integrated Veterinary Therapies (CIVT).
You can tune in to Anna’s popular weekly podcast A Dog’s Life here where she chats to a wide range of experts and dog lovers about many topics from the serious and cutting edge to the fun side of having dogs in our lives.
Anna lives in London and is owned by Prudence, a Miniature Bull Terrier, and Mr Binks, a re-homed English Toy Terrier.
More information about the health care Prudence and Mr Binks as well as Molly, Anna’s first Miniature Bull Terrier, have had are to be found in Anna’s book, Manage Canine Arthritis Naturally. This covers a multidisciplinary approach involving a raw diet, supplements, acupuncture, massage, homeopathy, a careful exercise and rest regime, and of course, Photizo. Wound treatment is also highlighted. Not just for dogs, she also includes her cat Gremlin. The ethos behind the book is that every animal is an individual and should be treated as such.
Disclaimer – Where blogs have been created by a guest author, CAM4Animals has reproduced this in good faith but cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies of information in it or any use you make of this information.
This blog may also contain an element of consumer opinion. Whilst CAM4animals welcomes positive recommendations for holistic healthcare products, we don’t necessarily endorse the product or the author’s opinion. We acknowledge that each animal is an individual and may react differently to the highlighted product/s. There may also be other products available that produce similarly positive results.
The veterinary Surgeon’s Act 1966 restricts the treatment of animals (usually other than your own*) by anyone other than a qualified vet. Always consult a veterinary surgeon if you are concerned about your animal’s health. *For full details visit the RCVS website