Red light therapy for dogs (and horses): what studies show and which home devices exist

What the studies show

The table below is every controlled dog study I found on PubMed for joints, surgery and wounds. The split that matters is between a clinical laser, often Class IV and run by a vet, and the LED pads sold for home use. They're both "light therapy", but the power is not comparable, and no trial has tested a consumer pet pad by brand.

The Millis and Bergh review read 45 papers on dogs, cats and horses and concluded there's "a general lack of quality evidence in the scientific documentation regarding the clinical effects of laser and LED light therapy". On wounds it noted that "Three well-controlled blinded studies showed no effect". A 2025 evidence summary on osteoarthritis rated the evidence "Weak". Lumera, which sells a pet mat, says the same thing in its own FAQ: "research on another protocol does not verify a Lumera product result".

Do vets recommend red light therapy?

Some do, cautiously. The 2022 AAHA pain management guidelines put "physical modalities" including laser therapy in their second tier, for both acute and chronic pain. On acute pain: "Although there is currently limited evidence of efficacy of physical modalities (laser therapy, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy), future work may change recommendations." On chronic pain, laser therapy and similar options "may be useful adjuncts to consider, but little work has been performed to evaluate their benefit". The same guidelines say rehabilitation, including photobiomodulation, should be considered part of a wellness plan.

In practice, a 2020 survey of 89 Missouri vets found 43% had a laser, and 65% of those didn't know the dose they used, relying on the device's presets. Ask your vet whether they use one, and what for.

Why pet devices have no FDA clearance

Because the FDA doesn't require one. From the FDA's Center for Veterinary Medicine: "The FDA does not require submission of a 510(k), PMA, or any pre-market approval for devices intended for animal use." Makers of animal-only devices don't have to register with the FDA or list their products, and "It is the responsibility of the manufacturer and/or distributor of these articles to assure that these animal devices are safe, effective, and properly labeled." The FDA can still act against a device that's mislabeled.

So an "FDA" badge on a pet device tells you little. Lumera calls its mat "FDA registered"; I found no Lumera record in the FDA's registration database. Multi Radiance calls its pet laser "FDA-cleared safe for at-home use"; the clearance I found, K254024, is for the human version of the device. How FDA review works for human devices, for contrast.

Home devices compared

9 devices are on sale with a published price, from $189.95 to $2,495. None states its output in mW/cm², so there's no way to compare them on dose. The closest figures: RevitaVet gives 600 mW total for its pad, and Equine & Canine Light Therapy puts its pad at about 9–10 J/cm² per session, a calculation rather than a measurement. Glowbie Spot, Glowbie Crate and Horseware Ireland LED Red Light Therapy Hock Boots (pair) don't give wavelengths in nanometers.

The score here works like the one for human devices, with one change: the FDA item is neutral for every pet device, because the FDA doesn't review them. That leaves published specs, price, warranty and returns, and owner reviews, which I haven't summarized for pet devices yet. LumaSoothe 2 (Combo) scores highest at 9.25/10. Terms differ more than specs do: Capillus Pet Vest gives 90 days to return it, Lumera Revival Mat only 14, and Lumera's warranty wasn't on its site when I checked.

PEMF loops and beds for dogs (Assisi, Petspemf and others) use a magnetic field, not light, and have their own trials; they're compared on PEMF for dogs.

Two devices aren't in the table. The Mito Red Light MitoPETS Pad is listed as "coming soon" on Mito's site with no price. My Pet Laser is a veterinary laser that a vet prescribes and you rent to use at home; it ships with two pairs of goggles and the clinic sets the price (Multi Radiance). It's the closest thing to the devices in the positive trials.

Red light therapy for horses

The horse evidence is thinner. The only randomized trial of an LED pad, the kind sold for home use, found nothing: Michanek 2021 treated a wound on one side of each of 8 horses' necks and found no "clinically relevant positive effect". With lasers, Haussler 2020 randomized 61 quarter horses with back pain and found less pain, muscle tension and stiffness in the laser groups, and Pluim 2020 saw smaller tendon-ligament lesions in a model on 12 horses. Coat and skin color matter: Luna 2020 found skin color changed how deep the light went.

Three devices in the table are made for horses: Equine & Canine Light Therapy "Gospel's" Medium Light Therapy Pad, EquiCare LED Therapy Red Light Medium Wrap, Horseware Ireland LED Red Light Therapy Hock Boots (pair). EquiCare's instructions say horses should be tied during treatment.

How long and how often

Only the makers give minutes; studies give doses in J/cm², and without an output figure you can't convert one to the other. What the brands say:

• LumaSoothe 2 (Combo): 15 min per area (5–8 min for the first 3–5 sessions), at least 4–5 hours apart (FAQ).
• Glowbie Spot and Crate: 10–15 min, 2–3 times a week (FAQ); the Crate page gives two different lengths.
• Capillus Pet Vest: 20 min (auto-off), 3–4 times a week (Capillus).
• Equine & Canine Light Therapy "Gospel's" Medium Light Therapy Pad: Under 15 min per area (built-in timer).
• EquiCare LED Therapy Red Light Medium Wrap: 20–30 min, once or twice a day.
• Mito's pet pad manual: Up to 10 min per area, 30 min per session at most, at least 6 hours apart (manual).

For people, the timing question is covered in how to use red light therapy; none of that has been tested on animals.

Side effects and safety

The one surgical trial that reported on it, Bennaim 2017, found "no adverse treatment-related events". The makers' warnings, in their own words:

• Eyes: "Don't shine the lights directly into the eyes of any animal (or person)" (Equine & Canine Light Therapy); Horseware and LumaSoothe say the same. Multi Radiance says "your pet may wear goggles for eye protection" with its laser (FAQ).
• Tumors: "Never use over a malignant tumor on any animal unless instructed by a qualified veterinarian" (Equine & Canine Light Therapy). LumaSoothe asks you to talk to a vet first if your pet has cancer.
• Pregnancy: Equine & Canine Light Therapy says not to use its pad on the abdomen of pregnant mares or dogs, and that it found no studies of that use (FAQ).
• Heat rubs: Mito warns against combining its pad with warming liniments or balms, "A skin burn could be the result" (manual). LumaSoothe and Equine & Canine Light Therapy say the same.
• Medicines: Mito says some medications increase light sensitivity and to check with your vet if your pet has taken antihistamines.
• Open wounds: the brands disagree. Mito, Horseware and EquiCare say not to use their devices over an open wound; Equine & Canine Light Therapy recommends its pad for wounds, through a film.

The human side of the safety evidence is in is red light therapy safe?.

Questions to ask your vet first

• What's the diagnosis, and is light therapy something you'd add to the current treatment or use instead of something?
• Do you offer laser therapy in the clinic, and how would a home pad compare?
• Is it safe with my pet's medicines, and over this area (a lump, a wound, the belly of a pregnant animal)?
• How often, for how long, and what change should we look for before deciding it isn't working?

For devices made for people, red light wraps and pads are the same kind of product with FDA records; the full picture for humans starts at the red light therapy guide.