Pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, or PEMF, uses electromagnetic fields to induce a positive cellular response.
You’ve likely seen this therapeutic device mentioned alongside some very common human ailments, such as impaired circulation, diabetes, wound healing and fractures, and arthritis.
If it works for humans, can PEMF work for dogs?
Great question.
While different in physiology and structure, dogs actually have the same organs, molecular and cellular structures, and internal systems as humans.
In fact, a study published in Microbiome found that the gene content of gut microbiomes between humans and dogs are more similar than that between humans and pigs or mice, which are both common test subjects in human nutritional and medical studies (1).
Like humans, dogs are subject to many of the same life-altering chronic diseases, such as arthritis and cancer.
Of course, dogs can also suffer acute injuries, such as bone fractures.
So, a natural question for consumers with dogs is if PEMF could be mutually beneficial to both themselves and their pets?
In this article we explore PEMF as it relates to dogs.
Whether a pet owner or professional working with canine health and wellbeing, the natural progression in therapeutic device discoveries found to be impactful in animal and human trials is to question the therapy’s usefulness for domesticated pets.
Is PEMF beneficial to dogs?
Our goal is to provide you with factual details on PEMF to help you determine if it’s safe and potentially beneficial for your dog(s.)
Many PEMF devices are being marketed toward both humans and dogs.
Just as humans have a need to vet therapeutic devices for effect and safety concerning themselves, the consumer also wants to ensure that such is safe and effective when applied to their beloved dogs, too.
We look to the science and the cellular similarities between dog and human for your due diligence answers.
The mystery and awe of electricity and magnetism as a healing power isn’t new.
It’s been a part of ancient medical and healing practices for century upon century.
In the early 19th and 20th centuries, rudimentary devices were first invented as cures for ailments and promotion of general health and well-being.
In the early 1930s, science was evolved enough to begin testing the effects of electromagnetic fields on human and animal tissues.
The results were promising, but the scientific application of research remained limited and answers neutral to inconclusive.
By the 1980s, scientific advancement of knowledge, equipment, and processes allowed for more comprehensive and widespread PEMF research.
The technology itself also advanced in application.
The FDA found sufficient evidence to approve PEMF for use in humans.
Today, innovative brands have modeled PEMF device design to be used in homes, medical offices, and veterinary offices worldwide.
It was a major advancement for the electromagnetic therapy field, and consumers are taking note.
They also have questions.
PubMed has an extensive collection of scientific data, studies, and systematic reviews related to PEMF.
Evidence shows the potential to proofs of significant biological effects on animal cells and tissues, including positive influence over metabolism, inflammation, tissue function, pain, and even cancer.
With PEMF being so aggressively marketed to dog owners and veterinarians, the question is in clinical benefits and any potential for risks.
We will examine several studies to find answers.
Science has shown that animal tissue responds to enhanced oxygenation and blood circulation with cellular regeneration.
At its core, PEMF encourages cellular regeneration and healing.
Yet, unlike other radio frequency-based therapies, such as radio frequency ablation, PEMF doesn’t generate potentially harmful deep heat.
PEMF doesn’t ionize atoms, which can damage the inner cell.
As such, PEMF has been found safe and effective on animals of all sizes, including mice, dogs, and horses.
Both holistic practitioners, at-home care givers, and traditional veterinary practices are increasingly looking to PEMF as a non-toxic, non-invasive regenerative technology for a number of canine diseases and illnesses.
Uses for PEMF in dogs is both proactive and responsive.
It’s increasingly being used as a novel way to ‘prep’ a dog for surgery or reduce an injury risk in active dogs, and it’s being used for rehabbing post-surgery, injury, or chronic illness diagnosis in dogs.
Unlike many medications and surgeries used to treat a dog’s health issues, PEMF has been found to have few, if any, unwanted side effects.
PEMF systems come in a variety of configurations and applications.
PEMF is most influential when it can be applied near the area you’d like to be treated.
Of course, this can prove problematic with some dog personalities.
You’ll find from our other reviews that each brand and device setup has its own pros and cons for human use.
You may prefer loop, pad, coil, pillow, or mat applicators.
Preference usually depends upon how and where you’ll be using the device.
If sleeping on it or treating large areas, a mat may be best.
Meanwhile, a pad or loop may be best when targeting a very specific smaller area.
However, your pup may not be as willing to participate with smaller, targeted applicators or bulky applicators that are heavy.
This is particularly true if your dog is anxious by nature or small in size.
You’ll find that many of the most popular PEMF brands are now offering dog-specific applicators.
If your ordered brand doesn’t specifically have a dog application, then we recommend a mat.
Most find that a mat works best with dogs, cats, and horses alike.
It’s comfy, gentle, non-restricting, and easy to administer.
Many owners report that their dogs begin to sense where the relief comes from and will go to the PEMF mat on their own to relax even when the device isn’t turned on, which also may suggest that the PEMF mat has a psyche placebo effect on some dogs.
Placebo aside, this natural resting place isn’t surprising. PEMF has been found to bolster melatonin levels in dogs.
Why is melatonin important to dogs? According to PetMD, melatonin can lower anxiety, reduce alopecia hair loss, and regulate sleep patterns against insomnia (2).
If you’re worried about how your dog would initially respond to the PEMF mat, you can always place the mat under his/her bedding.
You would want to keep the control unit blocked off, however, to keep your pet from inadvertently hitting an operation component.
Let’s look at a few specific conditions and pathologies that PEMF science is overwhelmingly positive:
Did you know one in five dogs will suffer from arthritis in their lifetime?
It means pain, inflammation, and eventual debilitation if left unattended.
In humans, PEMF is extremely popular amongst arthritis sufferers.
There are over 100 types of musculoskeletal system disorders that fall under the arthritis heading.
These are disorders with a long history of expensive, ineffective, and side-effect-ridden treatment options.
This is also true in dogs.
Even successful traditional treatments are often only temporary.
Yet, low frequency PEMF has consistently yielded long-term positive to neutral-positive results in studies.
A PubMed review of both animal and human studies found that PEMF was highly successful at eliminating arthritis pain and inflammation whist improving bone remodeling (3).
Likewise, Science Direct’s Research in Veterinary Science outlines a PEMF study evidencing PEMF use for osteoarthritis and bone healing, wound, and inflammation, showing that PEMF use can improve veterinary outcomes (4).
A research article from the Pakistan Veterinary Journal further supports this in a dog study whereby the subjects exposed to PEMF therapy in a clinical setting began to experience less osteoarthritis pain, inflammation, and lameness and more function by mid-therapy; they also sustained the benefits throughout the treatment period (5).
From accidents to post-surgical healing, PEMF can be very beneficial toward your dogs bones.
The known bone density improvements and reduction in joint-related pain is a major draw for human use, and it’s also proving to be applicable to canines.
A John Hopkins Dept. of Orthopaedic Surgery study showed that PEMF had very positive results on late-stage bone-healing post canine knee surgery, which resulted in significant new bone formation (6).
Wound healing is also a major concern for dog owners, especially in canines with existing medical ailments such as poor circulation or diabetes.
A clinical trail from 2019 looked at PEMF’s effects on postoperative spine healing in canines following hemilaminectomies.
It was conducted by the Animal Medical Center, New York, and the results concluded that PEMF exposure postoperatively did lower the need for pain medication and improve the wound healing scores (7).
PEMF has been found to help improve the tensile strength of diabetic skin, which is a key component in wound closure.
A 2014 study published by PubMed found that diabetic rats with cutaneous wounds had faster wound closure and enhanced re-epithelialization at certain stages of wound healing after PEMF (8).
Like humans, canines depend on proper blood circulation to function effectively and efficiently.
Every major organ and hard and soft tissue depend on proper circulation to supply the cells with nutrients and energy.
Of all the PEMF research that’s been completed by the scientific and medical communities, PEMF’s circulation benefits are by far the most numerous.
Body after body of research confirms PEMF does improve circulation.
The research is even moving forward to examine circulation pathologies beyond the usual suspects related to the cardiovascular system.
An example of this in canine studies comes from researchers in Italy examining benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) in canines, which is believed to be the result of lower urinary tract blood supply impairment.
Just three weeks into the study, the researchers found that PEMF therapy cut prostate volume by more than half.
Unlike other potential BPH treatments, the canines didn’t suffer libido, testosterone, or semen quality negative side effects (9).
Another interesting study offered by researchers at NC State’s College of Veterinary Medicine examined PEMF impact on dogs with acute intervertebral disc extrusion, which leaves dogs with a complete sensorimotor injury and unable to walk.
The study featured 16 dogs using 16 randomized PEMF devices.
Each benefited with less pain, lower numbers of injury markers in blood samples, and better sensory recovery (10).
In the nerve regeneration realm, PEMF studies have found PEMF therapy valuable in a number of neurological issues in humans, including everything from ruptured discs to Parkinson’s disease (11, 12).
Keep in mind that the above references human studies, but dogs have a similar bioelectric system that could yield the same types of benefits.
Is PEMF safe for dogs?
Yes, the vast body of scientific evidence shows no side effects with canine use.
Is PEMF beneficial to dogs?
Yes, the vast body of scientific evidence supports innumerable benefits across a vast spectrum of wellness and disease issues
PEMF is an amazing technological advance for both human and animal cell health, healing, and enhancement.
Since all living things are made up of cells, and PEMF is proven to influence cells from almost every single system in the body, PEMF inevitably has at the very least a potential benefit in almost any pathology.
Despite PEMF having a long-standing place in history, the research into its precise influence over such pathologies continues to be a topic of research.
Technological advances have now made it possible to see these effects in measured data and results, and we learn more daily.
Of course, the PEMF devices themselves have advanced to become feasibly sized and priced for at-home use.
All of this has helped the consumer understand what PEMF does and why.
The remaining question is within the spec and configuration differences within each device.
The bottom line is that the very factors that make PEMF so diverse as a wellness and therapeutic medical device also often cause the devices to be confusing to the consumer.
PEMF brands vary greatly in configuration and specs, and those are two of the most important facets in selecting a device.
The right device for you or your neighbor’s dog may not be right for your dog.
If you’ve found that PEMF devices are practical for your professional practice or at-home use, we invite you to study our other guides.
These can help you match specific configurations to your unique expectations and needs.
Richard Hoover is a PEMF expert and content contributor to PEMF Advisor. With a bachelor’s degree in physics and multiple certifications in natural health programs, he is one of the best PEMF experts around.
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