Increased Oxygen Intake Could Help Your Dog

A new therapy is available that can help dogs with all manner of medical problems. Just some of the many issues it can address? Cranial or spinal chord trauma, athletic injuries, shock, acute anemia, pulmonary edema, wounds like burns or snakebites, infectious diseases like Lyme disease, pancreatitis…the list goes on (and on).

Just what is this miracle worker? Oxygen—plain, but not so simple. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy has been used in human medicine for over 20 years, healing injuries and saving hundreds of thousands of lives. Now, thanks to Hyperbaric Veterinary Medicine, hyperbaric chambers for animals are available! The testimonials from veterinarians employing this healing modality are amazing and even a tortoise has benefitted from the therapy.

Here’s how it works: The chamber delivers 100 percent oxygen at a greater than normal atmospheric pressure (the patient just breathes it in), providing up to 20 times more oxygen to the tissues than breathing normal room air. This provides immediate help to compromised tissue, particularly that with marginal blood flow. Hyper-oxygenation of the tissue has tremendous success in curing deep-seated, resistant infection. In addition, the increased air pressure constricts small vessels, decreasing edema, which is especially important in treating burns and crushed tissue injuries. It also increases collateral blood flow, helping injured tissue heal while killing anaerobic bacteria and decreasing inflammation. The positive results seen in challenging cases is remarkable, healing persistent wounds such as that of a cat who suffered from an open wound for three years. Pretty amazing stuff! Over 20,000 pets have benefited thus far. To find a Hyperbaric Veterinary Medicine chamber equipped facility near you, go to hvmed.com.