You may have had a lot of questions relating to your pet to a veterinarian who brought up hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) recently. You may feel caught between “How can this technology help my pet?” and “Will this be complicated?” Although it sounds like an expensive and high-tech form of veterinary therapy, HBOT isn’t overly involved in its definition. HBOT is a proven safe method (non-invasively) designed to help many pets facing significant health problems.
Here in this blog, we give you complete information about when veterinarians recommend oxygen therapy for pets.
What Exactly Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy?
It would be like a wellness chamber for your pet. As a form of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, your pet is placed in an enclosed space that has a high-pressure environment filled with pure oxygen, allowing them to breathe pure oxygen. In a high-pressure environment, oxygen can be dissolved into the bloodstream and tissues at much higher levels than normally occur from just breathing in air. This allows your pet’s cells to receive an abundance of oxygenated blood and assists in repairing from within.
When Your Vet Might Recommend It
Veterinary doctors often recommend hyperbaric oxygen therapy for those main conditions where oxygen saturation of the animal plays an important role in aiding in recovery from these conditions. These include wounds that won’t heal (due to surgical, injury, or ulceration) first; other conditions include carbon monoxide poisoning and decompression sickness; both of these can affect pets, so they respond very well to hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Animals that have had surgery, especially if there are complications after the surgery, often see significant improvement in healing rates when treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Animals that suffer from burn injuries, gangrene or severe infection will respond exceptionally well to treatment via hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been reported by veterinarians as having been successful in treating animals with spinal cord injuries, but research is still ongoing in this area. Also, pets that are affected by radiation injury or that have experienced a crush injury will also have accelerated healing by undergoing hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment.
Why It Works
Cellular repair and immune system functionality are both dependent upon oxygen. When an animal has been injured or is trying to recover from fighting off an infection, the tissues that have sustained damage through injury or sickness turn to low levels of available oxygen for their healing process. Thus, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) will help stimulate healing by administering concentrated levels of oxygen directly to the affected site(s). In turn, this will promote new blood vessel formation, enhance white blood cell function, reduce inflammation, and thus provide a ‘triple threat’ to whatever is harming your pet.
What the Experience Is Like
Expect to have your animal comfortably seated inside the chamber. This is done gently over a few minutes before slowly increasing the pressure inside the chamber. This process is completely free from pain, taking anywhere from 60 – 90 minutes on average. Most animals adapt to the chamber within one acclimation session, making the experience a positive one for both you and your pet. It is not an unpleasant procedure due to its being non-invasive; many owners report that their pet remains calm throughout treatment (often even asleep).
The Results
In many cases, pet owners will see improvement in their pets in just days or weeks, such as wounds closing faster or infections clearing up faster than they could before, with mobility being restored very quickly. Of course, each individual will have their own response to HBOT, and it will work best when it is used in conjunction with other medications or treatments (such as physical therapy) for your pet.
Making the Decision
Before your vet recommends hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) for your pet, make sure you have a thorough discussion about your pet’s condition, what results to expect, and how long it may take to see those results. Although treating your pet with this type of therapy may involve an initial investment, many families feel that the speed at which their pets heal and have a better quality of life warrant the expense.
If you want to provide the best quality of care for your furry family members, you may be considering HBOT as a possible treatment option for your pet. Call AV Veterinary Center today and speak with a team of caring professionals who will work with you to find an innovative way to improve your pet’s health and well-being.
FAQs
Is hyperbaric oxygen therapy safe for my pet?
Of course! It is not invasive or painful. Your pet does not require any anesthesia or sedation during nearly all of the treatments. The chamber itself was built with comfort in mind, and the veterinarian is going to ensure that your pet is monitored while in the chamber during its entire course of treatment. There are virtually no side effects; however, the veterinarian will inform you of any known potential risks associated with your pet’s health prior to treatment.
Will my pet be scared inside the chamber?
This is something that has many pet owners concerned but generally, pets adapt relatively quickly! The treatment chambers are quite roomy and the ambient temperature is controlled for your pet’s comfort. Additionally, all pets receive a pre-treatment acclimation to help them acclimate to their new environment. Pet owners often report that their pets appear comfortable and relaxed during treatment. Many patients even fall asleep during treatment!
How long is each session?
Most of our sessions are between 60 minutes and 90 minutes. When the session begins, the pressure slowly builds up, and when the session ends, the pressure comes back down again. This way, your pet doesn’t feel full pressure on them for the entire length of the session.
How many sessions will my pet need?
The length of time will be determined according to the medical condition that is being treated. For example, some pets may only require a few treatments and others may need 20 to 40 treatments to feel better. The veterinarian will work with you to develop a custom plan based on the needs of your pet and how they respond to therapy.
