Veterinary care has come along way from the early days. Most notable is the application of human treatment modalities for animal use. One of the latest methods introduced over the past couple of decades has been the application of Hyperbaric Oxygen Medicine for Veterinary utilization. We can recall a time when hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) was exclusively used for humans and only a very small faction of veterinary providers were utilizing HBOT for their patients. Mostly, via outdated human hyperbaric chambers re- purposed to provide crucial care to those veterinary patients who might not have survived without utilizing HBOT.
That was then, today a growing number of veterinary clinics around the country are adding this life saving and life altering science to their practices to provide vital treatments to their patients. At last count there were just over one hundred clinics providing this exciting and essential service to their patients. You might be asking yourselves just what is HBOT? That answer would take many many hours to explain, but briefly, hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is the science of applying 100% oxygen and increased atmospheric pressure via a chamber to effect amazing and scientifically proven changes within the body and mind. This treatment modality has been utilized for human use medically since the late 1600's.
Today, HBOT is utilized in 13-15 FDA approved indications in America and for over 100 indications internationally. That international list grows larger with each passing year as more and more research flows within the international community.
The amazing thing is that a major portion of human illnesses are present within the animal realm and many of those illnesses could be treated by veterinarians utilizing HBOT effectively for their veterinary patients with extremely noteworthy positive outcomes. Basically, a veterinarian could utilize HBOT to treat a wide variety of animal illnesses with scientifically proven treatments with nearly the same level of positive outcomes as humans. Here's the FDA approved HBOT treatment indications for humans that might offer treatment within the veterinary world:
Gas Embolism
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Gas Gangrene
Crush Injuries
Exceptional Blood Loss
Intracranial Abscess
Necrotizing Fasciitis
Refractory Osteomyelitis
Delayed Radiation Injury
Compromised Skin Grafts and Flaps
Thermal Burns
Diabetic derived illnesses
This list reflects just a small portion of the treatment possibilities available to the Veterinary practices within the country. In our next post we will delve further into Veterinary HBOT and what offers a veterinary practice seeking to provide the utmost care for its clients.
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