Clover, a Dachshund with back problems, is another of Levitan’s memorable patients. Dr. Levitan suspected Clover suffered from intervertebral disk disease—a “slipped disk” in her back. Her initial treatment was hyperbaric oxygen therapy. By her fifth or sixth treatment, Clover was starting to feel better, though not completely normal. Shockingly, testing at that point showed a 50% compression of her spinal cord, suggesting that without this treatment, Clover would have eventually become completely paralyzed. Levitan credits hyperbaric oxygen therapy with preventing that paralysis. She believes that the therapy resulted in Clover’s symptoms remaining much less serious than they would have otherwise. She did go on to receive surgery to repair her injured spine and now, in part because of the miracle of hyperbaric oxygen therapy, Clover is completely recovered and able to walk normally. Though not all conditions can be successfully treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy, spinal injuries are far from being the only condition in which the treatment is useful. Allergic reactions, envenomation, wound healing, bone healing, knee injuries, abscesses, inflammation, infection, and many other conditions lend themselves to successful treatment with hyperbaric oxygen. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves the delivery of 100% oxygen under pressure. The oxygen is delivered by placing the pet in a specialized chamber.The delivery of oxygen under pressure allows increased blood flow to areas that require additional blood and oxygen, thereby aiding in healing. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can often be combined with other treatments to further increase a pet’s chances of recovery. This was the case with Clover who underwent both hyperbaric oxygen therapy and spinal surgery. It was also the case with Baron, a canine cancer survivor. Baron’s cancer had been treated with brachytherapy, a type of radiation therapy. Though the brachytherapy treatments were successful in eliminating the cancer, Baron was left with a large wound on his leg which would not heal. Six months following the completion of the radiation treatment, the wound was still present and treatment with hyperbaric oxygen was started. Ninety days later, after 36 HBOT treatments, Baron’s wound was finally completely healed. Joining Dr. Levitan as a believer in the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen therapy is Dr. Susan Shelton of the St. Francis Animal Hospital in Jacksonville. Shelton is certified by the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners in canine and feline practice. She began using HBOT just a few months ago and has already treated 80 of her four-legged patients with hyperbaric oxygen. “I just don’t understand why this hasn’t become a mainstream treatment yet. It really should be,” says Dr. Shelton. Among the furry patients that have benefited from HBOT under Shelton’s supervision is Nettington, a 12-year-old golden retriever. Bitten by a venomous snake, his entire face had become swollen and painful within 24 hours. After one treatment in the hyperbaric chamber, Nettington improved dramatically and by the time a second treatment was finished the following day, he was almost completely normal again. Nettington was the first patient Dr. Shelton treated with hyperbaric oxygen. Another dramatic recovery involved Dot, a 10-pound twowww.TheNewBarker.com
year-old dog with a large neck wound. She was near death when brought to Dr. Shelton. Her neck wound was serious. It was wide open, exposing the muscle and other tissues under her skin. The wound had become infected and the infection had spread throughout Dot’s small body like a wildfire. On top of all this, she was suffering from tetanus. Surgery was considered but it was not an attractive choice. Because of her serious condition, it was feared she might not survive surgery. Hyperbaric oxygen provided a safer option and in the end, it proved to be an effective option as well. Despite the critical nature of Dot’s injuries, she recovered fully and returned home to lead a normal life, thanks to Dr. Shelton and hyperbaric oxygen therapy. U
In human medicine, the healing properties of hyperbaric oxygen have been recognized for at least 20 years. Still, there are only a handful of veterinary hospitals in the U.S. that offer HBOT treatment for small animals. Hyperbaric Veterinary Medicine™ LLC is working to change that. Based in Boca Raton, the company provides hyperbaric chambers specifically designed for animals. Its f ?[?\?\??Y?\?? ?
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