Keeping My New Pets Healthy

Having a dog get hit by a car is a pet owner's worst nightmare; but thankfully, dogs can survive the experience with mild to severe injuries. Of course, your first action after your dog has been struck by a vehicle should always be to seek immediate holistic animal care for your pet. Once your pet's injuries have been treated and are no longer life-threatening, you will likely be faced with weeks and months of recovery and the potential complications involved. One increasingly popular option among advocates for holistic animal care is the use of hyperbaric oxygen chambers, which deliver elevated oxygen levels to stimulate the recovery of damaged or hypoxic tissues.

Encouraging the Healing of Wounds 

The body of any animal relies on oxygen for its basic functions, using the element to convert food into energy and to stimulate the basic chemical processes that keep cells growing and functioning. The wound-healing effects of elevated oxygen levels have been documented by researches, who speculate that it increases the efficiency of blood vessel development while also possibly spurring the release of stem cells and other healing agents within the body. Because of this, hyperbaric oxygen tanks are gaining recognition as a useful tool to combat stubborn wounds that refuse to heal or to simply minimize recovery time after an accident. 

Reducing Swelling and Discomfort

Besides providing a boost to your dog's physical recovery, oxygen therapy may also get your furry friend's tail wagging again more quickly as a form of natural pain management. Studies have shown that hyperbaric chambers are a promising form of treatment for the swelling and inflammation associated with arthritis, which may also apply to the soreness and inflammation of a dog recovering from being hit by a car. If your dog cannot be placed on pain medications or you feel that those medications are not helping enough, oxygen therapy may be enough to help your dog forget its trauma a little bit sooner than otherwise. 

Compensating for Brain Injuries and Oxygen Deprivation

Oxygen therapy is particularly valuable in the treatment of ischemic or hypoxic injuries, which can often occur as a byproduct of crushing damage. Your dog may have experienced crushed blood vessels and damaged tissues during the accident, preventing the regular absorption of oxygen by cells in that area. This is most serious when it occurs in or near the brain, and it can lead to permanent damage if not corrected quickly. Flooding your dog's system with oxygen may restore function to otherwise oxygen-deprived areas of the body that might not heal normally on their own. If you are watching your dog struggle through recovery after being hit by a car and are seeking alternative options, contact your local veterinarian for holistic animal care options near you.