In a cinder block building behind the New Jersey Equine Clinic (NJEC) in Millstone Township, a revolution in the treatment of injuries and infections is taking place.
Dr. Scott Palmer, owner of the NJEC, has installed a hyperbaric chamber for his equine clients. The $500,000 chamber is the first phase in his plans to construct a rehabilitation center at the facility, he said. According to Palmer, the only other hyperbaric chambers for horses in the mid-Atlantic area are in Maryland.
Equine Oxygen Therapy, the Kentucky company that markets the hyperbaric chamber, states that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may aid in healing wounds, soft tissue injuries, post-injection reactions, bone infections, head and spinal injuries, chronic infections, lung and abdominal abscesses, gastric ulcers, colitis, and other conditions. Palmer said HBOT is adjunctive therapy, used in combination with antibiotics and other modalities.
He said normal atmospheric pressure at sea level exerts 14.7 pounds per square inch. The pressure in the hyperbaric chamber is about twice that at sea level, he said.
Equine Oxygen Therapy’s informational brochure states that the general principle behind HBOT is that hyperoxygenation reduces tissue swelling and enhances oxygen delivery to injured tissues by increasing the amount of dissolved oxygen in the plasma.
For acute conditions, increasing oxygen aids in salvaging damaged tissue that would otherwise be lost to necrosis. For chronic conditions, including poorly healing wounds and other infections, HBOT enhances normal body processes such as stimulating new blood vessel, connective tissue and connective tissue cell growth.
Because an oxygen-rich environment is highly flammable, precautions must be taken to ensure that nothing sets off a spark in the hyperbaric chamber.
Veterinary technician Elisabeth Leahy said each horse has to be bathed before entering the chamber because certain chemicals such as alcohol or oils, which horse owners may use on their animals’ feet or coat, are prohibited in the chamber.
“We usually bathe them before they go in for the first time and if they stay at the clinic we keep them clean of anything should they go in again,” she said.
All horses entering the chamber are fitted with cotton halters, as leather halters may contain oil. Horses wearing steel shoes have their feet wrapped.
Palmer said aluminum shoes are not an issue in the chamber.
Leahy said the process of getting the horse into the chamber usually takes about five minutes, if the animal has been bathed.
Some horses may not want to enter, which Palmer likened to those who may be reluctant to board a trailer. He said some horses are more willing to enter the chamber after the initial session.
Horses are led out of the chamber and taken back to their stalls or hand-walked after treatment. Leahy said there is no recovery period.
After each use, the chamber is cleaned, hosed and disinfected, if necessary.
“The effects of hyperbaric oxygen therapy on healing are obvious in the horses we have treated since opening the chamber, and being able to see each horse’s progress is truly rewarding,” Leahy said.
The number of treatments varies with each patient. The cost also varies, but is generally $250 to $300 per chamber session. The price is discounted for prolonged treatments, according to Palmer.
As a community service, Palmer said he would eventually like to offer free use of the chamber to local fire departments aiming to find treatment for animals that are suffering from smoke inhalation.
He said CentraState Medical Center in Freehold Township has a hyperbaric chamber to treat human patients who are suffering from smoke inhalation, carbon monoxide poisoning and diabetic ulcers, which left untreated can lead to limb amputation.