Oxygen for Dogs: Portable Oxygen Therapy for Our Canine Friends
Jun. 27, 2022
Using a portable oxygen therapy, or any oxygen therapy for your dog should be treated just like any kind of oxygen therapy that a human patient would use. A veterinarian would determine whether or not your dog would need oxygen therapy. If need be, he or she would prescribe the amount of oxygen your dog needs.
You should never change your pet's oxygen dosage without your vet telling you to, and you have to make sure that the oxygen is properly administered to your dog.
Why Do Dogs Require Oxygen Therapy?
Like us, our pets absorb oxygen through the lungs from the air-inhaled and then it gets transferred to the bloodstream. The heart circulates the oxygen-carrying blood to the rest of the body. This ensures proper oxygen saturation. The oxygen saturation can be checked by attaching a pulse oximeter to your pet's paw, ear, or tail. A low oxygen level may cause hypoxia in dogs and oxygen level less than 93% should trigger oxygen therapy to provide the supplemental oxygen needed.
A dog would need oxygen therapy for various reasons including:
ㆍDifficulty in Breathing
ㆍCongestive Heart Failure (CHF)
ㆍFluid Buildup
ㆍLung Cancer
ㆍPost-Surgery
ㆍOther Cardiovascular or Pulmonary issues
Oxygen Therapy Solutions for Dogs
If your dog is very sick, you can help make its life more comfortable by getting it something to increase the oxygen intake. There are mini oxygen conserver tanks that can be provided for our canine friends who need it, but you'll have to get one from your veterinarian. Using one that is too large, or on too high of a setting can be harmful to your pet - yes, more than required oxygen-flow is also troublesome. This is why it is so important to stick with the setting prescribed by your vet.
There are several techniques to deliver supplemental oxygen. It could be through a dog oxygen mask or cannula. You might also be wondering how you would keep a nasal cannula or face mask on your dog intact. A neck cone will help stop him from pawing at the tubing and will prevent him from removing or damaging any of the parts with his teeth or paws. A surgical tape will help hold the nasal cannula in place. Just make sure you change the tape every day and clean out the tubing. You need to clean it every day; bacteria can quickly begin to form in the tubing. Your vet will likely show you how to attach the tape and keep the tubing clean.
Oxygen can also be provided through an oxygen cage, chamber or tent, through intubation, or by using an oxygen hood for a dog. Please consult with your vet the preferred method, level and duration of oxygen therapy for your dog.
The source of oxygen can be an oxygen tank, home oxygen concentrator or portable oxygen concentrator. The home oxygen concentrators for dogs are stationary devices for in-home usage, continuous oxygen flow and are low on budget. Whereas, portable ones, as the name suggests, are battery-operated mobile devices which can be carried outside. The concentrators make their own oxygen and do not require a refill.
Your dog can use a simple strap-like carry bag so they can carry around their oxygen tank or concentrator when they go outside or walk to their food bowl.
You might start to notice that your dog has gotten a little more energetic, like its old healthy self. This is because the proper amount of oxygen is being distributed throughout its body, and its muscles and organs can function more normally.
Being able to provide a sick dog with portable oxygen therapy is very helpful because he or she will be able to get up and move around and will likely feel more inclined to after using oxygen therapy for a while. Depending on the diagnosis, your dog might even be able to recover much more quickly, or at least be able to live a somewhat normal life, despite its illness.
We know how much our pets mean to us and we are willing to help by providing state-of-the-art oxygen devices. Our knowledgeable and experienced veterinary oxygen concentrator supplier can help you determine the appropriate oxygen concentrator to meet your pet's needs.
