UT Raising Funds For HBOT Chamber
Wednesday, June 22, 2005
In order to continue saving the lives of horses with Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, the University of Tennessee in Knoxville will need to make a $200,000 purchase by the end of August, 2005.
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy is a progressive type of treatment where horses are exposed to high levels of oxygen at high pressures.
HBOT is administered in a large chamber where the horse is exposed to increased amounts of oxygen that is under pressure -- two to three times the pressure experienced at sea level -- thus allowing more oxygen to be dissolved in the blood and delivered to diseased tissues.
UT has been leasing the chamber from Equinox in Canada, since August of 2003. At the end of the lease this August, UT will need to purchase a chamber of its own for about $200,000. Jeff Ray, a walking horse owner who is assisting UT in raising the necessary funds, said they are looking to buy a more horse friendly chamber where horses can actually lie down during their treatments.
HBOT can be used in conjunction with traditional treatments for a variety of problems such as trauma, leg wounds, central nervous system damage, surgical trauma, large, poor healing wounds, bone infections, internal abscesses, sinus infections, systemic infections, loss of blood supply and necrosis and inflammatory injuries to tendons and ligaments.
While undergoing the treatment, horses are sedated and then placed in the chamber, which was manufactured by Equinox in Canada, for a one hour treatment. The number of treatments varies, depending on the condition of each horse. It could take as few as two treatments and as many as 30. Treatments can be repeated daily.
The clinic at UT has treated between two and three dozen horses with HBOT. An article recently appeared in Walking Horse Report which discussed the positive effects HBOT had on a 10-year-old walking horse named Generator’s Powerstroke. The article mistakenly called Generator’s Powerstroke, “Angel.” Powerstroke and Angel are actually two different horses that have been treated with HBOT.
Generator’s Powerstroke had been taken to UT for a second opinion by his owner, Glen Farmer, after he foundered at Farmer’s home in Kentucky. After undergoing 15 HBOT treatments, some corrective trimming and a dorsal hoof wall resection, the UT clinic was able to maintain approximately 75% of the hoof wall attachment.
Generator returned to UT for a reset last week.
“He has grown about an inch and a half of new hoof wall at the toe, said Adair. “He is looking very good. If he continues in this direction he will have a new hoof on both front feet in about four months.”
Celebration CEO Ron Thomas has agreed to work on the accounting end of the fundraising for a new HBOT chamber. Donations or your commitment for a donation must be made by June 30, 2005. Checks should be made payable to:
UT Large Animal Clinic HBOT Research Fund
Tennessee Walking Horse National Celebration
PO Box 1010, Shelbyville, TN, 37162.
If you have questions, please contact Jeff Ray at 615-804-7088 or Dr. Dennis Geiser at UT at 865-974-5703.
|