We all feel helpless at times when our pet is struggling to heal. In many cases DXN carbon dioxide therapy can make a big difference. This guide talks about the conditions DXN is most able to help and it explains what happens in the body once DXN carbon dioxide is present.
Once you decide to try Dioxyfin DXN, you will have to ask your veterinarian to prescribe it for you. This is because it is made of carbon dioxide which the FDA requires must be manufactured and prescribed according to FDA regulations. These regulations require that carbon dioxide be used only by, or on the order of, a licensed veterinarian.
If your vet doesn’t have Dioxyfin DXN, give us a call or send us an email, and we’ll put you in touch with a vet in your area who can help.
ABSCESS AND CANKER
An abscess is a localized collection of pus in a cavity formed from tissues that have been broken down by infectious bacteria. The abscess must be drained before it will respond to therapy.
Canker is a chronic infection that enlarges the horn-producing tissues of the hoof. The infection typically originates in the frog and spreads to the adjacent sole, bars, and hoof wall.
Carbon dioxide applied transdermally (through the skin) can be used to treat abscesses and canker because it penetrates the affected area and reaches the underlying tissue, where it promotes normal healing by forming new blood vessels, increasing blood flow to the tissue, and forcing red blood cells to release their oxygen into the tissue. Oxygen is important because it enhances healing by helping white blood cells to destroy bacteria and consume dead tissue more effectively. In the process, oxygen also stifles the growth of damaging micro-organisms that arise in the absence of oxygen. . Carbon dioxide also prevents bacteria from multiplying.
These benefits, however, must be balanced by the possibility that carbon dioxide can block the inflammation that is needed to fight the infection.
CELLULITIS
Cellulitis occurs when the tissues that lie beneath the skin become inflamed and infected. It typically appears as severe swelling of a limb that can be enough to cause lameness. The lameness can develop quite rapidly, and it is normally quite severe. Some horses even refuse to bear weight on the limb, which may swell to two to three times its normal size.
Carbon dioxide can treat cellulitis when it is applied directly to the affected limb, where it seeps into the infected tissue. It is so effective for three reasons. First, it increases both blood flow and the supply of oxygen to the infected tissue by forcing red blood cells to release their oxygen. This process enhances natural healing by helping white blood cells to kill bacteria and consume dead tissue more effectively. Second, carbon dioxide reduces inflammation and therefore pain and swelling as well. Third, it promotes the formation of fresh tissue by activating the process that creates new blood vessels and by preventing bacteria from multiplying.
Like the benefits of carbon dioxide in treating abscess and canker, its benefits in treating cellulitis must be balanced with the possibility that it can block the inflammation that is needed to fight the infection.
LAMINITIS
Laminitis is a disease of the hoof. It affects both the generation of new hoof and the stability of the lamina that hold the hoof as it travels down the foot. There appears to be a microvascular deficit in these areas that causes a loss of normal function. This deficit may be created by metabolic disorders, trauma, immobility, or excessive weight on a single limb.
Carbon dioxide therapy can treat laminitis by improving blood flow, increasing oxygen levels in the tissue, decreasing inflammation, and promoting the formation of new blood vessels and fresh tissue. Most important, carbon dioxide reduces swelling and pain so that a horse can recover some mobility, which will also help with healing.
WOUNDS AND SCRATCHES
With appropriate care, wounds will heal themselves. However, they are sometimes slow to heal, and they fester. Small wounds can become large wounds if they are not immediately treated. Carbon dioxide therapy can hasten the healing of small wounds before they get worse. At elevated levels, carbon dioxide can slow the growth of bacteria and activate the formation of new blood vessels and, eventually, new tissue. The additional oxygen that is produced when carbon dioxide comes in contact with red blood cells can also make white blood cells more effective in destroying bacteria and consuming dead tissue.
These benefits must be balanced by the possibility that carbon dioxide can block the inflammation that is needed to fight an infection in a wound.
ARTHRITIS
Arthritis is a disease of the joints that is seen in osteoarthritis, spondylosis, and degenerative joint disease. It is directly related to the health of the cartilage that lines the bones where they meet at a joint. If an injury or a simple strain to the joint alters the continuous revitalization of the cartilage, it can deteriorate. Inflammation ensues, and chemicals known as reactive oxygen species (ROS) accelerate the breakdown of cartilage and stall its production. Once a joint is inflamed, the cartilage slowly degrades and causes pain and joint dysfunction.
Application of CO2 directly to the affected tissue and joints can reduce pain and swelling by reducing the inflammation and neutralizing the destructive actions of the ROS. Once this happens, the CO2 will generate a healthy environment for formation of new tissue and collagen as it activates the mechanism for angiogenesis and offers increased oxygen to the tissue.
The goal of carbon dioxide therapy is to create a healthy environment that supports the continuous renewal of joint tissue and collagen. When applied directly to the skin, the therapy achieves this goal by reducing inflammation in the joint, neutralizing the destructive actions of the ROS, supporting the formation of new blood vessels, and forcing the red blood cells to release their oxygen to the tissue.
SOFT TISSUE INJURY
Soft tissue injury is typically caused by the overuse or overextension of ligaments, or by a traumatic injury that bruises the tissue. A physical exam of the affected limb will usually indicate the type of injury. The natural healing process will typically suffice unless the injury is repeated. In this case, the problem may become chronic, and a chronic problem leads to prolonged inflammation that can result in permanent tissue damage.
Carbon dioxide therapy can squelch an out-of-control inflammatory process and restore normal healing. At the same time, it reduces swelling and pain so that the horse can become more active.
UNDIAGNOSED LAMENESS
Lameness has numerous causes, and diagnosing the underlying one can be very frustrating. It could be a soft tissue injury, a damaged ligament or tendon, arthritis, or laminitis. The favoring of a limb is the first indication of a problem, which may be followed by a physical exam, x-rays, a scan, and/or an ultrasound. Regardless of the final diagnosis, inflammation is almost always part of the underlying problem. Although some inflammation is essential to protecting the affect area and activating the normal healing processes, excessive inflammation can worsen the disorder.
Carbon dioxide therapy will suppress the inflammation regardless of the cause and improve the tissue with its strong anti-oxidant properties, thereby creating a healthy environment for better healing. This happens because carbon dioxide increases blood flow, supplies additional oxygen to the tissue, and triggers the process that forms new blood vessels.
Dioxyfin, as well as the sleeves used with the it, may be purchased only by licensed veterinarians.