Jacksonville, FL (January 9, 2013): St. Francis Animal Hospital, a not-for-profit veterinary hospital located in San Marco at 2107 Mango Place, Jacksonville, FL 32207, is pleased to announce the opening of Jacksonville’s first and only Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatment center for pets.“We are happy to be a part of the San Marco community and we are especially pleased to be the first and only veterinary practice in Jacksonville to provide the revolutionary hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatment. With the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatment center, St. Francis Animal Hospital will be able to provide cutting-edge treatment to expedite healing and treat cases that might otherwise be hopeless,” said St. Francis Animal Hospital founder Dr. Susan Green Shelton.Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is a revolutionary treatment that safely and painlessly delivers healing oxygen, even to areas with poor blood flow, resulting in remarkable benefits that may be hard to achieve with any other therapy. Benefits of HBOT include accelerated improvements in many conditions including spinal cord and brain injuries as well as slow-healing wounds, stubborn infections, pancreatitis, and snake and spider bites.
The first patient treated in the St. Francis Animal Hospital Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Treatment Center was a 13-year old Golden Retriever named Nettington. Three days prior to the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy treatment, Nettington had been bitten in the face by a water moccasin and his owners couldn’t afford to treat him with expensive anti-venom.
Upon completion of the first HBOT treatment, the swelling of Nettington’s muzzle was reduced by 4 inches. And less than 24 hours after the first HBOT treatment, the swelling in Nettington’s muzzle had reduced so significantly, it was nearly back to normal.
(on left) BEFORE HBOT treatment. (on right) 24 Hours AFTER initial HBOT treatment
Nettington received a total of three HBOT treatments and was released two days after his initial treatment. “I have never seen snake bite swelling reduced so significantly in such a short amount of time,” said St. Francis Animal Hospital founder Dr. Susan Shelton.
Nettington is discharged two days after first HBOT treatment
Nettington’s story is just one reason why St. Francis Animal Hospital’s new Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Treatment Center is expected to be valuable for other pets with other serious medical issues. For more photos and information about Nettington’s story: Channel 4 News – Nettington and Hyperbaric Treatment
Founded in 2004 by San Marco resident and veterinarian Dr. Susan Green Shelton, St. Francis Animal Hospital’s mission is to provide veterinary care to all owned pets in the Jacksonville area. In support of their mission, St. Francis Animal Hospital treats every patient with compassion, providing quality and comprehensive care that protects the special bond that exists between people and their pets. For so long, it has been the philosophy of some veterinarians – and even some pet owners – that if you can’t afford to care for an animal, you shouldn’t have a pet. As common as this theory may be, it is flawed. St. Francis Animal Hospital believes everyone deserves the unconditional love of a happy and healthy pet and all pets deserve to be in a loving home. Through their dedicated work and support from donors, St. Francis is keeping pets healthy and helping families keep their pets in their homes and out of local animal shelters.
For more information contact 904-674-7223, email info@saintfrancisanimalhospital.org or visit the St. Francis Animal Hospital website at www.saintfrancisanimalhospital.org.