Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT): Athena's Thrombocytopenia

My regular readers know that I am a big proponent of alternative therapies, old and new. I am fascinated by what regenerative therapy can do; we used it more than once and couldn't say enough good things about it. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is one of the treatments that are on my radar. This story is based on a case study submitted to HVM. This is not a sponsored post.

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Thrombocytopenia stands for low platelet count. 



Platelets play an important role in blood clotting. Low platelet count can result in spontaneous bleeding and bruising.

Platelets can become deficient from severe or prolonged blood loss, internal destruction such as auto-immune reaction, infections, or cancer, impaired production of new platelets ... It can even be a side effect of certain medications.

Real-life Stories -Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT): Athena's Thrombocytopenia
photo hvm

Athena, a 12-year-old Husky mix came to her general veterinarian with bruising on her abdomen, bloody stools, and vomit, and decreased activity level.


She was put on prednisone. That seemed to have improved things temporarily but as time went on, her count started to go down again. The veterinarian added another immunosuppressing drug. That helped the platelets but messed with red blood cell volume.

An ultrasound found that Athena's liver was enlarged but didn't show any masses. Athena's muscles started wasting both as a result of her condition and the medications she was on.

Athena was not getting any better.


She was referred to an internal medicine specialist who added further medications. But Athena was not improving.

Her anemia was not resolving and her quality of life was getting worse. She couldn't even stand up on her own anymore. That is when she was referred to a Holistic Veterinary Care where they started hyperbaric oxygen therapy along with herbal and nutritional supplementation.

Athena received five treatments within a week.


The following week she was feeling better and became more active. Two weeks later she was able to get up and walk around on her own. She was regaining her strength and her blood work has also dramatically improved.

Athena is being weaned off her medications while her lab values continue to improve.

You can read Athena's case study and others on hvm website.



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Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog is an award-winning guide to help you better understand what your dog is telling you about their health and how to best advocate for them. 

Learn how to see and how to think about changes in your dog’s appearance, habits, and behavior. Some signs that might not trigger your concern can be important indicators that your dog needs to see a veterinarian right away. Other symptoms, while hard to miss, such as diarrhea, vomiting, or limping, are easy to spot but can have a laundry list of potential causes, some of them serious or even life-threatening. 

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