The five American Saddlebreds that were injected with a caustic substance the weekend of June 28-29 are on the road to recovery, according to Ric Redden, DVM, founder of the International Equine Podiatry Center in Versailles, Ky. Redden has been checking on the horses daily along with several other veterinarians, and reported that hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been added to the treatment regimen that already consisted of a topically applied growth factor medication. He said, “The three that were really seriously involved–they are showing a slow, steady response.”

Redden said that a hyperbaric chamber was delivered over the weekend by Kentucky Equine Sports Medicine & Rehabilitation Center to Double D Ranch, and the horses will be treated daily in the unit. A hyperbaric chamber resembles a capsule-shaped horse trailer and is designed to increase the levels of oxygen in the bloodstream to a level where oxygen can more easily diffuse into the tissues to improve healing. Within the chamber, pressure can be raised to between two and three “atmospheres”–an atmospheric pressure roughly equivalent to the pressure experienced 66 to 99 feet (20-30 meters) underwater.

“Forcing the oxygen into that (injured) area externally should be a tremendous help,” said Redden