Probably the biggest challenge that a pet parent will have isn’t administering ozone therapy, but getting oxygen to make medical grade ozone. So how do you deal with this hurdle? Well, there are a number of ways to get oxygen and usually, it doesn’t turn out to be all that difficult in the end. Let’s first define the issue.
SCENARIO
Congratulations! You purchase your ozone equipment from O3Vets including an oxygen tank and are chomping at the bit to get going with it, but the oxygen tank arrives empty. That’s not an accident. By federal regulation, we are not allowed to ship a full oxygen tank. So what do you do now? You can’t actually perform a treatment without oxygen! Well, don’t get frustrated. It shouldn’t be that difficult, but in the cases that are, we can help!
MEDICAL GRADE VS. INDUSTRIAL GRADE OXYGEN (Is this a misnomer?)
Before I run through the options, you should know that there are really two “types” of oxygen that can be used.
Medical Grade Oxygen
Industrial Grade Oxygen
I know it sounds counterintuitive, but the reality is that the oxygen used to fill a medical tank is exactly the same as the oxygen used to fill an industrial tank. Click here to read more on this. The main difference is that a store selling oxygen for medical use has to absolutely ensure that there is nothing in the tank before it is filled whereas industrial oxygen don’t have as strict of requirements.
OPTION 1
If you happen to be seeing a holistic minded vet who understands ozone therapy, they should be willing to write you a prescription for oxygen that you can take to the medical oxygen supply company in your area and have your tank filled or exchanged.
OPTION 2
Some veterinarians may actually supply you with oxygen themselves.
OPTION 3
Find an industrial oxygen supply company in your area and call them to ensure that they will fill your tank or sell you a tank. Using Google’s search engine, click on the “maps” tab and type “welding oxygen near me” into the search bar.
OPTION 4
Scuba diving stores fill oxygen tanks and might just fill yours. Using Google’s search engine under the “maps” tab, type “scuba diving oxygen near me”.
OPTION 5
No one likes a moocher, but you might have a friend who uses oxygen for some reason (I do) and they can fill your little oxygen tank off of their big oxygen tank with a transfill hose.
WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE “INDUSTRIAL GRADE” OXYGEN
It’s really the same grade as medical oxygen
You don’t need a prescription
It’s often easier than getting medical grade
Some medical oxygen companies will not accept a prescription from a veterinarian (this is rare but possible)
WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE “MEDICAL GRADE” OXYGEN
There are lots of medical oxygen supply companies
You can get smaller, lighter tanks than you can for industrial
Oxygen purity is ensured through tank emptying validation procedures
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT OXYGEN (and the truth)
Industrial grade and medical grade have different purity levels (They are the same)
They will fill my tank and I can take it home (They will probably swap your tank out with a full one)
The oxygen supply company will fill any tank (They usually only accept tanks that they stock and some companies will only allow you to purchase through them, they will not fill your tank)
There are a bunch of different regulator connections (Nope. Here in the US, there’s really just one standard size for industrial and one for medical)
CONSIDERATIONS BEFORE YOU BUY
Decide on whether you will use an industrial tank or a medical tank
Make sure that you find a company in your area and decide on whether you will buy or rent a tank directly from them or if you should purchase the tank through O3Vets.
You can get oxygen prescriptions from both doctors and veterinarians.
IN SUMMARY
Our position is that you can confidently use either medical or industrial oxygen, so the choice is really yours. The purist may only feel comfortable using a medical tank, while others will feel just fine with an industrial tank. Buy your complete ozone therapy package here! Regardless of the level of ease, ozone therapy is worth it! Don’t give up in your quest to find an oxygen supply source so that you can treat your furry friend with ozone therapy. If you have questions, you can reach out to O3Vets at 517-925-8148 or write to us at info@o3vets.com
