Do you need an oxygen cage for your pet at home? | Dr. Justine Lee
As an emergency critical care veterinary specialist, I often see cat and dog patients who have underlying respiratory issues that need to be treated long-term. It’s really important to treat respiratory problems aggressively, as without treatment, it can cause a) difficulty breathing and pain in your pet and b) worsen the long-term side effects on your pet. Untreated, respiratory problems can cause pulmonary hypertension (often called cor pulmonale), which is high blood pressure to the lungs. This adds secondary strain to the right side of the heart, and can cause severe long-term complications.
Respiratory problems that often need to be treated long-term in dogs and cats include:
- Tracheal collapse (seen commonly in Yorkshire terriers and other small dogs)
- Chronic bronchitis
- Pulmonary fibrosis (seen especially commonly in West Highland white terrier dogs)
- Feline asthma (seen especially commonly in Siamese cats)
- Pulmonary hypertension
When in doubt, talk to your veterinarian about how to treat these diseases. When in doubt, you can schedule a consultation with a cardiologist (for heart problems) or an internist (for respiratory problems).
Treatment will depend on what the underlying cause is, but may include the following:
- Weight loss (This is very important, as the extra strain on the lungs and heart is terrible for your pet!)
- Cough suppressants (e.g., hydrocodone, for tracheal collapse)
- Sedatives (e.g., butorphanol, for tracheal collapse)
- Diuretics (e.g., furosemide, for heart failure)
- Bronchodilators (e.g., theophylline, albuterol, for asthma or bronchitis)
- Steroids (e.g., prednisone, prednisolone, fluticasone, for asthma or bronchitis)
- Drugs to decrease the blood pressure to the lungs (e.g., Viagra, for pulmonary hypertension)
- Heart medications to make the heart beat more efficiently (e.g., pimobendan, enalapril, etc., for heart disease)
In severe cases where dogs can’t live without oxygen therapy, we will rarely send pet owners home with oxygen cages and oxygen therapy.
Here’s a new Kruuse oxygen cage that was recently released in North America that can be used either at the veterinary clinic or at home for oxygen therapy.
The Kruuse oxygen cage/tent that can be used to deliver oxygen at a veterinary clinic or at home
This does need the accessory oxygen kit too to appropriately hook up the oxygen cannister safely to the cage.
The Kruuse oxygen accessory kit that you also need with the oxygen cage
Keep in mind that you should always check with your veterinarian before using this, and ideally, bring your pet to a veterinary emergency room to make sure they are stable. In the least, this cage can be used for safe transportation to get to the emergency clinic when your pet has difficulty breathing!
When in doubt, if you ever notice your dog or cat having difficulty breathing, please get to a veterinarian or emergency veterinarian right away for life-saving treatment!
Please also note that I do NOT have this available for purchase – this is only available for purchase through veterinary supply companies like Henry Schein or Midwest Veterinary Supply – you can ask your vet to purchase directly. Thank you and good luck with your little one!
where would you get the oxygen for this cage the vet? I have a toy poodle that has been diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension
You can ask your vet to purchase it directly through their vet supplier.
Where can I purchase this? What if my vet will not help with the oxygen? How much is the oxygen tank? What is the price of the unit? My dog has congestive heart failure and is having a hard time breathing. Thanks in advance.
You have to get it through your vet and get a prescription for the oxygen tank through your vet – they can buy it through a medical supply company! Hope that helps – get your dog to the emergency vet if he’s having difficulty breathing asap!
I bought my ICU cage on Amazon. $264.00 for small dogs. It comes with all you need except the tank. You can purchase a tank at a welding supply store
The name of the brand for the cage is Buster by JorVet. It has given my little yorkie who has chronic pneumonia and pulmonary fibrosis another life. Or at least another couple of years, hopefully more. He started coughing one night, as usual, and after 20 seconds, if that, he stopped coughing, relaxed and fell asleep. I hope this helps
Comment
Leslie my name is Darla Lee. My lil 10 year old Chi is newly diagnosed with CHF, enlarged heart & Collapsing Trachea. I really think having one of these to give her a cplof treatments a day for like 15-20 minutes would help her . My vet says she doesn’t want to help because she doesn’t know enough about it & I’ve been going to her 21 years. If you could find it in your heart & the time to contact me about how to do this, I would be so grateful. Her name is LouLa Lee & she’s my best lil friend. I saved her from getting run over in the middle of the road when she wasn;t even a year old. Thank you & God Bless.
Justine, my name is Darla Lee. My lil 10 year old Chi is newly diagnosed with CHF, enlarged heart & Collapsing Trachea. I really think having one of these to give her a cplof treatments a day for like 15-20 minutes would help her . My vet says she doesn’t want to help because she doesn’t know enough about it & I’ve been going to her 21 years. If you could find it in your heart & the time to contact me about how to do this, I would be so grateful. Her name is LouLa Lee & she’s my best lil friend. I saved her from getting run over in the middle of the road when she wasn;t even a year old. Thank you & God Bless.
You should fill your veterinarian in with the information, instead of tossing her under the bus. Information is contagious. I will warn you that this set-up is old and inefficient compared to medical pieces, and NO ONE ever will sit near a medical unit in a hospital and smoke. She is probably worried about the explosiveness of oxygen and her liability. She will have to spend time training you about oxygen, and was flippant because you asked the question without a separate consultation to discuss this with her and pay for her knowledge. If you get together at a consultation after you have both done your research, she will help you.
Wow Margue, you sure made a LOT of assumptions there when the original comment only said that her vet didn’t help because she didn’t know enough about it. The original comment didn’t say that the vet was “flippant” and didn’t say that the patient didn’t make an appointment to ask about it. Or that they were unwilling to pay for her time, they clearly do pay her as they have seen her for 21 years! You literally filled in those other details out of thin air, and then got an attitude about it! That is not the way to go about giving advice and educating. Funny you should be giving advice to someone in this way when you need some advice of your own!
Not all vets are created equal, they’re human – and some people aren’t as receptive to being educated by patients, nor do they have the time or willingness to learn about other treatments. You don’t know. The only thing we know is that they said their vet wouldn’t help because they didn’t understand administering oxygen at home. MANY vets do not administer oxygen. I had to take my dog to the emergency vet because my vet did NOT have any oxygen equipment. So maybe that is why. Don’t just assume. Your attitude totally stinks.
I must absolutely agree with Chris. Your response, Margie, is unbelievable.
My cat is currently in an oxygen cage, in a specialty and emergency care facility, for respiratory issues that may or may not be related to a mass on her heart. I’m sure they are going to be able to get her to a point where she can breathe room air. Clerly, though, she can’t live in a box at the facility.
Today, a vet tech talked me out of getting my own cage at home because she said, “they don’t really work. They are almost impossible to gauge and unless you know how to vent for CO2 and circulate the air, you can do more harm than good. LEt me be clear the facility stands to gain nothing if I leave the cat there. These people really want me to take my cat home.
My question is, what about the CO2? And how do you gauge the O levels in the cage? Thanks in advance.
PS, you can get industrial grade oxygen in tanks at any welding supply place, like AirGas, which I believe is nation wide.
I’m *not* sure they are going to get her to be able to breath room air. Sorry for all the typos in that post.
Dear doctor Justin Lee my dog has the big c and she can not breath very well at night her through shuts and she has a bit of difficulty in breathing and she needs a bit of help
I’m so sorry to hear about your cat. 🙁 I hope she is doing ok. There are ways to gauge the oxygen levels within the cage with sensors, but unfortunately these small oxygen cages really aren’t for long term hospice.
Dear Sir or Madam,
My name is Soiref from Medi market, human and vet. supply.
Send me pls. your best dealer price for first 10 pcs. for large oxygen cage.
Best Regards
Zeev
Please contact a veterinary distributor such as Midwest Veterinary Supply, Henry Schein, etc. for this information. Thanks.
Where do I buy this. My gal has collapsed trachea
I am in need of one. Where do I get one. My gal has a collapsed trachea with chronic bronchitis
You have to buy it through your veterinarian through a supply company like Midwest Veterinary Supply, Patterson, MWI, etc. Check with them and then get a prescription for a medical supply company for a prescription for oxygen and the tubing!
https://www.amazon.com/Gatycallaty-Breathing-Treatment-Atomization-Small-22L/dp/B08BNDHXTH/ref=pd_ybh_a_4?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=HRNHWT4EP64TY8BN707N
amazon has them
As long as it didn’t stress the dog, would it be beneficial to allow a dog to sleep overnight in this crate or even use it periodically during the day? I have a dog with a collapsed trachea due to an enlarged heart and am concerned the he is not getting enough oxygen to his body.
First, thank you for thinking so much towards the health of your dog. It’s a great question – unfortunately, oxygen is pretty expensive, and it’d likely be at least $100 a day for oxygen (O2). Honestly, treating the collapsing trachea (with cough suppressants, torbugesic, steroids periodically) may be more helpful as it will help prevent pulmonary hypertension long term. I hope that helps!
I should have added that I already have an oxygen concentrator. I am just concerned about the possibility of the body receiving less oxygen due to the collapsed trachea.
never leave your dog unattended while using it.
and acupuncture and chiropractic, as it is a neurological and muscular issue, as well.
Hi we provide o2 therapy and can provide any input on how to administer it properly
http://oxygen4pets.com/
Where are you. Am in South Africa and would love to purchase one . what is prize
Hi Lizette,
I’m afraid I’m in the USA, and these have to be directly ordered from your veterinarian via a veterinary medical supply company like Midwest Veterinary Supply, Henry Schein, etc.
What is the price for the unit and accessories? If they’re too expensive, is there a wholesaler we can buy them from?
I believe it’s a few hundred dollars but would recommend checking through your vet.
Will this help with sleep apnea?
No. Oxygen only helps and humans with sleep apnea because they’re using CPAP. Regular oxygen cage does not provide this. Typically, your dog needs surgery to fix their airway.
You can get oxygen from a welding supply place. You can also google how to make an oxygen box. Then show your vet.
My dog has congestive heart failure. She is being stabilized in icu with IV lasix. They don’t know the extend of her heart damage because they didn’t take an echo. I don’t want to euthanize her there. I want to bring her home for a while but she needs 02. They won’t give me an order for it. This is unfair..what can I do??
I’m so sorry to hear that – it sounds like she is not doing well and I wish her the best…
Hi Jeanne,
I’m going thru the same problem. My cat has cardiomyopathy and chronic kidney disease and recently went into congestive heart failure and was having difficulty breathing so i took him to the Vet Emergency Clinic here in Las Vegas and he was given oxygen therapy and lasix. Due to the high cost of these services i was not able to afford to keep him hospitalized for more than a day and fortunately by the time he was discharged he was stable and doing a lot better but i know there will be future episodes and i want to be able to provide oxygen therapy at home where he is most comfortable but the vets here are not willing to write a prescription for the oxygen tank. I totally agree with you and understand what you are going thru. I don’t understand why and how they are able to deny us the write to provide this kind of service for our much loved companion in the comfort of their home.
Get a used oxygen concentrator on craigslist. They provide up to 5 L /min which I think is 40%. So depending on what your prescription is. It could only be 2 L. My vet told me to cover a plastic crate with plastic saran wrap punch holes in it so the CO2 could get out and run the oxygen line in. I thought that was a pretty easy and economical idea
I’ve been using a oxygen concentrator for over a year now after having my cat at the vet for $350 a day for 5 days. I bought a transparent 55 quart clear plastic bin and drilled holes on the opposite side of where the tube for the oxygen comes in and it handle been very useful for my cat with asthma!
Comment hi Rick, how often do you put your cat in there and for how long? We just made a crate for our dog who has congestive heart failure.
Sir
I want to introduce this item in india
I lost my pet two days back in the oxygen cage
The cages and masks are crudely built in India and also are available in the hospitals only and we don’t have access to be the pets for 24×7.
I want to introduce it in the home that need this so that the pet is always seeing their beloved family
Please let me know how can we introduce the same in India.
I cannot bare the pain of losing the pet where pet and family are disconnected.
Please help
Regards
Navtej
I want to introduce this item in india
I lost my pet two days back in the oxygen cage
The cages and masks are crudely built in India and also are available in the hospitals only and we don’t have access to be the pets for 24×7.
I want to introduce it in the home that need this so that the pet is always seeing their beloved family
Please let me know how can we introduce the same in India.
I cannot bare the pain of losing the pet where pet and family are disconnected.
Please help
Regards
Navtej
I would contact a veterinary supply company like Midwest Veterinary Supply to see if they will work with you – they sell them via Kruuse.
do they ship to Malaysia ?
Hi, thanks for the information on the ICU cage. I read further and the Krauuse ICU Cages leaflet states “For veterinary use only”. We are interested in home use. Can it be purchased for home use with a prescription from our vet? Our small dog just went through his second hospitalization for congestive heart failure & pulmonary hypertension. Where can we find information on the price of the unit?
These are typically a few hundred dollars. You can ask your vet to purchase it directly through their medical supply company (e.g., Henry Schein, Midwest Veterinary SUpply, etc.). Best of luck!
Are Vets willing to order you the oxygen for home treatments….. We have spent thousands of dollars on trip to the ER for our dog…. She has CHF and enlarged heart…. We want to get a home oxygen treatment kennel so that we can give her a treatment when she needs it vs having to take her to ER (always happens on wknd or afterhours) so we can continue to care for her and give her a better quality of life…. To see her otherwise happy and playful makes us want to do whatever we can for her…. and maybe add more time to her life with us… People get to have oxygen and live pretty normal why not our fur children ???
I will be purchasing an ICU/oxygen cage for my cat and I was wondering if I could use an oxygen concentrator instead of hooking up an oxygen tank? Please leave your response ASAP, Thank you
Yes, but you need to talk to your vet about this and order it from a medical supply company.
I did talk to them but we were talking about doing the tank version but after doing more research I think i’d rather go with the concentrater for the long run. I have both components from an online vet supply and the other from a medical company. in total it will be 640$ in full verses monthly charges and refills. plus I will be able to keep for ever and possibly loan out if ever needed. Do you have any other advise?
Hi Dana:
Where are you able to purchase each?
Thanks,
Nancy
You can to purchase these directly through your veterinarian’s supplier.
Dana, where did you purchase the concentrator system from?
I found a website in Holland, were the give this service at home, and you dont need a veterinair.
Search “oxybench”
oxygen4pets.com
Hi Justine, great article. Just wondering if there is a particular oxygen concentrator you would recommend? Or any specifics we should be looking for when buying an oxygen concentrator? It’s for a little kitty who only needs 1-1.5L of continuous flow. Thank you for your help.
Hi Anna, it’s important to use a medical-grade oxygen concentrator that can provide continuous flow oxygen (not pulse flow). Otherwise, you may not be providing a safe environment for your pet. A medical-grade oxygen concentrator requires a prescription, so watch out for non-medical products on Amazon and other sites. They might not be able to produce oxygen at the purity and flow rate you need!
You can get medical-grade oxygen concentrators and oxygen cages from Pawprint Oxygen. They work with your vet to get a prescription and help you set everything up!