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Oxygen for Veterinary Anesthesia, Oxygen Cages, and Critical Care

Oxygen Generator for Veterinary Clinics and Animal Hospitals

On-site oxygen for surgical anesthesia, oxygen cages, post-op recovery, dental, and 24-hour critical care. Continuous veterinary-grade purity from a single source. No more cylinder deliveries, demurrage, or rotating bottle banks.

95% ±1%

Veterinary-grade purity

40 to 1000+ SCFH

Capacity, single-table GP to multi-suite referral

12 to 14 mo

Typical payback

20+ years

Service life

Veterinary medicine runs on the same medical oxygen as human medicine. The industry minimum for medical oxygen is 93 percent. Anesthesia machines, oxygen cages, and recovery flowmeters are designed to operate on medical oxygen at the 93 percent industry minimum or higher. Our standard oxygen generator nameplate is 95 percent ±1 percent, which means the operating envelope stays between 94 percent and 96 percent, comfortably above the 93 percent industry floor through every PSA cycle.

Many competing PSA generators are nameplated right at the 93 percent industry minimum, which leaves no headroom. The same ±1 percent cycle that keeps a 95 percent system inside veterinary-grade purity drops a 93 percent system to 92 percent at the low side of every cycle, below the industry floor. The two-point gap between 95 percent and 93 percent at the nameplate is the practical difference customers notice in year three and year five as sieve beds age, ambient temperatures shift, and compressor inlet pressure varies.

The hospital does not need 99 percent oxygen. Veterinary anesthesia, oxygen therapy, and recovery equipment is designed for medical oxygen at the industry minimum or higher, and a 95 percent ±1 percent supply meets that envelope. We do not recommend the high-purity 99 percent product line for veterinary use because it costs roughly two to three times the standard line for purity the practice cannot use. On-site oxygen replaces H and K cylinder deliveries, dewar rentals, and demurrage with a continuous source rated for 20 years or more. Most veterinary practices recover the system investment within 12 to 14 months at typical inpatient and surgical duty.

Veterinary applications

Anesthesia, oxygen cages, recovery, dental, and critical care

A single PSA oxygen system supplies anesthesia, recovery, oxygen cages, dental, and critical care across small animal, equine, exotic, and zoological practice. All applications below run on medical oxygen at the 93 percent industry minimum or higher, which is exactly what a 95 percent ±1 percent PSA generator delivers.

Small animal surgical and dental

Anesthesia and intraoperative O2

Carrier gas for inhalational anesthesia on canine, feline, and small mammal patients, including anesthesia for dental procedures. Supplies the anesthesia machine fresh-gas inlet for isoflurane and sevoflurane vaporizers. Continuous flow during the case, no bottle-change interruption mid-procedure.

Recovery and inpatient

Oxygen cages and post-op recovery

Continuous supply for recovery wards, oxygen cages, and ICU runs. Common indications include post-anesthesia recovery, brachycephalic airway compromise, neonatal support, congestive heart failure, and pulmonary edema. Inpatient oxygen runs around the clock and is the largest single driver of monthly gas use at most hospitals.

Emergency and critical care

24-hour ER and trauma stabilization

Emergency hospitals run unpredictable peak demand: simultaneous trauma stabilization, oxygen by mask or flow-by, chest tube setups, and concurrent surgical anesthesia. On-site eliminates the risk of running a tank dry during a code and removes weekend or holiday cylinder-delivery dependence.

Equine and large animal

Equine surgery, induction, and recovery

Adult horse anesthesia uses substantially higher fresh-gas flows than small animal cases, and equine recovery stalls extend supplemental oxygen for an additional period after extubation. Multi-table equine surgical centers and university teaching hospitals run sustained high-flow demand that benefits most from on-site supply.

Exotic, avian, aquatic

Exotic, avian, and aquatic medicine

Exotic and avian practice relies on chamber inductions, mask anesthesia, and small low-flow vaporizer settings. Aquatic and amphibian medicine adds oxygenated water systems and recovery containers. The same on-site supply feeds all of it without a separate small-animal versus exotic delivery contract.

Zoological and marine mammal

Zoological and marine mammal facilities

Zoo medicine, aquarium veterinary programs, and marine mammal stranding response run multi-species caseloads with periodic large-volume demand: cetacean and pinniped procedures, large carnivore immobilizations, and aquatic life support oxygenation. Larger generator cabinets size up to this duty without scaling up cylinder logistics.

Purity tiers and technology

95 percent ±1 percent: veterinary-grade with margin to spare

All veterinary anesthesia, oxygen cages, and recovery flowmeters operate on medical oxygen meeting the 93 percent industry minimum. That is the floor, not the target. Below is how the standard product line, the regulatory minimum, and the high-purity product line compare for veterinary use.

Standard product line

95% ±1%

Veterinary-grade with two-point margin above the floor

  • Operating envelope 94 percent to 96 percent through every PSA cycle
  • Stays above the 93 percent industry floor as sieve beds age and ambient temperature shifts
  • Used by all 6 veterinary customers in our active CRM
  • Fits all veterinary anesthesia, oxygen cage, recovery, and dental applications
  • Capacity range from O-4 small animal GP up through O-100 multi-suite referral

Industry floor

93%

Industry medical oxygen minimum, where many competitor systems sit

  • Industry minimum for medical oxygen: clinical use requires 93 percent or higher
  • Many competing PSA generators are nameplated at 93 percent
  • A 93 percent ±1 percent cycle dips to 92 percent at the low side, below the industry floor
  • No headroom for sieve aging, seasonal compressor variation, or ambient temperature swings

Not recommended for vet

99% HP

High-purity product line, costs roughly two to three times the standard line

  • Engineered for semiconductor support gases and advanced research, not vet medicine
  • No veterinary anesthesia or oxygen-therapy application requires 99 percent
  • Compressor sizing penalty: A/O ratio 18.7 at 99% versus 14.0 at 95%
  • Zero veterinary customers in our active CRM run 99 percent

How PSA produces veterinary-grade oxygen

PSA from compressed air

A pressure swing adsorption oxygen generator pulls oxygen from compressed air using a zeolite molecular sieve. The sieve preferentially adsorbs nitrogen at pressure, then releases it at lower pressure during a regeneration cycle while a second bed produces the oxygen stream. The output runs continuously at the rated SCFH and the rated 95 percent ±1 percent purity for the rated service life of 20 years or more.

Why higher purity is not better here

Veterinary anesthesia equipment, flowmeters, and oxygen cages are designed to operate on medical oxygen at the 93 percent industry minimum or higher, which is exactly what a 95 percent ±1 percent PSA generator delivers. The 99 percent high-purity product line costs roughly two to three times the standard line at comparable capacity, for purity that no veterinary application uses.

Sizing

Three practice profiles, three cabinet ranges

Final sizing depends on simultaneous surgical tables, oxygen cage count, equine versus small animal mix, and the existing compressed air system. The numbers below show typical equipment range, not a fixed quote.

Small animal general practice

Single-location GP and 1 to 2 surgical tables

~40 to 100 SCFH at 95% ±1%
~10 to 24 SCFM compressed air
Small cabinet

One or two simultaneous surgical anesthesia cases, dental day, recovery cage. Typical equipment range starts around 19,000 dollars for the cabinet and supporting tank. Compressor sizing depends on whether the practice has existing shop air capacity that can be allocated.

Specialty and emergency hospital

Multi-doctor practice with ICU and 24-hour ER

~200 to 500 SCFH at 95% ±1%
~47 to 117 SCFM compressed air
Mid cabinet

Four to eight simultaneous oxygen demands across surgery, dental, recovery wards, and continuous oxygen-cage runs. Equipment range typically falls between 35,000 and 90,000 dollars depending on cabinet size, receiving tank, and whether a dedicated compressor package is included.

Large referral and university teaching

Multi-suite surgical referral, equine, and university teaching

~750 to 1000+ SCFH at 95% ±1%
~175 to 234+ SCFM compressed air
Large cabinet

Concurrent multi-suite surgery, equine recovery, exotic and zoological caseload, large inpatient ward. Equipment range typically falls between 80,000 and 140,000 dollars or more for the cabinet, receiving tank, and dedicated compressor package. We size larger upon request.

What we need to size your system

Send the practice profile, get a sized quote

  • Number of surgical and dental tables in simultaneous use during a peak day
  • Oxygen cage count and average occupancy
  • Mix of small animal, equine, exotic, or aquatic caseload
  • Current monthly oxygen consumption from cylinder or dewar deliveries
  • Existing compressor make, model, and free air delivery, or none
Request a sizing quote

Payback economics

12 to 14 months at typical hospital duty

Three drivers move the payback window. Most veterinary practices recover the full system investment within 12 to 14 months because inpatient oxygen cages run continuously, surgical anesthesia runs daily, and delivered oxygen carries embedded costs the cylinder bill does not list as a separate line.

up to 90%

Cost reduction vs. delivered cylinders, dewars, and bulk liquid oxygen

12 to 14 mo

Typical payback at multi-shift hospital duty

20+ years

Service life with sealed sieve beds and routine maintenance

Per-volume cost: delivered versus on-site

Source
Cost per CCF
Typical hidden costs
H or K cylinders
$6 to $10
Plus demurrage, monthly rental, hazmat, fuel surcharges, weekend delivery fees
Liquid oxygen dewars
$4 to $6
Lower per-CCF, vent loss between deliveries, monthly tank rental
On-site PSA generator
$0.05 to $0.15
Electricity to drive compressor; routine filter changes

Not sure what your hospital actually pulls? Rent a flow meter free

We rent wireless data-logging flow meters at no cost. Install on your existing oxygen line for a week and get an exact SCFH-by-shift profile before sizing.

Reserve a Flow Meter

Frequently asked questions

What purity does veterinary medicine actually need?

Veterinary medicine uses the same medical oxygen as human medicine. The industry minimum for medical oxygen is 93 percent. Anesthesia machines, oxygen cages, and recovery flowmeters are designed to operate on medical oxygen at the 93 percent industry minimum or higher. Our standard line nameplate is 95 percent ±1 percent, which means the operating envelope stays between 94 percent and 96 percent, comfortably above the 93 percent industry floor through every PSA cycle. We do not recommend the high-purity 99 percent product line for veterinary use because it costs roughly two to three times the standard line for purity no veterinary application uses.

Can our anesthesia machines run on PSA-generated oxygen?

Yes. Veterinary anesthesia machines, vaporizers, and oxygen flowmeters from every major manufacturer are designed to operate on medical oxygen at the 93 percent industry minimum or higher. PSA-generated oxygen at 95 percent ±1 percent feeds the fresh-gas inlet exactly the same way cylinder or dewar oxygen does, and stays comfortably above the industry floor. No equipment changes are required at the anesthesia machine.

How does the system handle 24-hour inpatient and oxygen cage demand?

PSA generators are sized for continuous duty. The cabinet runs steadily as oxygen draw rises and falls across the day, with a receiving tank buffering surges from concurrent surgery, dental, and oxygen cage runs. The system does not need to be shut down overnight, and there is no cylinder-change interruption during peak emergency hours.

How big a system do we need for our practice?

Sizing depends on simultaneous surgical and dental tables during a peak day, oxygen cage count and average occupancy, equine versus small animal mix, and current monthly oxygen consumption from cylinder or dewar deliveries. A small animal general practice with one or two surgical tables typically falls in the small cabinet range. A specialty or emergency hospital with continuous oxygen cage demand falls in the mid range. Multi-suite surgical referral, equine, or university teaching hospitals fall in the large range. Send the practice profile and we will return a sized quote.

What happens if the generator goes down?

Most practices keep a small reserve of H or K cylinders connected to a manifold as backup, sized to cover surgical and inpatient demand for the period it would take a service technician to respond. The on-site system removes the routine cylinder logistics, not the medical oxygen redundancy plan. We can advise on an appropriate reserve bank as part of the system design.

Do we still need a cylinder room or bulk service contract?

Most practices keep a small reserve cylinder bank for backup. Routine bulk and dewar service contracts are typically discontinued once the on-site system is running, since the generator covers daily and inpatient demand. The reduction in monthly delivery, demurrage, rental, and surcharge costs is the largest contributor to the 12 to 14 month payback window.

Can the same generator serve a mixed equine and small animal practice?

Yes, as long as the cabinet is sized to the simultaneous peak demand. Equine surgical anesthesia uses substantially higher fresh-gas flows than small animal cases, and equine recovery extends supplemental oxygen beyond extubation. A mixed practice should size the cabinet to the equine peak rather than the small animal average, with the receiving tank covering small surges in the small animal caseload.

How long until the system pays for itself?

Most veterinary practices recover the full system investment within 12 to 14 months. Continuous oxygen cage demand and daily surgical anesthesia keep the system at high utilization, and the avoided monthly costs include cylinder gas, demurrage, monthly rental, hazmat surcharges, fuel and delivery fees, and weekend or after-hours emergency delivery charges. After payback, the marginal cost of producing oxygen is the electricity to drive the compressor and routine filter changes.

Send your surgical and dental table count, oxygen cage count, equine mix, and current monthly consumption. We will size a system for your practice.

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