SURGERY SERVICES

We provide both routine and complex surgical services. We consult thoroughly with clients prior to surgery discussing options, answering questions and giving an accurate estimate of the cost of the procedure.

We recommend that animals undergoing a general anesthetic and surgical procedure have a blood profile prior to anesthesia. This is particularly important with middle age and older animals. The presurgical screen allows the doctor to look for organ dysfunction and anemia (low blood counts) that might affect the safety of the anesthetic. This can be done the day of surgery prior to surgery.

In most general anesthetics we use isoflurane ( a gas anesthetic) combined with oxygen. It is a safe anesthetic with a reasonably fast recovery time.  Many of our surgeries are outpatient procedures, and patients can be discharged after 3:30 pm the day of surgery.

Anesthetized patients are monitored to check heart rate with a pulse oximeter that has an oxygen saturation meter. As an added safety precaution, anesthetized patients are monitored with a capnograph to measure carbon dioxide output along with the respiratory rate. Post operatively our patients are carefully monitored as they come out of anesthesia by our caring technicians and doctors.

The following list describes some of the types of surgeries offered at our clinic:

Orthopedic Surgeries
Fracture Repair
Again, with veterinary advances, more options are available for pets with broken bones. We use a combination of stainless steel screws, pins, and wires to assure the best outcome for our fracture repairs.
Cruciate Repair
This procedure is performed on cats and dogs that have ruptured their ACL (anterior cruciate ligament -knee ligaments).
Femoral Head Ostectomy
This procedure is performed on pets that have a femoral head fracture or have severe hip dysplasia. There is another procedure available at specialty hospitals where a replacement hip is implanted in an animal.
Feline Declaw
When cats are declawed, the first digit of each toe is surgically removed at the last joint. Cats are declawed after their owners have tried in vain to keep their pets from destroying furniture and/or scratching family members. Declawed cats must be kept indoors for life as they are no longer able to defend themselves or escape as well. All of our feline declaw surgeries are performed with the LASER surgery unit. In our clinic, we have seen increased comfort level, faster recovery, and less bleeding than the conventional scalpel method of surgery.

Soft Tissue Surgeries
Spay
This surgery is known as a total ovariohysterectomy in human beings. This procedure prevents unwanted litters and heats, and the possibility that your pet will develop ovarian and uterine cancer as well as reducing the risk of mammary cancer. We recommend having your female pet spayed between five and six months of age.
Neuter
This surgery is a procedure done to male pets to prevent them from reproducing, exhibiting some behavior problems, and developing prostate and testicular cancer. We recommend having your male pet neutered between five and six months of age.
Cystotomy
This procedure is performed on pets that have bladder stones that are causing irritation or are blocking the flow of urine.
Foreign Body Removal
Pets sometimes ingest objects that cannot be passed through their intestines. When this happens, a veterinarian must surgically remove the item.
Exploratory
When a pet is showing unexplainable symptoms and all means of non invasive medicine have been exhausted, it is sometimes necessary to surgically explore an animal. This allows the doctor to examine the pet's internal organs much more closely.
Biopsy Procedures
Biopsies of internal organs are taken to diagnose diseases. We often biopsy liver, spleen, stomach and intestines.
Bloat and Torsion Surgeries
These are procedures that are done on an emergency basis. Bloat and torsion usually occur in large breed dogs and are life threatening conditions. Surgical intervention is the only option to save the pet's life. Signs that your dog is suffering from bloat include, but are not limited to: distended, painful abdomen, the inability to lie down or get comfortable, & lethargy.
Splenectomy
When the spleen is actively bleeding, a splenectomy is considered an emergency procedure. There are two main reasons that warrant the removal of a spleen: 1) due to trauma to the spleen or 2) because of a tumor in the spleen. Often times when the spleen is removed from an animal the animal will require a blood transfusion. Many of our own employees volunteer their pets as blood donors for cases like this. If you are interested in volunteering your pet as a blood donor, please discuss the requirements with your veterinarian.
Caesarean Section
Otherwise known as a "C-Section" this is an emergency procedure that is done when a pregnant female is having trouble giving birth or her babies are in distress. We have trained technicians who are there to "catch" the puppies or kittens while the veterinarian is operating.
Perineal Urethrostomy
This surgery is known as a P/U surgery and it is performed on male cats that have chronic urethral obstructions.

Any pet that will have a general anesthetic should be fasted (which means no food) from 7 pm the night before surgery unless otherwise directed by a doctor. For the comfort of your pet, make sure to take it out on an extended walk in the morning to urinate and defecate. Surgeries may be dropped off between 8:00 and 9:00 am the morning of surgery or at another pre-arranged time. A surgery consent form must be completed prior to surgery or any anesthetics.