Animal Medical Services
Pet Surgical Care

General Anesthesia

A general anesthetic results in a loss of consciousness in the animal and a loss of sensation throughout the body. Most general anesthetic procedures involve several steps beginning with the administration of a sedative. An intravenous injection of an anesthetic renders the animal unconscious while a breathing tube is placed into the animal’s trachea.

A gas anesthetic is delivered in combination with oxygen to the animal via the breathing tube to maintain the state of unconsciousness. Although general anesthetics are significantly safer than they have been in the past, there is still the remote chance of an anesthetic accident. There are many ways to reduce the risk associated with anesthesia including a physical examination and blood work prior to anesthesia. Anesthetic monitoring equipment and protocol can also contribute to a safer anesthesia.

Local Anesthesia

A local anesthetic causes a loss of sensation to a ‘local’ area. Small surgical or diagnostic procedures may require a local anesthetic to perform. A biopsy is a common diagnostic procedure where local anesthetic can be used to control pain. A biopsy involves surgical removal of a small portion of tissue.

Spaying

Spaying refers to the surgical procedure performed on female dogs and cats to render them infertile. There are many benefits to spaying your female companion. First, you will contribute to the prevention of the dog and cat overpopulation. Second, spaying will eliminate the sometimes ‘messy’ heat cycles that attract male dogs to your house from miles away. Third, you will help prevent diseases in your pet such as pyometra (infection in the uterus) and mammary cancer. Spaying involves surgical removal of both ovaries and the uterus. It can be performed under a number of anesthetics and monitoring devices. If you are shopping around for a competitive price on this procedure, be sure to question the type of anesthetic used and the monitoring equipment and procedures followed. There are several monitoring devices that can be used during your pet’s anesthetic. A technician continually assesses your pet’s vital signs during the procedure. Although the risk of an anesthetic death in a normal healthy pet is very rare, monitoring devices and procedures allow a response to an anesthetic emergency faster. Faster responses can save lives. Please call or visit our facility to learn more about our spaying procedures.

Neutering

Neutering refers to the surgical procedure performed on male dogs and cats to render them infertile. There are many benefits to neutering your male companion. First, you will contribute to the prevention of the dog and cat overpopulation. Second, neutering will eliminate undesirable and at times, embarrassing behavior in your male companion. Third, you will help prevent diseases in your pet such as prostate disease and testicular cancer.

Neutering involves surgical removal of both testicles. It can be performed under a number of anesthetics and monitoring devices. If you are shopping around for a competitive price on this procedure, be sure to question the type of anesthetic used and the monitoring equipment and procedures followed. There are several monitoring devices that can be used during your pet’s anesthetic. A technician continually assesses your pet’s vital signs during the procedure. Although the risk of an anesthetic death in a normal healthy pet is very rare, monitoring devices and procedures allow a response to an anesthetic emergency faster. Faster responses can save lives. Please call or visit our facility to learn more about our neutering procedures.

Orthopedic Surgery

We perform many types of orthopedic (bone) surgeries in our clinic. Because we want to ensure that our patients receive the best possible outcome, we occasionally refer them to board-certified orthopedic surgeons to perform back surgery and other very complex surgeries.

Leg fractures are the most common orthopedic problem presented at our clinic and usually result from a mishap with an automobile. They can be treated in a variety of ways depending on the location and type of fracture. We can apply a cast to treat certain fractures; however, many fractures will require surgical intervention:

• “Pinning” stabilizes the fracture by inserting a long stainless steel rod into the middle of the bone across the fractured area.
• “Plating” involves attaching a flat stainless steel plate to the bone using screws on either side of the fracture.
• “External fixation” stabilizes fractures using a series of pins on the outside of the leg that pass through the skin and into the bone on either side of the fracture.

We also perform a lot of orthopedic surgeries related to hip dysplasia and knee injuries. Please contact us if you have any questions about these procedures or if you think your pet might benefit from them.

Soft Tissue Surgery

We perform many types of soft tissue surgeries at our clinic. Soft tissue surgeries are those that are not associated with bone. These surgeries can provide many benefits to pets.

Probably the most common soft tissue surgery performed on pets is the removal of masses, or lumps. Most of these masses, once removed and tested, are found to be benign (nonharmful); however, occasionally they are more serious. Early removal and accurate diagnosis of a lump is necessary to improve the outcome in your pet if the mass is cancerous.

If your dog suffers from frequent ear infections, surgical intervention can reduce their occurrence by improving airflow into the ear canal.

Surgery can also help resolve several problems related to the eyes. Tearing in your pet’s eyes can mean an infection is present or may be a sign that the cornea (outer layer of the eye) has been damaged. Surgery may allow the cornea to heal faster with less scarring, improving your pet’s ability to see. In some pets, the eyelashes may actually damage the cornea. Surgical intervention improves comfort in these pets, reduces the chances of corneal scarring, and enhances the pet’s vision in the long term.

Please contact us if you’d like to discuss how soft tissue surgery might be able to help your pet.