Surgery
Veterinary services
Veterinary services
Abdominal and soft tissue surgery
Our clinic performs surgical operations on a daily basis. We realize that the needs of every pet are different and our surgeons always strive to ensure that your pet remains as comfortable as possible before, during, and after surgery.
We offer the following abdominal and soft tissue surgery:
- Castration
- C-Sections
- Abdominal surgery (splenectomy, bladder surgery, intestines, hernias, etc.)
- Eye surgery (eyelid correction, enucleation)
- Oncosurgery (mammary glands, skin, eyelids, oral cavity, abdominal organs)
- Stitching of wounds
If your pet requires surgery please do not hesitate to talk to us if you need advice.
Make an appointment to see your pet
What are the risks associated with surgery?
We understand that people have concerns when it comes to surgical interventions. Most often we get asked about anesthesia and the risks associated with it. “Is my pet going to wake up?” is a common question.
While there is always some risk present during surgery modern procedures are very safe. Before we even begin the surgery we do preliminary blood tests to determine the overall health of your pet and how to proceed with the operation. We also take into account their age and pre-existing health conditions.
What do I need to do to prepare my pet for the operation?
On the day of surgery our patients must not have had anything to eat for at least 10 hours. This only applies to cats and dogs. Rabbits and other rodents can eat as usual. Everyone must not drink for 2 hours before the operation.
Except in specific circumstances, there isn’t an exact time set for when the operation will begin. You will usually bring your pets in the morning or noon, we will do preliminary testing and if everything is all right you will leave them with us. We will begin the operation as soon as our surgeons are ready.
We understand the worry that you feel for your pet and so we will contact you as soon as we are done.We will also then tell you when you can come pick them up – usually it’s going to be in the afternoon or evening.
What happens during and after surgery?
During the surgery, we use special equipment to monitor the patient’s vital signs. We can see their blood pressure, blood oxygen saturation, a cardiac and respiratory function which allows taking appropriate actions.
As for our anesthetics, we use inhalation, which is the safest and cause the least stress on the body.
After surgery, especially for our older patients, we check some of their blood indicators, like urea and creatinine. This allows us to see if they might develop kidney failure and how best to manage it.
Controlling the pain after surgery is something that is very important to us. We have access to many different types of painkillers which can numb even the strongest of pains.
Finally, we aim to perform a general wellness exam after the operation in order to make sure that your pet is well and any possible side effects have been overcome.
What preliminary tests do you do?
Complete Blood Count/CBC/
One of the most common tests that we perform, CBC, gives us information on the body’s hydration status, the presence of anemia or infections, the ability of blood to clot and the strength of the immune system. CBC is a cheap and effective method for finding many abnormalities. It checks the following indicators:
- HCT /Hematocrit/ – The percentage of red blood cells. Used to determine anemia and hydration.
- Hband MCHC – hemoglobin is responsible for the transport of oxygen in the blood.
- WBC /White Blood Cells/ – Measures the number of immune cells. A very high or low value indicates many diseases or infections.
- Gran/Granulocyte/ – A specific type of white blood cells which typically increase during bacterial infections.
- Lymph/Mon /Lymphocytes and Monocytes/ –Another type of white blood cells
- PLT /Platelets/ – Blood cells which allow blood to clot.
- Reticulocyte– Immature red blood cells. A high amount can be indicative of regenerative anemia.
Biochemical analysis of blood
Biochemistry tests allow us to see how different organs function, hormone levels, electrolyte status and other. They are important indicators of health, especially if an animal has to undergo anesthesia.