Surgery
Hearing that your pet needs surgery can be stressful. Our surgical team aims to make the process as safe and comfortable as possible, and we keep you informed at every step.
What It Is and When It's Used
We perform:
-
Soft tissue surgery: spays and neuters, mass removals, abdominal surgery, foreign body removal, and wound repair
-
Orthopedic surgery: treatment of fractures, ligament injuries, and joint problems
-
Exotic animal surgery: procedures for birds, reptiles, and small mammals, using anesthesia and techniques suited to each species
Advanced Surgical Technology: LigaSure and Electrosurgery
We use LigaSure vessel sealing and electrosurgery to help our surgeons work precisely. These tools use controlled energy to seal blood vessels and cut tissue. Think of LigaSure as heat-welding a tube closed: it gently squeezes a blood vessel while controlled energy fuses the vessel walls into a seal, and the same instrument can then divide it, all in one step. Fewer steps for each vessel is part of why it can mean less bleeding and shorter anesthesia. The electrosurgery pencil sends a focused electrical current into the tissue at its tip, so it can cut and seal small blood vessels at the same moment, much like a hot cutter that melts a rope's ends closed as it slices through. In practice, this can mean:
-
Less blood loss, because vessels are sealed as the surgeon works
-
Shorter surgery and anesthesia time, since sealing can be faster than tying off each vessel by hand
-
More precise surgery, with less disturbance to the surrounding tissue
-
A smoother recovery, which is often the result
These benefits can be especially valuable for small patients, such as exotic pets, where even a small amount of blood loss matters. Every pet is different, and your surgeon will explain what to expect for your pet's procedure.
LigaSure
Electrosurgery pencil
Benefits for Your Pet
Surgery can relieve pain, remove disease, restore movement, and prevent future health problems. Careful anesthesia, monitoring, and pain control support a safer procedure and a more comfortable recovery.
What to Expect
Before: We usually recommend pre-anesthetic blood work. We'll give you fasting instructions. Many dogs and cats should have no food the night before, but exotic pets, especially rabbits and small mammals, often should not be fasted. Always follow the instructions your team gives you for your pet.
During: Your pet's heart rate, breathing, oxygen level, blood pressure, and temperature are monitored throughout the procedure. Like a pilot watching the instrument panel throughout a flight, our team keeps an eye on these readings during the whole procedure, so small changes can be noticed and addressed early. Pain relief starts before surgery and continues afterward.
After: We'll call you when your pet is awake. At discharge, you'll get instructions covering medications, rest, incision care, and when your pet can start eating again.
Follow-Up Care
Keep your pet quiet and stop licking with a cone or recovery suit. Check the incision every day. Contact us if you see swelling, discharge, or opened stitches, or if your pet stops eating. We'll schedule a recheck visit as needed.
Questions? Ask our team.