Surgery / Anethesia
SPAYING:
NEUTERING:
Soft Tissue Surgery:
The spay procedure is the surgical removal of the uterus and ovaries of female cats and dogs. We recommend that your female puppy or kitten be spayed for the following benefits:
Spaying prevents unwanted pregnancies.
Spaying at around 6 months of age allows your puppy or kitten to be spayed before her first heat cycle. This greatly decreases the chances of developing breast cancer and decreased the incidence of uterine infection. Both these conditions are serious and can be fatal.
Spayed puppies and kittens are more likely to stay home so the likelihood of fighting, roaming, or getting hit by a car is decreased.
Because spayed cats or dogs stay home more, their risk of encountering infectious disease is decreased.
Spaying prevents the nuisance of the heat cycle that can occur at least twice a year. Females in heat may bleed or have vaginal discharge, which can be quite messy. Puppies and kittens in heat also display unusual and sometimes annoying behaviors such as vocalizing. These behaviors can last up to several weeks.
The neuter procedure is the surgical removal of the testicles of male cats and dogs. We recommend that your puppy or kitten be neutered for the following benefits:
- Neutering your puppy or kitten prevents unwanted pregnancies.
- Neutering at 6 months of age decreases the risk of developing testicular and prostate cancer.
- Neutering decreases aggression problems.
- Neutered puppies and kittens are more likely to stay home so the likelihood of fighting, roaming, or getting hit by a car is decreased.
- Because neutered cats or dogs stay home more, their risk of encountering infectious disease is decreased.
Overall, spaying and neutering pets helps them live longer, healthier lives.
We are often called upon to perform soft tissue surgeries involving the gastrointestinal and urogenital systems as well as skin, ears and eyes. For special occasions we call board certified veterinary surgeons who come to us or who accept referrals to their own clinics.
Orthopedic Surgery:
Cruciate Ligament Repair:
Fracture Repair:
Patella Luxation:
Orthopedic surgery means operations on the bones, joints and muscles. Most commonly we repair torn ligaments and broken (fractured) bones.
The cruciate ligaments are located in the knee joint. Excessive stress and weakness on the tissue sometimes cause the ligaments to get over-stretched or torn. This happens mostly in mid aged to older larger dogs, but it can happen in all species, breeds and age group. The typical symptoms of an injured cruciate ligament is a sudden lameness on one hind-leg and they are often so severe that dogs do not put the paw to the ground.
There are several surgical techniques that help stabilize the joint and reduce the development of arthritis. As there is no case equal to another there are no firm rules as to when and whether to perform the surgery and every patient has to be evaluated according to the individual circumstances.
Fractures are much less common in our practice than they were ten years ago. We see much less car accidents which was the cause of most of the broken bones.
Fractures require frequently a surgical repair in animals since casts don not immobilize the leg as well as in people. The different shape of animal legs causes most casts to slip off and bones above the elbow and knee joint cannot be bandaged successfully.
The treatment of choice in fractured bones is therefore the surgical stabilization of the fragments with the use of metal implants, screws, plates and pins. This is a very specialized field within veterinary surgery and we call in specially trained surgeons who perform these surgeries on our premises.
The patellar luxation is a common condition in smaller dog breeds, however it can occur also in larger breeds and in cats. The knee-cap (patella) slides out (luxates) of the physiological groove in which it normally rides. This causes intermittent lameness and eventually arthritis. A corrective surgery is sometimes required.