We have several veterinarians who perform a variety of orthopedic surgeries and procedures on both dogs and cats. If you have a pet requiring surgery or an orthopedic consultation, you can call any time during office hours to schedule an appointment or speak with one of our doctors. 

Laser Surgery

We have a CO2 laser for use with all of our surgeries, including our orthopedic surgeries. There are multiple benefits when using a laser in surgery. It seals small blood vessels, nerve endings, and lymphatics, causing less bleeding and pain, and reducing the risk of infection. It also creates better visualization of the surgical field, and reduces the length of surgery and recovery time. Because the doctors control the focal size of the laser beam it allows for greater surgical precision. Though we recommend using the laser for most surgeries, we allow owners to decide based on their individual needs.

Anterior (Cranial) Cruciate Ligament Extracapsular Repair (ACL Repair)

Our veterinarians routinely perform ACL repairs for dogs and cats. They use a technique known as extracapsular lateral suture stabilization which provides stability to the knee after an injury or rupture to the ligament. This procedure involves placing a heavy monofilament suture in a path similar to the ligament on the outside of the joint, which stabilizes the knee and allows fibrous tissue to heal and provide permanent stabilization.

Femoral Head Osteotomies (FHO)

A femoral head osteotomy is a surgical removal of the head and neck of the femur for treatment of traumatic or chronic conditions which effect the hip. Removal of the femoral head eliminates contact between the bone and the joint which alleviates pain caused by abnormal contact of the bones. Following the surgery, fibrous tissue and the muscles act as a false joint and support the area. Though the procedure does result in a slight shortening of the affected limb, most dogs are able to return to near normal activity after surgery.

Medial or Lateral Patellar Luxation Corrections (MPL Repair)

Typically, the knee cap rides inside the femoral groove when the knee is flexed, however, when luxation occurs, the knee cap dislocates and rides outside of the groove. This can occur if the trochlear groove is not an adequate depth, if the tibial tuberosity is located too far to the inside or outside of the leg, or if the tissues on the inside or outside of the leg are too tight. Surgical repair of a luxating patella seeks to eliminate one or more of the causes of patellar instability through either deepening the groove (trochleoplasty), movement of the patellar ligament (tibial tuberosity transposition) or loosening the surrounding tissues (lateral imbrication or medial release). Patients with clinically significant lameness due to patellar luxation experience significant improvement following MPL surgical intervention.

Fracture Repairs

Once a bone is broken, it must be immobilized for long enough to allow the bones to heal back together. For breaks in which a splint or cast is not an option, surgical repair of the fracture is often warranted. Our doctors can perform internal fixation of various fractures in dogs and cats, and can assist your pet on the road to recovery. There are many different options for treating fractures, and our doctors will help you to determine which is the best for your pet.