Laser Surgery

We have a CO2 laser for use with all of our 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.

Spaying and Neutering

Our doctors routinely perform both spays and neutering on dogs and cats. These surgeries prevent your pet from breeding, and also prevent diseases such as uterine infections and breast tumors in females, and testicular cancer or prostate issues in males. Surgery for females involves making a small abdominal incision and removing the ovaries and uterus. For males, the testicles are removed from the scrotum. For both procedures your pet goes home the same night and there are no sutures to be removed. Recovery is approximately 14 days, and a technician will go over discharge instructions at the time of your pet’s pickup.

Spaying and Neutering Pigs

We provide spaying and neutering services for pet pigs. Males should be neutered around 3 months of age in order to prevent serious behavioral disorders and unpleasant odors. Additionally, neutering at this age will help prevent the development of dangerous tusks. Females should also be spayed around 3 months of age in order to avoid behavioral problems which worsen when they go into heat. Spaying will also eliminate the chance of developing ovarian cysts and uterine cancers. We are equipped with the necessary tools to handle and restrain pet pigs, and the appropriate anesthetic drugs and equipment.

Dentistry

Periodontal disease is the most common cause of tooth loss in adult dogs and cats. Many times, owners aren't able to recognize when their pets have serious oral disease. Gingivitis and periodontitis cause tooth loss, infection and pain. The bacteria associated with periodontitis circulates in the blood stream and can cause cardiac disease, renal disease, and bladder infections. Our veterinarians are trained to detect oral diseases and will recommend proper treatment and prophylaxis.

Tumor Removals

Our veterinarians commonly perform lumpectomies to remove growths that are either external or invasive. The goal of surgery is to restore comfort and functioning, to alleviate associated symptoms, or to remove cancerous growths for grading and to prevent metastasis. Growths can then be sent to the lab for pathology. Dogs and cats undergoing minor surgeries can usually go home the same day and may need to return to have sutures removed in 14 days.

Urogenital Surgery

The most common urogenital surgery in dogs and cats is bladder stone removal. While some bladder stones can resolve with diet changes or other treatments, often surgery is needed to remove them. In male cats especially, there is a risk of stones lodging in the urethra, causing a blockage of urine and potential kidney damage. In certain situations, it is necessary to perform a perineal urethrostomy (PU) surgery to prevent urethral obstruction. Our veterinarians are experienced at performing urogenital surgeries in both dogs and cats.

Gastropexy

Gastropexy, or stomach tacking, is recommended for large breed dogs at risk for gastric dilation and volvulus, or GDV. This condition is also commonly called torsion or bloat, and occurs when the stomach flips or twists, trapping air in the stomach and compressing large vessels. Gastropexy is the surgical attachment of the stomach to the body wall to prevent it from turning. For large breed dogs at risk, we recommend performing the surgery when your pet is spayed or neutered, or after decompression if your dog suffers an episode of bloat.

Exploratory Surgery

Exploratory surgery can be both diagnostic and curative in some cases. Our veterinarians perform exploratory surgery when other tests cannot confirm the underlying cause of symptoms. Exploration allows the doctors to visually inspect the internal organs for inflammation, foreign objects, growths or cancer, and can allow the doctor to remove growths or objects and take surgical biopsies which are sent to a lab.

Eye Surgery

Certain breeds of dogs and cats are more prone to eye issues, some of which occasionally need surgical repair. Our veterinarians can perform surgeries to correct certain conditions in the surrounding tissues of the eye such as entropion, ectropion or cherry eye.

Anal Gland Removal

Anal gland issues are usually managed by manual expression by a professional, however in dogs and cats who have consistent issues causing recurrent problems, anal gland removal is sometimes an option. The veterinarian can surgically remove one, or both of the anal glands during surgery with the goal of reducing symptoms or infections. This is typically not a first line treatment for animals with anal gland issues, but is used as a last resort if other options fail.