Surgery & Dentistry
Including spays/neuters for our small animals and castrations for our large patients, dental cleanings / extractions if needed for small animals, equine dental floats, and a variety of soft tissue surgeries offered.
Spays / Neuters / Castrations
Small & Large Animals
Spaying and neutering is the removal of the reproductive organs to prevent animals from having offspring. This has a variety of medical benefits in our small animals including reducing overpopulation, reducing risk of breast cancer in our females, preventing life threatening uterine infections (called pyometras) in our females, and reducing prostatic/testicular diseases or cancer in our males.
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We offer castrations (removal of the testicles) for our large animal patients as well. This is often desired for behavioral, training, and selling benefits if you do not wish to breed your animal.
Dental Cleaning / Surgery
Dogs & Cats
Dental disease is one of the most common diseases in our small animals patients. It occurs by an accumulation of bacteria that builds up on their teeth over time that eventually forms thick plaque. Unlike humans, they are not brushing their teeth twice a day to maintain their dental health. The plaque that forms on the tooth leads to gingivitis (inflammation of the gums) and can eventually cause painful tooth root infections/abscesses. A dental cleaning/surgery involves gently scaling away the built up tartar with a dental scaler machine while they are under anesthesia. A veterinarian will then perform a thorough oral exam and probe each tooth looking for pocketing, looseness of the tooth, or other signs of infection. Dental radiographs (X-Rays) are taken to further evaluate underneath the gumline, where most of the abscesses/infections are found. With all of that information we can then properly decide if dental extractions are necessary for your pet to alleviate pain from dental disease. Studies have shown that on average animals live 2 years longer if we take proper care of their teeth with regular dental cleanings and extraction of diseased teeth as needed.
Dental Floats
Equine
A dental "float" refers to filing down of the sharp edges of the tooth. Over time as horses chew their grain / hay the edges of the teeth become sharp. This happens because the upper teeth do not perfectly align with the lower teeth, so the surfaces that are not in constant contact when chewing become overgrown. These sharp edges can poke into their gum tissue causing ulcers and making it uncomfortable for them to eat. Imagine how it feels to eat when you bite your cheek or burn your mouth! This discomfort can lead to them dropping feed and if left untreated can lead to weight loss. The dental float procedure is done under light to moderate sedation and should be done as part of a horses' regular care.
Mass / Tumor Removal
Small or Large Animals
Another very common surgery is the removal of a mass / lump / tumor. We usually start this process by taking a small needle sample of the mass and looking at the cells underneath the microscope (see image shown). If the cells look abnormal and we suspect that the mass is cancerous or if it is bothering them due to location, size, or recurring infection, then surgical removal of the mass is indicated. In most circumstances removing the mass and submitting it for biopsy can tell us what kind of tumor it is and how likely it is to come back or spread elsewhere in the body.
Other Surgeries Offered
We offer many other surgeries depending on what your animal needs and our comfort level with the specific procedure needing to be done. A few other procedures include: laceration repairs, eye surgeries, intestinal foreign body removal, splenectomy (removal of spleen indicated if cancer is suspected) , and removal of urinary bladder stones.