Surgery for Pets at Jefferson Animal Hospitals
Jefferson Animal Hospitals are fully equipped to provide all types of surgery for dogs and cats. Some of the surgical procedures we perform are:
- Emergency surgery: for example, laceration repair, wound repair, foreign object removal
- Soft tissue surgery: for example, lump/mass removal
- Spays
- Neuters
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Dental Surgery
Any pet having surgery at Jefferson Animal Hospital needs a thorough physical examination in your presence. Any problems found during the exam which could cause problems during the operation are thoroughly discussed with you at that time. Our staff veterinarians require a pre-surgical blood screening prior to any surgery. We would never place an animal under anesthetic without screening for any underlying problems (such as heart or kidney disease) which could cause complications during surgery.
All routine surgical procedures are performed with the pet placed under full general anesthesia. Your pet sleeps painlessly through the entire operation. At Jefferson Animal Hospitals, the specific type of anesthetic used is tailored to the specific health picture and physical condition of your pet in order to make the surgery as safe as possible. Among the anesthetics available at our hospital is Isoflurane, one of the most modern gas anesthetics available today. For each individual patient, we use a pack of surgical instruments which has been freshly sterilized by pressure (autoclave) sterilization. This is vitally important to preventing serious infections. The surgery is performed in our private operating room – a room used only for surgical procedures. The surgery is performed by one of our licensed veterinarians – sterile, scrubbed and gloved for each individual patient.
After surgery, your pet is carefully monitored by our veterinarians, trained staff members and medical technicians until he or she is fully awake and stable. No pet is dismissed from the hospital until we are satisfied that he or she is fully recovered from the anesthetic and stable from the surgery.
The Pre-Surgical Examination at Jefferson Animal Hospital
It is very important that you meet with one of our veterinarians to discuss the individual health status of your pet. The services that we recommend for your pet are largely based on their age and their physical condition. For example, a 4 month old healthy puppy, ready to be spayed, will have much different pre-surgical needs than a 14 year old cat that has periodontal disease and needs a dental prophy (cleaning). During this examination our veterinarian will evaluate your pet’s vaccination history, risk factors and general health condition. There are also some optional services that you may want to take advantage of that are offered for pets that are having surgical procedures. These services are described in detail below. If you are planning to have your pet evaluated for surgery here at Jefferson Animal Hospitals, it will help you to be familiar with what is offered leading you to ask any questions that you might have with the doctor during the pre-surgical examination.
