Surgery

Veterinary surgery can range from a common spay or neuter procedure, to the more complex surgeries. Whether it is a scheduled elective procedure or an unexpected health issue that has prompted you to seek surgical care for your pet, Gulf Gate’s expert hospital staff has the experience to handle a variety of veterinary surgeries using the most advanced techniques.

Anesthesia is used in veterinary surgery to keep your pet comfortable and free of pain during a procedure. While technological advancements have made anesthesia and surgery very safe for pets, some risks still exist. To decrease these risks, we require all patients undergo a physical exam and highly recommend pre-anesthetic blood screening prior any anesthetic procedure. This blood panel will help reduce anesthetic risks by ruling out many internal problems, including clotting disorders, liver and kidney abnormalities and anemia that may not be visible on your pet’s exam. In addition to the examination and blood screening, depending on your pet’s health, we may also recommend additional x-rays, ultrasound or EKG prior to anesthesia. Your pet’s health and safety is our top priority; anesthesia is tailored to each pets’ specific health concerns.

An intravenous catheter is place to administer fluids, which help keep your pet hydrated and maintain blood pressure during the procedure. This also allows us to have instant access to the bloodstream for medication administration.

In addition to constant supervision by the surgery technician and veterinarian, your pet will also be monitored with state-of-the-art equipment. Depending on the procedure, these include a pulse oximeter, which measures heart rate and oxygen concentration levels, an ECG to monitor heart activity, a non-invasive blood pressure monitor and internal temperature. Our patients are kept on heated surgery tables for increased patient comfort and quicker recovery. Rest assured, only the safest, most effective and latest anesthetic and pain-control protocols are utilized.

While your pet is recovering from anesthesia, it is the ideal time to have other minor procedures performed, such as toe nail trims, ear cleanings or microchip implantation that we offer at a discounted price. We highly recommend all pets be microchipped. A HomeAgain microchip will ensure easy identification if your pet is ever lost or stolen and cannot be removed like a collar. Living in Florida, there is always a risk of hurricanes, making microchipping even more important if you were to be separated from your pet.

What to Expect on Surgery Day {Download}

Our Surgical Services Include:

Spay & Neuter

Spaying (i.e., overiohysterectomy) is the removal the uterus and ovaries in female cats and dogs. There are many benefits to spaying your female pet. You will help prevent diseases in your pet, such as pyometra (a life-threatening infection in the uterus) and cancer of the breast, uterus and ovaries. Spaying will eliminate the messy heat cycles that cause your pet to stray for home or attract males to your house from miles away. And finally, you will help to prevent pet overpopulation.

Neutering (i.e., orchiectomy) is the removal of the testicle of male cats and dogs. There are many benefits to neutering your male pet. You will prevent diseases in your pet, such as prostate disease and testicular cancer. Neutering will help eliminate undesirable and sometimes destructive behavior, such as

Lump/Mass Removal

One of the most common soft-tissue procedures is removal of lumps, masses or tumors. Whether they are located on the body or internally, it is important to have them removed and then send them to a pathologist.  Pathology testing confirms if the mass is benign or cancerous, and also ensures that all abnormal cells have been removed.

Foreign Body Removal

Unfortunately, sometimes our pets eat things that they are not supposed to. This can lead to a blockage of the stomach or intestine, preventing your pet from keeping down any food or water. Once there is a blockage, surgery is often needed to remove the object.

Splenectomy

Tumors of the spleen can be benign or cancerous, but either of those can cause internal bleeding requiring emergency surgery to remove the spleen in order to control the bleeding. Luckily, your pet can live a normal life without their spleen.

Pyometra

If a female pet is not spayed,  they can develop a severe life threatening infection of the uterus. This can happen at any age, but the risk is higher each heat cycle they go through. When this occurs, emergency removal of the uterus and ovaries is the only way to save their life. This is just one of the reasons we recommend spaying your pet while they are young and healthy.

Laceration Repair/Drain Placement

Lacerations are wounds are common in pets and depending on the size, occasionally require a drain to remove infection. Surgery to close the wound will reduce the chance of infection, improve healing and reduce scarring.

What happens after surgery?

Depending on the surgery performed, most pets will have an incision that is closed with sutures.  Often, an E-collar (cone) or t-shirt may be needed during their recovery to protect the incision. Any surgical incision will take about 10-14 days to heal. During that time your pet’s activity will have to be restricted (no running, jumping, rough playing) and no baths or swimming until their recheck. If pets are too active or are able to lick, chew or scratch their incisions complications, such as infection, swelling or opening of the incision can happen. For our rambunctious patients, sometimes a mild sedative will be prescribed to help keep them calm during recovery.

Animals feel pain just like people; they just don’t show the same signs. They often don’t wine or cry; sometimes it’s something as subtle as reluctant to move around or slower to eat. Pain medications are tailored to the type of surgery your pet is undergoing. A combination of anti-inflammatory, opiates and local nerve blocks are used to keep our patients as pain free as possible. We use pain medications made specifically for cats and dogs, many human products can be very dangerous to our pets. If you think your pet is in pain please contact our office right away before giving them anything we have not prescribed.

We know your pets mean the world to you as members of your family, and surgery can be a scary time for pets and owners. Please give us a call today to schedule your surgical consultation. We are here to address any concerns and answer any questions you may have regarding your pet’s procedure.