TOPICS IN THE SURGERY SECTION Understanding Elective Surgery   Learn about the pros and cons of elective operations and what you must do before making the decision to proceed.

Anesthetics:  Is there a perfect anesthetic for dogs and cats?  Find out here.

Spay/Neuter
Dog Spay    Cat Spay    Dog Neuter    Cat Neuter 
You may see only a small skin incision after a spay procedure but this surgical event is to be taken very seriously.  Come along and see why.

Most Recent Surgeries
Gauze Sponge Removal... a complicated case requiring removal of a kidney.
Mammary Gland Tumor removal from a dog.
ACL Surgery to repair a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament in the knee of a dog.
Bloat!  See x-rays and photos of the surgery on a dog with bloat (Gastric Dilatation)
Anal Sac Removal   A method of removing anal sacs ("anal glands") in a dog.
Why does it cost so much?  Read Dr. Dunn's Letter To The Editor of a local newspaper in response to a reader's suggestion that veterinarians are partly to blame for the pet population problem.
Should Have Had Her Spayed !
Are you still unsure about having your dog or cat spayed?  Consider this...
Pyometra... Emergency surgery is required!

Soft Tissue
Removing a ball from a small dog's stomach... ten years after it was swallowed!
Fibrosarcoma See the surgical removal of this tumor in a cat.
Aortic Thrombosis, also called a Saddle Thrombosis, in a cat.
Artificial Insemination:  See a surgical method.
Cesarean Section Surgery  Up close images of the delivery of a Chihuahua pup.
Major Ear Canal Surgery:  Severe and chronic infections and allergies result in such destruction of normal tissue that radical ear structure surgery is warranted.
Lateral Ear Canal Ablation:  This patient has moderate pathological changes and is greatly helped by this surgery.
Perineal Hernia Repair Perineal Hernias are uncomfortable and sometimes are a serious health threat.  Surgical repair is generally required.
Intestinal Obstruction and surgery to relieve it.  This patient swallowed a rock and subsequently it totally blocked the intestine.
Mammary Gland Tumor removal from a dog.
Bloat!  See x-rays and photos of the surgery on a dog with bloat (Gastric Dilatation).
Bladder Stone Removal in a dog...
Take a look at this interesting surgery...and be glad you don't have a bladder stone that needs to be removed.  A special diet can help prevent a reoccurrence of bladder stones.
Bladder Stones In A Cat!
Draining An Abscess In A Cat     Cats are prone to developing abscesses under the skin and even within deeper tissues.  Here's one method of draining a cat abscess.
What Is That Lump?
Lumps and bumps can scare the daylights out of a pet owner.  Fortunately they are usually not a sign of something serious...but the only way to know for sure is to biopsy or remove them.  Lets take one off now...
Hematoma Surgery These blood filled lumps in the ear flap of dogs and cats require surgery for proper healing.
Anal Sac Removal   See one method of removing anal sacs (anal glands) from a dog with chronic anal sac problems.
Lipoma Removal  Fat deposits, often called a lipoma, on occasion can grow to be very large and need to be surgically removed.
Ear Cropping of Puppies  Read a discussion about this topic.
"Cherry Eye" in the dog and how to fix it.

INTRODUCTION                                                    
     Dog and cat surgery is an important aspect of every animal hospital's activities.  In ThePetCenter's surgery room you are welcome any time!  And don't worry, you won’t have to wear a cap, mask and a surgical gown!  But you will feel like you are right next to the surgeon during the operations. You will see some close-up photos of dog and cat surgery and read explanations of what the surgeon is doing.
     Modern veterinary surgery on dogs and cats is done under conditions designed to minimize the chances of bacterial contamination. Instruments, gowns, towels and other items such as scalpels and clamps are sterilized in an autoclave at 270 degrees under pressure for various lengths of time to kill any microorganisms. As well, the surgeon scrubs the hands and wears sterilized surgical gloves and also wears a gown if the surgery is more than a minor procedure. By adhering to sterile surgical techniques, postoperative infections are seldom encountered.
     After any surgical procedure the pet’s owner is given a thorough description of what the surgeon accomplished and what is now expected of the pet owner in terms of post-operative home care.  And sometimes that can be a bigger challenge than the surgery! How do you make a happy and carefree dog "take it easy" for ten days? How do you make a cat not jump off the back of the couch? Nevertheless, aftercare is vital to the healing process.  In our surgery room today you can view a dog and cat spay and a neuter procedure or take a look at an orthopedic procedure where a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) is repaired. You can also see a minor electrosurgical removal of a nasty looking growth from the gum area of a dog... and there's more if you care to look!  Why not tell another dog or cat "person" about this page by using the email referral below?  Now... off to see some surgeries.

Orthopedic
Femoral Head and Neck Resection  Severe degenerative joint disease made surgery this dog's only option.
OCD Shoulder Surgery See this common affliction of young, large breed dogs.
Bone plate repair of a fractured tibia in a dog.
ACL Surgery to repair a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament in the knee of a dog.
A torn ACL is a common occurrence in human athletes.  As well, in veterinary hospitals all across the country this type of injury is routinely encountered and corrected.  Want to see how?

Dental
Pet Dentistry Dogs and cats need good oral hygiene, too!  Take a look at The Bad and The Good.
See a Specialist in Veterinary Dentistry in action.

An atonic, underdeveloped bladder in a young dog that displayed urine leaking and chronic bladder infections.	Modern veterinary medical surgical techniques closely parallel human surgical techniques and procedures.

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