Here at South Valley Animal Clinic and Equine Wellness, our veterinarians have decades of experience performing pet surgery on dogs, cats and equine patients. Many of the surgeries we perform are routine surgeries such as spay and neuter procedures, but we also handle everything from emergency surgeries and complex orthopedic surgeries to soft tissue surgeries such as lump removals and gastrointestinal surgeries to remove blockages or untwist stomachs (particularly in large breed dogs). While pet surgery can be a stressful time for pet owners and pets alike, we do everything we can to make the process smooth, safe and successful.

Whether your pet needs a routine spay or neuter surgery, or an emergency vet procedure, our pet surgery protocols are just as stringent as those in human hospitals. All equipment is carefully sanitized and all care is made to ensure your pet is safe and comfortable from pre-op to post surgery. We run a complete blood test from our in-house laboratory before any procedure to ensure your pet is safe for anesthesia. Our in-house diagnostics tools also enable us to get a clear picture of what is going on inside your pet so that we know ahead of time where the problem lies and how best to approach it surgically. Before we begin, we will discuss what we intend to do to help your pet so that you will understand what is going on.

While our veterinarian prepares for the surgery, one of our veterinary technicians assists throughout the procedure, constantly checking your pet’s vital signs, administering IV fluids if necessary, as well as any pain management medications needed to help your pet stay comfortable. Our veterinarians have years of on-going training and experience in many surgical techniques and are able to repair broken bones, remove tumors, untwist and unblock stomachs, or to remove reproductive organs. We always try to be as minimally invasive as possible and are constantly studying the latest pet surgery techniques.

Once your pet comes out of surgery, our vet tech will remain with and continue checking in on your pet as he or she comes out of the anesthesia. We make sure your pet has pain medications so that he or she remains as comfortable and calm as possible. When you come to pick up your pet, our veterinarian will explain how the operation went and discuss with you what you need to do to help your pet recover at home. We will explain any medications or wound-care procedures you need to know about and answer all of your questions so that you will feel confident in helping your pet’s recuperation process. We often issue pets a cone or Elizabethan collar to wear so they do not bite or lick their incision site.