Coming Soon!When your pet needs surgery, whether planned or in an emergency, it can be a stressful time filled with many questions for your veterinarian. From pre-surgery lab work to post-surgery care, there are many things to consider for a successful surgery and recovery and you are likely to have questions. That’s why we’ve taken the most frequently asked questions about surgery at SF Vet Hospital and answered them here.
What Do I Need To Know About Pet Surgery At SF Vet Hospital?
The first step is a full exam and assessment by one of our veterinarians to establish care and identify the issue your pet is having. From there, we would have a better understanding of what your pet needs and can determine whether surgery is an option. If surgery is needed and you decide to proceed, we have doctors at SF Vet Hospital who perform minor procedures, as well as a consulting Board-Certified Surgeon who can perform major surgeries in our hospital.
What Can I Expect The Day Of Surgery?
You will typically be asked to drop off your pet with us in the morning so we have sufficient time to perform pre-operative diagnostics. These will include bloodwork and an EKG screening to ensure that the patient is a good candidate to be placed under anesthesia. After the procedure, your pet will remain under supervision at City Pet for a few hours to ensure they are recovering safely before returning home.
How Will I Care For My Pet After Surgery?
When you arrive to pick up your pet, our staff will review your take-home care instructions in detail including all medications being sent home for pain management and recovery. The post-operative care plan will vary slightly according to each pet, the type of procedure performed, and other factors. Typical discharge instructions may include feeding tips for your first night at home, exercise and activity restriction, and incision care. If your pet goes home with a bandage from their IV catheter site, we will remind you that it must be removed within two hours.
Surgeries Offered at SF Vet Hospital
We offer several major and minor soft tissue surgeries and orthopedic surgeries at SF Vet Hospital:
Orthopedic Surgery
- Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO)
- Medial patella luxation (MPL)
- Fracture repair
Soft Tissue Surgery - Abdominal
- Splenectomy, gastropexy (for GDV in dogs), exploratory laparotomy, resection and anastomosis
- Exploratory laparotomy with biopsies
- Liver lobectomy & biliary surgery
Soft Tissue Surgery - Urogenital
- Cystotomy
- Perineal urethrostomy (for cats)
- Partial cystectomy
- Urethrostomy (perineal, scrotal, prescrotal)
- Episioplasty (persistent UTI or vulvar pyoderma)
Soft Tissue Surgery - Respiratory
- Brachycephalic airway
- Laryngeal paralysis
- Diaphragmatic hernia
Miscellaneous
- Total ear canal ablation and bulla osteotomy (unilateral)
- Anal sacculectomy
- Thyroidectomy and parathyroidectomy
- Perineal hernia
- Mass removal (simple to complex, involving graft or flap)
- Mastectomy (single to full chain)