Surgical Treatment Options for Lethbridge Cats & Dogs
At Northside Veterinary Clinic, our veterinarians have the ability to perform a range of surgical procedures to help maintain and restore good health for your dog or cat.
Your pet will have an examination and bloodwork prior to undergoing any surgical procedure. This is to ensure their safety while under anesthesia. Once your furry friend is out of surgery, we will shift our focus to ongoing pain management and recovery.
We strive to ensure that you fully understand why we are recommending a particular surgery for your pet and any post-operative care your cat or dog may need at home.
Surgical Procedures
At Northside Veterinary Clinic, we perform medical and emergency surgeries to help treat diseases and conditions in pets or to repair injuries sustained through trauma.
Our Lethbridge veterinarians may perform or refer the following elective and non-elective surgeries:
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Soft Tissue Surgery
Soft tissue surgery includes ear, nose, and throat procedures as well as mass removals and treatment of flesh wounds. Nearly all surgical procedures that aren't orthopedic fall under soft tissue surgery.
These surgeries also include procedures for hepatic (liver), urogenital (urinary and genital organs), oncological (cancer), cardiothoracic (heart and lungs), gastrointestinal, and skin disorders.
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Spaying & Neutering
Our veterinarians frequently perform spaying and neutering procedures. These are performed to sterilize pets and prevent the birth of unwanted puppies and kittens, reduce the risk of serious disease and provide dogs and cats with an extended life expectancy.
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Dental Surgery
Our veterinarians provide dental surgeries to relieve pain and restore good oral health to dogs and cats. While dental surgeries often include tooth extractions, they can also be used to treat gum disease and for jaw fracture repairs.
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Ocular Surgery
Ocular surgery is used to treat conditions affecting the eyes of dogs and cats. Some of the most common eye surgeries performed by our veterinarians in Lethbridge include eyelid tumour removal, cataract surgery, ectropion surgery, entropion surgery, exenteration of the orbit and cherry eye surgery.
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Mass Removal
Masses are growths either under the skin or within the body cavity. These growths are not always cancerous. Some masses are harmless but may be removed for aesthetic purposes, while others can be serious or even life-threatening.
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Foreign Body Removal
Some pets eat things they shouldn't or experience accidents that may leave them with a foreign object stuck in their body. In these cases, our veterinarians can perform foreign body surgery to remove it.
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Wound Repair
When a dog or cat suffers from a wound it means that living tissue has been cut, broken, burnt, torn, or otherwise damaged. These wounds must be cleaned, disinfected, and appropriately cared for by a qualified veterinarian as soon as possible. If left untreated, open wounds can lead to infections and other complications that have the potential to be life-threatening.
What to Expect With Veterinary Surgery
Prior to any procedure, we will complete a thorough pre-surgical assessment of your pet. This includes a physical examination as well as blood tests to determine if they face any risk of anesthesia-related complications.
Your dog or cat will then be placed under anesthesia and the surgery will be performed. Our team will continuously monitor them using electronic patient monitoring equipment. We also ensure that your pet is provided with appropriate pain management throughout the procedure.
Once surgery is complete, our veterinary team will continue to monitor your pet and administer pain relief as needed. Your veterinarian will also provide thorough instructions for at-home care.
Tools & Techniques for Successful Surgeries
Our veterinarians aim to perform surgical procedures that are both safe and efficient. We accomplish this with strict sterilization protocols and the use of effective techniques and tools. This includes the use of surgical lasers.
Surgical lasers are a tool for performing soft tissue surgeries without the physical limitations of scalpels. These lasers offer reduced tissue trauma, post-surgical pain, bleeding, and swelling. This can prevent complications, such as infections, which can impact the healing process.
Along with the tools we use, our sterilization techniques can also help prevent infections. These include dedicated surgical suites which are kept completely sterile to avoid cross-contamination. Our staff also always wears sterile attire at all times when they are in the surgical suite, and we carefully clean, sterilize and wrap our surgical instruments and equipment prior to every surgery.