Just last week my surgical schedule read: Mass removal, Dental with extractions, Cherry eye surgery, Foreign body removal and Spay. The day before a client said to me “Wait, you can do that here?” Many pet parents know that veterinarians perform “spays” and “neuters”, yet our surgical skills reach much further. On any given day, one of the veterinarians at Whole Pet is performing multiple different surgeries. So let me take a moment to highlight a couple of the “other” surgeries we perform.
Soft tissue surgery is common in pets and reaches far beyond a spay or neuter. Just on eyes, we perform surgeries to correct eyelids that are scratching the eye due to rolling inward (entropion) and another to correct that pesky “cherry eye”. Sadly, sometimes due to uncontrolled glaucoma or a devastating injury, we remove an eye too; that’s called an enucleation. Ear hematomas, a blood blister in the ear flap due to excessive head shaking, are often surgically corrected. Pet’s also develop masses in or under their skin, and we certainly perform a fair number of mass removals with biopsies. Other times, masses develop internally, such as in the spleen so we perform a splenectomy (removal of the spleen). Unfortunately, some pets develop bladder stones and they are removed by a surgery called a cystotomy. Oh, and let’s not forget the surgery to remove what the cat or dog ate (from either the stomach or the intestinesgastronomy and enterotomy). There are so many options here: hair ties, string, towels, socks, “unmentionables”, rocks, corn on the cob, toys, Mr. Potato Head’s ear, buttons (see radiograph)… the list is endless.
Orthopedic surgery is common in pets too. While we can perform amputations due to tumors we typically call in the reinforcements for other orthopedic surgery. We have an amazing board-certified Veterinary Surgeon, Dr. Benitez, who is often at Whole Pet to perform corrective surgery for conditions such as luxating patella and cruciate/meniscal tears (ie TPLO).
Lastly, I would be remiss to mention that we are oral surgeons too. Dental radiographs and extractions are common, as well as oral biopsies and even soft palate surgery
We offer our patients as many options as possible. First to allow pets to have surgery in a place they know, with veterinarians and technicians they’ve built a bond with. And second, to have an option at a lower cost than the specialty centers. There are times when a specialty clinic with overnight care and board-certified specialists is necessary. Our relationship with Boarded Specialists is as important as our surgical skills and we can coordinate referrals when medically necessary.
This brings me to an important note: Surgery can be the same, but care can vary drastically between hospitals. I am not saying that the individuals don’t care, they absolutely do. The largest difference is the “perioperative care” or the level of medical attention and monitoring the pet receives. Just as important as the surgeon is “peri-operative care”.
At Whole Pet each patient receives:
- Pre-op Lab work – To be sure organs can filter anesthesia, or determine any medication changes that must occur
- Individualized anesthetic protocol and pain control based on age, underlying conditions and the surgery being performed.
- IV catheter and fluid therapy – Anesthesia lowers blood pressure so it is important to use fluids to support proper blood flow to all the vital organs
- Thermal support – Keeping the temperature normal so that blood flow remains normal Monitoring – During surgery, every pet is individually monitored by a dedicated technician with pulse oximetry, ECG, capnography, blood pressure, temperature
Dedicated technicians are present throughout the entire surgery, both monitoring and quickly responding to the patient’s anesthetic needs. Additionally, one technician is dedicated to seeing the patient through their entire anesthetic recovery. I can not stress how important a trained, dedicated surgical technician is to the safety of your pet during their anesthesia.
I often have a conversation with clients discussing the differences in surgical experiences. Sometimes, clients receive an estimate and they inquire why there are such differences in estimates between clinics. You’ll hear me say, “Compare apples to apples; don’t compare apples to oranges”. I have worked in quite a few different private practices and even joined the SPCA of Central Florida during the Recession of 2008.
Speaking from experience, low-cost surgical centers do not have individualized anesthetic plans, monitoring or recovery. They do not routinely perform pre-op bloodwork, place IV catheters, continue fluid therapy, or have the monitoring we consider the standard of care at Whole Pet. Remember when deciding where to have surgery: “Compare apples to apples” and ask questions regarding the perioperative care your furry family member will receive.
Surgery can seem scary, both for the pet and for their family. I hope that gaining a little knowledge of the different surgeries we perform, as well as the perioperative care they receive, helps ease some worries and answer some of the more common questions. Armed with knowledge, you can make the best decision.