Surgery

Orthopaedic Surgery

Orthopaedic surgery for animals is a branch of veterinary medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the bones, joints, and muscles. Common procedures include joint replacements, fracture repairs, and tendon/ligament repairs.

One of our veterinary surgeons, Dr Jamie performs a range of orthopaedic surgeries such as cruciate repairs. This is the equivalent surgery as ACL or MCL repairs in humans. We use a technique that replaces the torn ligament with an artificial one. Cruciate ruptures are seen more often in larger breeds or overweight dogs.

Cryotherapy

Cryotherapy is a non-invasive procedure that uses extreme cold to destroy abnormal tissue. It is also known as cryoablation or cryosurgery, and is an option for the removal of small skin lesions such as warts or suspicious cells on the surface of the skin.

Cryotherapy is commonly used to treat skin conditions such as warts, moles, and precancerous lesions.

Cryotherapy is a safe and effective treatment option with minimal side effects, however, it usually requires a general anaesthetic and some pain relief post-procedure.

Lumpectomies

Lumpectomies are a common cancer removal surgery for animals. As with any surgery, there are some risks associated with lumpectomies. However, these risks are usually low and the benefits of the procedure often outweigh the risks. As with all anaesthetics, the risks can be minimised by performing pre-anaesthetic blood testing.

Lumpectomies are performed to remove a variety of masses such as fatty lipomas, warts, and benign and cancerous masses. Vets can diagnose masses prior to removal by performing in-house fine needle aspirates. The cells removed by the fine needle aspirate are closely looked at under the microscope.

Recovery time is usually between 10-14 days depending on the size, area and number of lumps removed.

If you’ve noticed a suspicious lump anywhere on your pet, please bring them in for an assessment by our vets as soon as possible.

Desexing

At our clinic, we offer desexing services for cats, dogs and rabbits. Our experienced veterinarians will ensure your pet is comfortable during the procedure, and provide you with post-operative care instructions. Depending on the sex of your pet, desexing involves either spaying or castration.

Spaying

Desexing female dogs, cats & rabbits

Spaying your female cat, dog or rabbit is a great way to help control the pet population. Not to mention, it has many health benefits for your pet! Spaying helps to prevent uterine infections and breast cancer in dogs and cats, and also eliminates the risk of rabbits developing uterine cancer.

The surgery itself is routine and frequently performed by our veterinarians. Recovery time is usually about 10 days, during which your pet will need to rest and recover at home. We recommend desexing cats and dogs around 6 months of age, and rabbits slightly younger – 4-5 months old. But this may vary depending on the individual.

Castration – A surgery to sterilise males

Desexing male dogs, cats & rabbits

A desexed male, in general, will be calmer and will not have the desire to go chasing females.

Although far less invasive than female desexing, surgical castration still involves a full general anaesthetic in a sterile theatre. Recovery time is usually only about 10 days, during which your pet will need to rest and recover at home.

We also offer medical castration in male dogs. It involves a small implant, like the size of microchips, that is implanted under the skin. This is a far less invasive sterilisation option, and it is reversible. We can sterilise males for up to 12 months. The implant simply dissolves after time, and dogs can be implanted again every 12 months. This can be done during their annual vaccination visits.

To find out more about our desexing services, or to make an appointment, reach out to our team today.