Your Pet's Surgery
The decision to allow your beloved companion to undergo surgery is never an easy one. We continually strive to keep our surgical techniques and equipment up-to-date. This is why we work as hard as we do to ensure your pet's procedure is as comfortable and stress free as possible.
Perhaps the most important pre-surgical step we take is to discuss with you why we believe a particular procedure is necessary and what it entails. We will also provide information on proper postoperative care and answer any questions you may have so that you feel comfortable that you are making the right choice for your pet.
Springtown Veterinary Hospital truly believes that our personal attention to each patient and client is what makes our surgical services unique.
Our Surgical Services
Springtown Veterinary Hospital is very proud of the quality of surgical care we provide and the wide range of surgical procedures we offer.
Beyond spays and neuters, we also perform extensive soft tissue surgeries. For more information on spay, neuter and declaw procedures please go here.
Our recent addition of laser surgery has greatly expanded our range of surgical options.
In order to provide our clients' pets with the best care possible Springtown Veterinary Hospital is more than able to perform a range of common orthopedic and fracture procedures.
Our network of specialists also includes an on-site board-certified surgical specialist capable of providing your pet with a wide range of soft tissue and orthopedic surgical services on an on-call basis.
We also work with several board-certified surgeons at a referral hospital in Austin, which is only a 20 minute drive from our facility.
In all, it is our goal to provide your pet with the best and most appropriate surgical care possible.
Laser Surgery for Companion Animals
A Less Painful Alternative for Your Pet
We are proud to offer laser surgery as a progressive new option for our clients who want the safest and least painful treatment for their pets.
Long used in human healthcare, laser technology is a highly effective surgical technique with multiple applications. Only recently have veterinarians turned to laser surgery, and we are proud to be on the leading edge of advanced animal care.
In many cases, laser surgery can be extremely beneficial over traditional surgery. Should your pet require surgery, your veterinarian will discuss the benefits of laser surgery with you and whether it is the best option for your pet.
The Benefits of Laser Surgery
- Less Pain–The laser seals nerve endings as it moves through tissue. Your pet will feel less pain after surgery.
- Less Bleeding–The laser seals small blood vessels during surgery, resulting in less bleeding and quicker procedures.
- Less Swelling–With laser technology, only light comes into contact with the tissue, causing minimal swelling.
- Extreme Precision–The laser enables the surgeon to only affect or remove the target tissue, leaving the healthy surrounding tissue untouched.
- Reduced Risk of Infection–The high heat of laser energy kills bacteria and microorganisms as it moves through diseased areas, reducing the chance of infection.
- Quicker Recovery–For all of the above reasons, your pet is likely to feel less discomfort after surgery, and return home to normal activities sooner.
How It Works
A laser is an intense beam of light. Using an instrument that allows it to be precisely controlled, the laser beam replaces the traditional scalpel. Laser energy instantly vaporizes the water found in tissues, allowing it to cut or essentially remove an extremely small area of tissue. The energy seals nerve endings and blood vessels as it moves through the tissue, resulting in less bleeding, less pain and virtually no trauma to surrounding tissue.
Recommended Procedures for Laser Surgery
- Declaw
- Spay/Neuter
- Tumor Removal
- Skin Tags
- Cyst Removal
- Soft Palate Resections
- Gingival and Dental Surgery
- Stenotic Nares Repair
- Analsacculectomies
- And so much more
Anesthesia
At Springtown Veterinary Hospital, we make anesthesia as safe and comfortable for our patients as possible. Diligent monitoring of the effects of anesthesia is paramount to providing a successful outcome.
Each anesthetic procedure is closely monitored and recorded by one of our highly trained veterinary technicians. Our doctors are never more than a few steps away from any anesthetized patient. Depth of anesthesia is subjectively assessed by our technicians using factors such as heart rate, respiratory rate and strength, mucous membrane color, and pulse strength.
At Springtown Veterinary Hospital, we utilize a Multi-Parameter Anesthesia Monitor to help objectively assess our patients' anesthetic depth. Pulse Oximettry gives us a continuous visual reading of your pet's blood oxygen saturation level. It is important to keep our patients fully oxygenated, and these machines help us do just that. ECG monitoring allows us to continuously track the rate and electrical activity of our patients' heart. Any changes in the ECG will be diagnosed and treated quickly.
Blood Pressure Monitors allow us to continuously monitor the blood pressure of anesthetized patients. Early signs of hypotension can be addressed readily before further problems arise. Surgical patients are maintained on intravenous fluids to ensure adequate blood pressure and blood flow.
We also maintain our patients' body temperature by utilizing a warm water-heated blanket.
Pain Management
Because any surgery can cause pain, our hospital requires that each pet receive our pain management service when having any surgical procedure. We offer the most up to date pain management. Many hours of research have gone into finding the best possible options so your dog or cat can be most comfortable when having a surgical procedure. This service will consist of an injection of morphine or morphine-type medication prior to surgery. This injection is repeated post-operatively as well to prevent pain. A prescription of oral medication is dispensed to continue pain management at home.
This pain management protocol is the most effective to date in veterinary medicine and is mandatory with any surgical procedure.
Postoperative Care
As your pet is being discharged from the Hospital, we will provide you with detailed information on how to properly care for your pet at home after surgery. We are also happy to answer any questions or concerns that may arise once you take your pet home.