Surgical Suite

At Care-Pets, our state-of-the-art Surgical Suite allows us to provide a sterile environment to perform a variety of surgical procedures. The suite has a “positive pressure” system keeping the air pressure in the suite higher than the pressure in the rest of the hospital to prevent airborne micro-organisms from entering. Also, all staff members entering the suite follow standard procedures, such as using masks and caps, to prevent other pathogens from being brought into the area.

Surgical Instruments

All surgical instruments go through a multi-step process to ensure sterility. These steps include manual cleaning (good old-fashioned elbow grease), ultrasonic cleaning, packaging the instruments in pouches or trays indicating sterility, and finally steam sterilization.

Pre-anesthetic Procedures

Prior to performing a surgical procedure we strongly recommend a blood chemistry profile and complete blood count to ensure that your pet is in the low-risk category. These tests assess anemia, hydration, infection, clotting, and liver, and kidney values. We also recommend the placement of an IV catheter and administration of IV fluids. This allows quick access to a vein in case of an anesthetic complication. The fluids, which are given through the catheter, help to keep the patient’s blood pressure in the normal range, therefore, reducing the chance of an anesthetic complication.

Anesthetics and Monitoring

In order to prevent pain and anxiety during a surgical procedure, we generally give your pet a pre-anesthetic agent that provides sedation and pain control. During the procedure, your pet is maintained on a combination of oxygen and an inhalant anesthetic. While your pet is under the anesthetic he/she is monitored by both a mechanical blood pressure monitor and a trained staff member. Many patients are given a reversal agent after the procedure to speed the recovery process.

Your pet’s health is as important to us as it is to you. Therefore, in the majority of our surgical procedures, the laser replaces the traditional scalpel. Laser technology reduces the trauma to your pet, improves recovery, and often shortens hospital stays.

Why laser surgery? First, your pet feels less pain post-operatively because laser energy seals nerve endings as it moves through tissue. Second, the laser seals small blood vessels during surgery which allows your doctor to perform surgeries with extraordinary precision. This results in less bleeding and speeds some procedures reducing the need for prolonged anesthesia. Finally, laser energy does not crush, tear or bruise because only a beam of intense light contacts the tissue which means less swelling.

Common Procedures

• Ovariohysterectomy (Spay)
• Castration (Neuter)
• Declaw
• Dental Cleaning
• Mass Removal
• Exploratory
• Aural Hematoma Repair
• Amputation
• Cystotomy
• Splenectomy

After a surgical or dental procedure, each patient is bedded down in our Surgical Recovery Room. The patient is “recovered” in an individual stainless steel cage that is lined with fresh, soft bedding (much of which has been donated by you), given a warming unit, and monitored by a trained Veterinary Technician or Assistant. Many are released the same day.