What Types of Surgeries Can Veterinarians Perform on Pets?
In every pet’s life, there may arise a need for surgery. This can be due to many different reasons, from small procedures to more complicated surgeries. Veterinary medicine has grown in leaps, making it possible for veterinarians to perform diverse surgeries to improve the life quality of our furry friends.
Developing an understanding of the types of surgical procedures that are available and recognizing the capabilities and specializations of different veterinary professionals can enable you to make the best care decisions when your pet requires medical attention.
Common Pet Surgeries
Pets are often on the receiving end of regular veterinary operations. Although these surgeries are common, the skills that they demand from veterinarians are anything but ordinary. Here are a few routine procedures that your pet might need.
- Spaying and Neutering: These operations are important as a means of controlling the population of pets. Female dogs and cats undergo spaying, which involves removing the uterus and ovaries. Male dogs and cats, on the other hand, are neutered, a procedure that involves the removal of their testicles.
- Dental Operations: Dental problems are a common plague on pets and these issues often require surgical intervention. Teams of veterinarians perform a visual exam and use x-rays to determine problems such as oral tumors, tooth decay, periodontal disease, and gingivitis.
- Tumor Removal: Pets, just like humans, can grow tumors. These growths can crop up anywhere on a pet’s body and cause severe health complications. If a tumor is cancerous, veterinarians often opt for surgical removal.
Advanced Pet Surgeries
As veterinary medicine advances, it becomes possible for more complex surgeries to be performed on pets. Here are some examples of these complex procedures.
- Orthopedic Surgeries: These operations are performed on the skeletal system of pets. They can involve the repair of fractures or the treatment of cranial cruciate ligament ruptures and hip dysplasia.
- Ophthalmic Surgeries: These surgeries focus on the pet’s eyes and can include treatments for a range of issues, including cataracts, dry eyes, and cherry eyes.
- Gastrointestinal Surgeries: These are surgeries that are carried out on the digestive system. They may involve the removal of foreign objects or tumors, treatment of gastric torsion in dogs, or the rectification of congenital anomalies.
What Are Veterinary Internal Medicine Specialists?
Your family vet is a vital caregiver for your pet’s general health, handling a broad range of concerns. However, complex or rare medical issues may call for the expertise of a veterinary surgeon, also known as a veterinary internal medicine specialist.
These professionals specialize in handling severe, potentially life-threatening illnesses in pets, such as cancer, heart disease, and gastrointestinal disease, among others. They use advanced diagnostic tests for pets that include endoscopy, advanced lab tests, and ultrasound for accurate diagnosis and disease management.
When is a Pet Surgery Needed?
Recognizing when your pet requires surgery involves watching for changes in their behavior, being aware of potential symptoms, and seeking a timely veterinary consultation. For instance, your dog starting to limp consistently could indicate an orthopedic issue that needs immediate attention. However, not all red flags are as conspicuous.
Subtle changes like slight shifts in eating habits, reduced activity, changes in the bowel movement cycle, or unusual breathing patterns could point to internal problems. When symptoms are persistent or when less invasive treatments fail, a need for surgery might become a grim reality. When this happens, it’s important to learn more about your pet’s specific condition, potential surgery options, and what the recovery process will look like.
Emergency Veterinary Care
In the event of a pet medical emergency, immediate action is crucial to guarantee the survival of your pet. During off-hours, when normal vet services are unavailable, like weekends or late at night, emergency veterinary care is essential.
An internal medicine vet or an emergency pet medical clinic is equipped to provide urgent care in critical situations. This kind of pet care can include treatments for intense pain, severe injuries, difficulty in breathing, or poisoning. As such, keeping the contact information of your nearest emergency vet clinic handy can be the difference between life and death for your pet.
Conclusion
The thought of your pet needing surgery is terrifying. But knowing about the wide range of surgeries and expert veterinary services available today can be reassuring. From routine surgeries like neutering to specialized surgeries like orthopedic operations, vets and their teams work tirelessly to give our pets the best possible care. Being informed about what’s possible in veterinary medicine is the first step in ensuring our pets live long, healthy lives.
